Hardware Engineering Program Manager - VPG
Apple
23 hours ago
On-site
Shanghai, Shanghai, United States
The Vision Products Group (VPG) In-Region Engineering Program Management (EPM) team is seeking a highly motivated Hardware EPM ready to take on complex challenges and perform world-class program management for cutting-edge technologies.\\n\\nThis is a highly results-oriented role focused on exciting new product development. You will work directly with in-region and global EPMs, HW/SW Engineering functions, and our Contract Manufacturing (CM) partners to navigate complex engineering development cycles. Ultimately, you will enable and lead cross-functional teams working toward a shared goal: delivering extraordinary Apple products to the world.
- NPI Build Management: Lead the end-to-end execution of complex hardware builds (from PoC through PVT), managing input plans, build matrices, and daily NPI factory operations to ensure on-time delivery and meet high yield targets.\\n\\n- Cross-Functional Leadership: Serve as the central hub aligning diverse engineering groups (including EE, DFM, PE, and Test) across US and Asia timezones to execute process validations, DOEs, and technical debugs.\\n\\n- Vendor Accountability \u0026 Mentorship: Drive Contract Manufacturer (CM) performance by hosting operational and talent reviews, enforcing clear Failure Analysis (FA) policies, and pushing vendors to build independent analytical and technical capabilities.\\n\\n- Process Innovation: Identify bottlenecks on the NPI factory line and partner with engineering teams to successfully qualify and roll out new manufacturing processes, equipment, and standards without impacting throughput.\\n\\n- Early Engagement \u0026 Bring-Up: Manage early-stage local development of flex, PCB layout, bridging the gap between initial design concepts and factory-ready manufacturing plans.\\nRisk Mitigation \u0026 Reporting: Anticipate technical, schedule, and resource constraints (such as lab space and equipment headcount), presenting clear, proactive solutions to management before they impact the critical path.
Review and closely drive the readiness of CM factories and build execution on a daily basis (business travel up to 50% required).\\nLead cross-functional engineering teams (including EE, DFM, PE, and Test) to execute factory engineering validations, process experiments (DOEs), and resolve complex design or manufacturing issues during NPI builds.\\nDrive Contract Manufacturer (CM) performance, establishing strong operational metrics and ensuring accountability for yield targets and Failure Analysis/Corrective Action (FACA) capabilities.\\nEffectively coordinate cross-timezone technical alignment—including SW/Test station debug and HW FA triage—acting as the critical bridge between US-based engineering and Asia-based manufacturing teams.\\nUnderstand technical, schedule, and logistical risks, performing accurate assessments and synthesizing clear mitigation plans for leadership review.
2+ years of meaningful experience as a Project or Program Manager developing hardware products in the consumer electronics industry.\\nRecent experiences in consumer electronics hardware development. \\nProven track record of effectively coordinating cross-functional technical collaboration across different time zones.\\nDemonstrated experience managing Contract Manufacturers (CMs) and driving NPI factory build execution.\\nStrong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to distill complex technical issues into clear executive summaries.
Hands-on experience with board-level (MLB) or System-in-Package (SiP) HW/SW triage and failure analysis.\\nDeep understanding of Surface Mount Technology (SMT) and advanced manufacturing processes.\\nAbility to leverage AI tools to analyze manufacturing yield data, identify defect trends, and accelerate root cause analysis. \\nComfort using AI-assisted dashboards or analytics tools to monitor production KPIs and flag risks proactively.\\nWillingness to apply AI productivity tools to structure failure mode analysis (e.g., FMEA) and prioritize issue resolution during NPI stages. \\nOpenness to using AI to synthesize cross-functional inputs and support data-driven decision-making under tight production timelines.\\nAbility to leverage AI writing tools to efficiently produce engineering reports, issue logs, and executive summaries. \\nWillingness to use AI tools to translate complex technical findings into clear, actionable updates for cross-functional stakeholders.\\nExperience or interest in using AI-enhanced project management workflows to track milestone progress, surface schedule risks, and coordinate action items across teams. \\nAbility to apply AI tools for scenario planning and contingency assessment during critical production build phases (EVT / DVT / PVT).
- NPI Build Management: Lead the end-to-end execution of complex hardware builds (from PoC through PVT), managing input plans, build matrices, and daily NPI factory operations to ensure on-time delivery and meet high yield targets.\\n\\n- Cross-Functional Leadership: Serve as the central hub aligning diverse engineering groups (including EE, DFM, PE, and Test) across US and Asia timezones to execute process validations, DOEs, and technical debugs.\\n\\n- Vendor Accountability \u0026 Mentorship: Drive Contract Manufacturer (CM) performance by hosting operational and talent reviews, enforcing clear Failure Analysis (FA) policies, and pushing vendors to build independent analytical and technical capabilities.\\n\\n- Process Innovation: Identify bottlenecks on the NPI factory line and partner with engineering teams to successfully qualify and roll out new manufacturing processes, equipment, and standards without impacting throughput.\\n\\n- Early Engagement \u0026 Bring-Up: Manage early-stage local development of flex, PCB layout, bridging the gap between initial design concepts and factory-ready manufacturing plans.\\nRisk Mitigation \u0026 Reporting: Anticipate technical, schedule, and resource constraints (such as lab space and equipment headcount), presenting clear, proactive solutions to management before they impact the critical path.
Review and closely drive the readiness of CM factories and build execution on a daily basis (business travel up to 50% required).\\nLead cross-functional engineering teams (including EE, DFM, PE, and Test) to execute factory engineering validations, process experiments (DOEs), and resolve complex design or manufacturing issues during NPI builds.\\nDrive Contract Manufacturer (CM) performance, establishing strong operational metrics and ensuring accountability for yield targets and Failure Analysis/Corrective Action (FACA) capabilities.\\nEffectively coordinate cross-timezone technical alignment—including SW/Test station debug and HW FA triage—acting as the critical bridge between US-based engineering and Asia-based manufacturing teams.\\nUnderstand technical, schedule, and logistical risks, performing accurate assessments and synthesizing clear mitigation plans for leadership review.
2+ years of meaningful experience as a Project or Program Manager developing hardware products in the consumer electronics industry.\\nRecent experiences in consumer electronics hardware development. \\nProven track record of effectively coordinating cross-functional technical collaboration across different time zones.\\nDemonstrated experience managing Contract Manufacturers (CMs) and driving NPI factory build execution.\\nStrong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to distill complex technical issues into clear executive summaries.
Hands-on experience with board-level (MLB) or System-in-Package (SiP) HW/SW triage and failure analysis.\\nDeep understanding of Surface Mount Technology (SMT) and advanced manufacturing processes.\\nAbility to leverage AI tools to analyze manufacturing yield data, identify defect trends, and accelerate root cause analysis. \\nComfort using AI-assisted dashboards or analytics tools to monitor production KPIs and flag risks proactively.\\nWillingness to apply AI productivity tools to structure failure mode analysis (e.g., FMEA) and prioritize issue resolution during NPI stages. \\nOpenness to using AI to synthesize cross-functional inputs and support data-driven decision-making under tight production timelines.\\nAbility to leverage AI writing tools to efficiently produce engineering reports, issue logs, and executive summaries. \\nWillingness to use AI tools to translate complex technical findings into clear, actionable updates for cross-functional stakeholders.\\nExperience or interest in using AI-enhanced project management workflows to track milestone progress, surface schedule risks, and coordinate action items across teams. \\nAbility to apply AI tools for scenario planning and contingency assessment during critical production build phases (EVT / DVT / PVT).