Technologist, Hardware Development Engineering

At Western Digital, our vision is to power global innovation and push the boundaries of technology to make what you thought was once impossible, possible.

At our core, Western Digital is a company of problem solvers. People achieve extraordinary things given the right technology. For decades, we’ve been doing just that—our technology helped people put a man on the moon and capture the first-ever picture of a black hole.

We offer an expansive portfolio of technologies, HDDs, and platforms for business, creative professionals, and consumers alike under our Western Digital®, WD®, ™, and Sandisk® Professional Brands.

We are a key partner to some of the largest and highest‑growth organizations in the world. From enabling systems to make cities safer and more connected, to powering the data centers behind many of the world’s biggest companies and hyperscale cloud providers, to meeting the massive and ever‑growing data storage needs of the AI era, Western Digital is fueling a brighter, smarter future.

Today’s exceptional challenges require your unique skills. Together, we can build the future of data storage.

Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP) Process Development is part of the Wafer Wet Process Development. The Technologist, Hardware Development Engineering will be responsible to develop new CMP process and technology, enable and accelerate technology deployment into head products to meet HDD requirements through product life cycle.

• Partner with wafer wet process development engineers and technicians responsible for CMP new process development, methodology setup, consumables, and advanced tooling delivery to meet new product launch requirement, schedule, and manufacturability.
• Work with cross‑functional teams including design, integration, and other development process modules on designs incorporating CMP or resolving any integration issue.
• Lead on trouble‑shoot the related issues in development line, conduct defect analyses, root cause analyses, and implement corrective and preventive actions.
• Responsible for new process to manufacturing engineering (ME) transferring, support ME team on necessary process implementing and manufacturing ramping.
• Apply quantitative analysis and novel machine learning technology for wafer wet process module data analysis. Build statistically solutions to provide feedback guidance to improve process development performance.

REQUIRED

• PhD degree in physics, chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science, or a related engineering field.
• Knowledge / working experience on CMP process development, and post cleaning processes.
• Understanding other process techniques, such as photolithography, dry or wet etching, electroplating, or thin film deposition processes.
• Experience in wafer‑level magnetic recording head fabrication and integration are desirable.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral. Able to work on the resolution of any issue and to interact with various interdepartmental team and support organizations.
• Demonstrated leadership and project driving skills, capable of managing team and projects with set milestones and timeline, and ability to execute.
• Experience with statistical analysis tools, such as JMP, is a plus.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

• An employee’s pay position within the salary range may be based on several factors including but not limited to (1) relevant education; qualifications; certifications; and experience; (2) skills, ability, knowledge of the job; (3) performance, contribution and results; (4) geographic location; (5) shift; (6) internal and external equity; and (7) business and organizational needs.
• The salary range is what we believe to be the range of possible compensation for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and this range is only applicable for jobs to be performed in California, Colorado, New York or remote jobs that can be performed in California, Colorado and New York.
  
  This range may be modified in the future.
• If your position is non‑exempt, you…