Aesthetics Scientist

Summary

iPhone is the most popular camera in the world, and Aesthetics Science is focused on understanding human perception and artistic intent with enough precision for scientists, engineers, designers and artists to work on it together. This role joins a team that strives to understand why people take pictures and what they like about them, in order to infuse that knowledge directly into the software development process. We are feature developers who bring rigorous research and photographic principles to how Apple builds the camera and visual experiences that people rely on every day.

About the role

We are seeking an Aesthetics Scientist who brings deep domain expertise in aesthetics research or research in photography, recommendation algorithms, or image processing to translate that understanding directly into feature development: working at the intersection of imaging technology, human behavior, and design.

You will lead the day-to-day design and execution of an imaging aesthetics research program, running user studies that inform R&D across Camera and Photos software teams. You'll take complex, open-ended questions about aesthetics and taste and distill them into effective, well-scoped engineering solutions — developing and shaping new functionality that pushes imaging technology forward in ways that feel both practical and delightful. Your research shapes decisions that reach every iPhone shipped — we're looking for someone ready for that scale of impact.

Responsibilities

Design and conduct user studies — covering participant recruitment and quantitative/qualitative analysis — to understand the complex preference space of photographic renderings, individual differences in preference, visual trends, and customer behavior, while building the tools, analytics frameworks, and dashboards that surface these insights at scale.

• Manage research operations end to end, including protocol development, approvals, and vendor management.
• Apply rigorous statistical standards across the work of the broader team.
• Scope, propose, and run research projects that inform feature development in collaboration with research leads and cross functional teams.

Minimum Qualifications

• 5+ years of relevant experience, including 1+ years conducting research on a product development team.
• A demonstrable track record conducting perceptual or aesthetics research.
• Programming experience in R, Python, MATLAB, or similar and experience with research software tools.
• Experience designing and conducting human perception experiments and/or working with algorithmic recommendation systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• PhD in aesthetics, vision science, cognitive science, psychology, or a related field.
• Subject-matter expertise in contemporary photography, visual storytelling, or photographic aesthetics.
• Understanding or experience in UX design principles and UX research.
• Programming experience in SWIFT
• Fluency in additional languages (e.g., Mandarin, Hindi, Spanish) to support user research across global markets.
• Willingness to travel.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Familiarity with AI tools and incorporating them into research workflows.
• Publications in peer-reviewed journals or academic conferences.