Sr Technologist - HAMR Tribology

Company Description

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.

We are a key partner to some of the largest and highest growth organizations in the world. From energizing the most competitive gaming platforms, to enabling systems to make cities safer and cars smarter and more connected, to powering the data centers behind many of the world’s biggest companies and public cloud, Western Digital is fueling a brighter, smarter future.

Binge-watch any shows, use social media or shop online lately? You’ll find Western Digital supporting the storage infrastructure behind many of these platforms. And, that flash memory card that captures and preserves your most precious moments? That’s us, too.

We offer an expansive portfolio of technologies, storage devices and platforms for business and consumers alike. Our data-centric solutions are comprised of the Western Digital®, G-Technology™, SanDisk® and WD® brands.

Today’s exceptional challenges require your unique skills. It’s You & Western Digital. Together, we’re the next BIG thing in data.

Job Description

• Lead the efforts to advance HAMR tribology design to meet product development milestones.
• Investigate media interface under various laser heating conditions to optimize the media design and provide improved tribology performance, thermal performance, chemical and particle robustness of the interface
• Work with technical partners and to identify enablers to meet HAMR tribology and reliability goals.
• Determine the tribology design limits, variables, and specifications
• Drive enables for internal test validation and drive builds validation
• Organize projects to meet overall media tribology goal for HAMR
• Provide technical supports by working with the cross-functional teams to improve production consistency, manufacturing efficiency, and product quality
• Conduct experiments and develop new test methodologies to understand media tribology issues
• Identify fundamental tribology failure mechanisms and propose effective modifications to improve robustness.

Qualifications

• Ph.D degree in Material Science, Physics, Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Tribology, or equivalent required.
• MUST HAVE 10+ years of experience in HDD tribology and media tribology, with a strong background in Head/media integration.
• Prefer candidates who have some Technical  Leadership/people management experience 
• Ability to effectively manage projects and tasks to deliver deadlines and commitments. 
• Capable of quickly learning new systems, tools, and methodologies
• Ability to approach problem solving in an organized manner, data analytics/statistics skills driven by details.
• Strong organization skills and demonstrated ability to manage multiple tasks effectively
• Great interpersonal and verbal and written communication skills

Additional Information

Western Digital is committed to providing equal opportunities to all applicants and employees and will not discriminate based on their race, color, ancestry, religion (including religious dress and grooming standards), sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, breastfeeding or related medical conditions), gender (including a person’s gender identity, gender expression, and gender-related appearance and behavior, whether or not stereotypically associated with the person’s assigned sex at birth), age, national origin, sexual orientation, medical condition, marital status (including domestic partnership status), physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, protected medical and family care leave, Civil Air Patrol status, military and veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. We also prohibit harassment of any individual on any of the characteristics listed above. Our non-discrimination policy applies to all aspects of employment. We comply with the laws and regulations set forth in the Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law poster.

Western Digital thrives on the power and potential of diversity. As a global company, we believe the most effective way to embrace the diversity of our customers and communities is to mirror it from within. We believe the fusion of various perspectives results in the best outcomes for our employees, our company, our customers, and the world