Engineering Program Manager - Human Factors Research

Apple Apple · Big Tech · Sunnyvale, CA · Hardware

This role is for an Engineering Program Manager focused on human factors research in wearable technology. The role involves managing research efforts, schedules, and cross-functional teams, influencing product design with data-backed insights. It is not directly involved in building AI/ML models.

What you'd actually do

  1. Collaborate and facilitate communication across research, engineering, and industrial design teams to meet aggressive quality, schedule, and technical rigor; key contributor to research planning and execution
  2. Understand technical issues & complex design trade-offs; drive to closure by bringing together key stakeholders; facilitate decision-making discussions to meet overall project objectives
  3. Identify risks, develop mitigation strategies, and facilitate conflict resolution within and between teams; focus on top level objectives and develop best course of action
  4. Create/maintain complex and detailed project schedules for research work; respond quickly to changes and minimize schedule impact
  5. Provide timely issue resolution and manage critical path as top priorities shift

Skills

Required

  • BS BME/ME/EE degree required (or equivalent in relevant engineering field)
  • 4+ years of project management experience
  • Excellent verbal and written interpersonal skills
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
  • Experience in setting up project schedules and work plans
  • Experience collaborating with multi-functional teams to drive closure of technical issues

Nice to have

  • Strong technical background in BME/ME/EE; MS in engineering is a plus
  • 4+ years of project management experience in user studies and/or human factors
  • Experience and familiarity with consumer electronic industry
  • Detailed knowledge of product development cycles
  • Ability to filter and distill relevant information for the right audience
  • Excellent communication, presentation, organizational, and leadership skills
  • Highly disciplined in workflow, process, and staying organized on priority tasks
  • Superior attention to detail with a strong commitment to rigor and excellence
  • Self-motivated and proactive with creative and critical thinking capabilities
  • Understands and deals well with rapid development cycles and constant change; remains flexible and calm in the face of uncertainty.
  • Experience identifying and directing resources required to implement successful projects

What the JD emphasized

  • managing and tracking development schedules
  • driving multi-functional teams
  • integrating their deliverables and schedules into the project
  • communicating status
  • synchronizing project milestones
  • technical rigor
  • technical issues
  • complex design trade-offs
  • project schedules
  • critical path