Apple
User Study and Data Operations Engineer
$145K–$264K
Sunnyvale, California · Full-time · Posted Sep 16, 2026
- Experience
- 3+ years.
- Education
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Human Factors, Cognitive Science, Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Life/Physical Sciences, or equivalent job-related experience.
About the job
Leads human-subject data collection programs, translating research goals into study protocols and overseeing lab operations and external vendor execution.
What you'll do
- Design study plans and write protocols, task instructions, moderator scripts, consent forms, and surveys.
- Set up and troubleshoot prototype test equipment; run participant sessions while enforcing safety, privacy, and confidentiality.
- Manage external data collection vendors, review incoming datasets, and improve repeatable study workflows.
What they ask for
- Bachelor’s degree in a listed field or equivalent job-related experience.
- 3+ years in user study operations, human factors testing, data operations, hardware/software QA, or technical lab operations.
- Experience writing, piloting, and running human-subject protocols or standard operating procedures.
- Experience working with technical teams and managing external data collection vendors, including drafting SOWs and auditing deliverables.
Nice to have
- Hands-on prototype hardware, optical/sensor rigs, lighting, or camera tracking; or Python, Bash, or shell scripting for data checks and processing.
- Human factors methods, psychophysical scaling, survey design, qualitative debriefs, or AI-assisted development and agentic coding workflows.
Pay
$144,600 and $263,800 USD base pay
Tools
Python, Bash
AI focus
Uses AI-assisted development tools and agentic coding workflows to build scripts, internal dashboards, and operational tools that automate repetitive tasks.
Model-written summary · the original posting is authoritative