Sr. Optical Safety Engineer

Cupertino, California, United States Hardware

At Apple, great ideas become great products, services, and customer experiences, faster than anywhere else. The Product Safety Engineering group within Apple's Product Integrity organization ensures that every Apple product meets the highest global safety standards while enabling the kind of innovation our customers trust and expect.We are seeking a technically rigorous and collaborative optical safety engineer to serve as the Directly Responsible Individual (DRI) for laser and LED product safety. This role sits at the intersection of cutting‑edge photonics engineering and global regulatory compliance — you will own the safety strategy for optical systems across Apple's consumer and professional product lines, from early‑stage design review through certification and mass production. If you have deep expertise in IEC 60825-1 and IEC 60825-2, a passion for building safety into products rather than checking boxes at the end, and the communication skills to lead cross‑functional alignment at every level of the organization, this role was built for you.

Description

Apple's optical systems, spanning lasers, LEDs, structured light, time‑of‑flight sensors, and fiber‑optic communication components, are among the most technically sophisticated in the consumer electronics industry. As the optical safety DRI, you will be the authoritative voice on laser and LED safety within Apple's Product Safety Engineering team, working alongside hardware, optical, firmware, regulatory, and operations engineers to embed safety requirements at every stage of the product lifecycle. You will lead compliance efforts to IEC 60825-1/IEC 60825-2 and IEC 62471, conduct and oversee optical hazard analysis, drive certification, and own the technical relationship with external test laboratories and certification bodies. You will apply rigorous engineering methods, including FMEA, Fault Tree Analysis, and Design of Experiments, to characterize risk, drive root‑cause resolution, and prevent recurrence across product families. Beyond the technical work, this role requires someone who can communicate complex optical safety requirements clearly to non‑specialists, write reports suitable for submission to global regulatory authorities, and present findings and recommendations confidently to both engineering and executive audiences. You will also work closely with suppliers and contract manufacturers to ensure optical safety requirements are correctly implemented and sustained through production. Experience with ICT product certification frameworks, particularly where optical subsystems interface with server or communications infrastructure (IEC 62368-1, IECEE CB Scheme, CISPR), is a meaningful advantage in this role, as Apple's optical safety scope continues to expand into other product categories. This is a high‑visibility, high‑ownership position for an engineer who brings both technical depth and the maturity to serve as a trusted partner across one of Apple's most cross‑functional organizations.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the technical DRI for laser and LED product safety, owning safety compliance across the full product lifecycle from concept to mass production
• Develop deep product‑level understanding and partner with cross‑functional teams, hardware, optical engineering, firmware, operations, and legal, to identify and resolve optical safety risks early in design
• Lead safety compliance testing, write technical reports, and drive third‑party certification for optical and photonic systems to IEC 60825-1 (laser safety), IEC 60825-2 (fiber‑optic communication systems), or IEC 62471 as well as applicable regional variants (EN, UL, CSA)
• Apply scientific and engineering methods including Design of Experiments (DoE), FMEA, and Fault Tree Analysis to characterize risk and drive root‑cause resolution
• Develop and maintain optical safety specifications, test protocols, and acceptance criteria for supplier qualification and manufacturing audit
• Collaborate with suppliers and contract manufacturers to ensure optical safety requirements are implemented and maintained throughout production
• Conduct detailed failure analysis and document lessons learned to prevent recurrence across product families
• Support communications equipment certification (e.g., IEC 62368-1, IECEE CB Scheme, FCC, CISPR) where optical subsystems intersect with broader ICT product certification; experience in this area is a plus

Minimum Qualifications

• MS in Physics, Optical Physics, Electro‑Optics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related field, plus 2 to 8 years of directly relevant experience in optical safety or photonics engineering
• 2+ years of hands‑on experience characterizing optical and optoelectronic devices, including laser sources, LEDs, photodetectors, and fiber‑optic components
• Experience performing optical hazard analysis, accessible emission limit (AEL) calculations, and optical power/irradiance measurements
• Experience conducting FMEA and Fault Tree Analysis in the context of product safety
• Experience managing technical relationships with external test labs, vendors, and certification bodies to develop and qualify product designs
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to translate complex optical safety requirements into clear guidance for non‑specialists, and to write technical reports suitable for submission to regulatory bodies
• Strong cross‑functional collaboration skills; comfortable working across hardware engineering, legal, regulatory affairs, and operations teams with competing priorities
• Confident working independently while also being a reliable, engaged team contributor
• Organized and detail‑oriented, with the ability to manage multiple concurrent workstreams without losing accuracy
• Comfortable presenting technical findings and recommendations to engineering and executive audiences

Preferred Qualifications

• PhD in Physics, Optical Physics, Electro‑Optics, or Electrical Engineering - new grad to 1 year of industry experience or PhD with 2 to 4 years of industry experience in optical safety, laser systems, or related photonics applications
• Working knowledge of IEC 60825-1 (laser safety), IEC 62741 (LED safety), and IEC 60825-2 (safety of optical fiber communication systems); ability to apply these standards to real product architectures without supervision
• Familiarity with ICT product certification frameworks (IEC 62368-1, CB Scheme, FCC Part 15/18, CISPR 32/35) as they intersect with optical safety, particularly for data center or server products
• Proficiency with data analysis, optical modeling, and automation tools such as MATLAB, Python, COMSOL, or Zemax
• Experience with manufacturing process audits and supplier quality in the context of photonic or electro‑optic assemblies
• Familiarity with IEC TR 60825-14 (user guide for IEC 60825-1) or IEC 60825-12 (safety of free‑space optical communication systems)

At Apple, base pay is one part of our total compensation package and is determined within a range. This provides the opportunity to progress as you grow and develop within a role. The base pay range for this role is between $184,700 and $324,800, and your base pay will depend on your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.

Apple employees also have the opportunity to become an Apple shareholder through participation in Apple’s discretionary employee stock programs. Apple employees are eligible for discretionary restricted stock unit awards, and can purchase Apple stock at a discount if voluntarily participating in Apple’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You’ll also receive benefits including: Comprehensive medical and dental coverage, retirement benefits, a range of discounted products and free services, and for formal education related to advancing your career at Apple, reimbursement for certain educational expenses — including tuition. Additionally, this role might be eligible for discretionary bonuses or commission payments as well as relocation. Learn more about Apple Benefits

Note: Apple benefit, compensation and employee stock programs are subject to eligibility requirements and other terms of the applicable plan or program.

Apple is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to inclusion and diversity. We seek to promote equal opportunity for all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, Veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. Learn more about your EEO rights as an applicant

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Apple accepts applications to this posting on an ongoing basis.