Automation Engineer - HW Validation Group

Join Apple's Hardware Technologies group! We're looking for a self-motivated test automation engineer to own the validation stack for our camera and sensor systems. This role covers both sides of automation: you will design and own the infrastructure and test stations it runs on, and you will write the automated tests that validate our software, firmware, and hardware systems.Description You will develop automation infrastructure for validating embedded camera and depth-sensing hardware. This includes device control, power sequencing, frame capture, and external instrumentation. You will make it reliable enough to run unattended, overnight, and across many units. You will also design, write, and maintain automated test suites covering firmware, drivers, and host software. When a test fails, you will drive it to root cause alongside the firmware, hardware, and systems engineers you work closely with. Your results will directly inform release decisions.","responsibilities":"Design automation infrastructure across host software, device interfaces (USB, serial, I2C/SPI), and lab instruments Own the automated version release process, from firmware and software builds to automated validation gates and release reports Design and develop a Python/Pytest test automation framework that makes tests easy to write, reuse, and run across devices and stations Write and maintain automated test suites for firmware, drivers, and host software, including functional, negative, and long-duration stability tests Design, build, and maintain test stations, including fixtures, wiring, and supporting MCU-based hardware Build tooling to capture and analyze data such as raw frames, timing traces, and logs, turning the results into clear pass/fail metrics Debug and troubleshoot software and hardware issues through to root cause Make test results visible through dashboards, trend tracking, regression detection, and triage workflows Document test plans, test cases, and infrastructure so others can easily run and extend themPreferred Qualifications Experience building end-to-end test infrastructure for hardware/software automation projects Strong failure analysis, troubleshooting, and system-level debugging skills Experience with lab instruments (power supplies, oscilloscopes, etc.) and their automation APIs Experience with MCUs (such as ESP32 or STM32) for building test fixtures and station controllers Strong Bash scripting skills Strong written communication skills, with the ability to turn a complex failure into a clear, reproducible bug reportMinimum Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering in a leading University 4+ years of experience in software or test automation engineering Proficiency with Python and Pytest Experience testing embedded systems, firmware, or hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) setups Experience building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines Working knowledge of Git and Linux environments Ability to quickly ramp up in new technical domains and adopt unfamiliar technologies