Advanced Transducer Development Senior Engineering Manager

About our Group:

At Seagate our mission is to build the world’s best data storage devices. The Advanced Transducer Development group is a global R&D organization that develops new recording head technologies to advance areal density and enable Seagate’s HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 4 year+ product roadmap.

Our process team uses state-of-the-art wafer fabrication tools and cleanroom facilities to innovate and deliver leading-edge writers and read sensors. With an emphasis on proving feasibility of new devices, processes and materials, we help build Seagate’s future time-to-market leadership. If you are excited by innovative technology development, are naturally creative, and passionate about seeing ideas come to life then this could be a perfect fit for your research and development career.

• Direct the work of a team of engineers and technicians to deliver write head process solutions for Seagate’s advanced technology roadmap.
• Build and develop a curious, skilled and highly-adaptable engineering team with an innovative mindset and internal customer focus.
• Work with head design, wafer process development and production engineering partner groups to define gaps for future product nodes (typically n+3 and beyond).
• Create and maintain a roster of development projects needed to close key gaps. Supervise project conception, prioritization, assignment and execution of projects with emphasis on technology readiness level 0 through 4 (conception through M0).
• Invent and optimize novel unit process and integration modules required to support TRL level migrations.
• Engage with equipment suppliers for specification, demonstration, selection, and delivery of new process and measurement tools.
• Work with NRM partner groups to coordinate time‑sharing of RD process equipment to support advanced project needs.
• Oversee support for wafer builds needed to achieve quality, velocity, shipment and scrap goals in pursuit of TRL closures.
• Participate in downstream data and failure analyses to inform unit process and device performance improvements.
• Support transfers of successful new technologies to product development team. Collaborate on tool configurations and consumables, conduct TRRs and coordinate training of product development staff to ensure independent ownership.
• Identify and drive external research collaborations on emerging paths.
• Create and secure intellectual property through patent disclosures.

• You are an effective leader capable of managing, communicating with and developing a diverse group of engineers and technicians.
• You are a clear communicator, proficient at discussing the group’s priorities, plans and progress across all staff levels.
• You thrive when working on new technologies and take great interest in pathfinding solutions to the most challenging problems.
• You have a track record of innovation, with an ability to monitor vendors, literature, universities, conferences and the competitive landscape as sources of information for defining new ideas and directions.
• You are self‑motivated, able to work independently, have strong attention to detail, and are a well‑organized multitasker.
• You can effectively balance wafer processing needs, pathfinding activities and personnel development in your day‑to‑day work.
• You are facile with statistical‑based experimentation and decision‑making.
• You are comfortable adapting to and managing frequent priority changes in the group’s work.

• Bachelor's Degree in Materials Science, Electrical Engineering, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Physics, Applied Physics, or related field and 12+ years of experience, or Master’s degree in Materials Science, Electrical Engineering, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Physics, Applied Physics, or related field and 8+ years of experience, or PHD and 5+ years of experience or equivalent education and experience.
• 7+ years’ hands‑on experience in device wafer processing, nanofabrication and/or advanced thin film materials development.
• In‑depth understanding of wafer‑scale unit processes (deposition, etch, lithography, wet processing, etc) and device integration techniques (CAD, targeting, defect resolution,…