Apple on engineer hiring spree, with steady expansion since 2016

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited February 2018
Data gleaned from Apple's job postings suggests that the company has amped up its hiring of hardware engineers, with an 80 percent increase in staffing needs from the fall of 2016 to the start of 2018.




Echoing a similar data collation involving design staff, Thinknum examined the expansion of Apple-associated job postings for engineers.

Thinknum's Joshua Fruhlinger notes in the exposition to the graph that the "harware [sic]" positions being filled include Analog Layout Designer, Advanced Material Scientist (Electrolyte Development), 3D Perception/Computer Vision Algorithm Engineer, Sensor Design Engineer, Motion Sensing Hardware Engineer: Magnetics, and Flexible Display Technologists.

While Thinknum speculates that Apple is working on some revolutionary new product, there is nothing that can be determined from what appears to be a hiring spree, interrupted by periodic dramatic dips. The increase could signal work on a new product category as the analytical firm suggests, or it might simply be a planned buildout to bolster groups working on existing product lines.

The design staff increase included listings for product managers, motion scientists, product managers, optical engineers, touch ASIC digital architect, iPhone System Engineer, Siri engineers, iPhone product managers, plastic tooling engineers and prototype iOS Engineers.

Thinknum, the firm that collated the data, was formed to mine data trails for "unique insights" on internet-centric companies. The data is then sold to investors to provide "critical data points that others miss."

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 10
    Obviously engineers are fleeing Apple in droves, so Apple has to ramp up recruiting in an attempt to compensate for the crippling loss of talent, because we all know that the secretive nature of Apple and its weakness is AI and modern tech isn't attractive to the best and the brightest in Silicon Valley. /s
    tmaylolliverwatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 2 of 10
    Obviously engineers are fleeing Apple in droves, so Apple has to ramp up recruiting in an attempt to compensate for the crippling loss of talent, because we all know that the secretive nature of Apple and its weakness is AI and modern tech isn't attractive to the best and the brightest in Silicon Valley. /s
    1. How do we know that "engineers are fleeing Apple in droves"?
    2. Developing a working concept (outside collaboration is good) is not the same as working on a commercial version (collaboration is not good, in fact it is harmful).
  • Reply 3 of 10
    While Thinknum speculates that Apple is working on some revolutionary new product, there is nothing that can be determined from what appears to be a hiring spree, interrupted by periodic dramatic dips.

    Not been looking at LinkedIn recently then? Aren't people announcing their new jobs on there any more?
  • Reply 4 of 10
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,858administrator
    While Thinknum speculates that Apple is working on some revolutionary new product, there is nothing that can be determined from what appears to be a hiring spree, interrupted by periodic dramatic dips.

    Not been looking at LinkedIn recently then? Aren't people announcing their new jobs on there any more?
    LinkedIn status updates aren't as revealing as they once were, I'm afraid.
    lolliver
  • Reply 5 of 10
    Obviously engineers are fleeing Apple in droves, so Apple has to ramp up recruiting in an attempt to compensate for the crippling loss of talent, because we all know that the secretive nature of Apple and its weakness is AI and modern tech isn't attractive to the best and the brightest in Silicon Valley. /s
    Gotta wonder how many brain cells had to flee your head in order to come up with this. Sad, bitter, little man.
  • Reply 6 of 10
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member
    Obviously engineers are fleeing Apple in droves, so Apple has to ramp up recruiting in an attempt to compensate for the crippling loss of talent, because we all know that the secretive nature of Apple and its weakness is AI and modern tech isn't attractive to the best and the brightest in Silicon Valley. /s
    Gotta wonder how many brain cells had to flee your head in order to come up with this. Sad, bitter, little man.
    Sarcasm 101.  

    Look into it.
    lolliverfastasleep
  • Reply 7 of 10
    Obviously engineers are fleeing Apple in droves, so Apple has to ramp up recruiting in an attempt to compensate for the crippling loss of talent, because we all know that the secretive nature of Apple and its weakness is AI and modern tech isn't attractive to the best and the brightest in Silicon Valley. /s
    Since Apple. Google and others were found guilty of collusion (not soliciting others' employees) there has been a great deal more hiring of competitors' engineers.  Each engineer that leaves has to be replaced.  Everybody can be bribed to work for another company, all that is necessary is pay them more, have a project that is more interesting, or both.  Throw in growth and I don't see anything negative about Apple's hiring.

    I like that there is a lot of movement in Silicon Valley, the cross pollination has to be extremely beneficial to all.
  • Reply 8 of 10
    Did I see any software test engineer and QA engineer positions in the article? Apple really need to QA their software a bit more.

    * I'm available, and at very attractive day rates, too! Hit me up, Tim.
  • Reply 9 of 10
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    Obviously engineers are fleeing Apple in droves, so Apple has to ramp up recruiting in an attempt to compensate for the crippling loss of talent, because we all know that the secretive nature of Apple and its weakness is AI and modern tech isn't attractive to the best and the brightest in Silicon Valley. /s
    Gotta wonder how many brain cells had to flee your head in order to come up with this. Sad, bitter, little man.
    Mmmm. 

    The slash s modifier is fairly universal these days.  It means “sarcasm”. 
  • Reply 10 of 10
    fastasleepfastasleep Posts: 6,408member
    Hmm, nobody complaining about the lack of hires for 17" matte MBP screens or whatever pet gripe they have.
    Rayz2016
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