Summer 2026 Intern - Advanced System Development Engineering - Hardware/Software

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 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 WD_BLACK™.

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.

Job Description

At Western Digital, we’re not working on incremental updates—we’re building what’s next. As an Engineering Intern on our Advanced System Development team, you’ll work hands-on with next-generation Heat Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR) technology, contributing directly to how future data storage systems are designed, tested, and improved.

This is a real engineering role, not a shadowing experience. You’ll run experiments, analyze data, debug issues, and collaborate with engineers who are actively shaping new technology.

What You’ll Do

• Work hands-on with HAMR technology, supporting early-stage development and testing of next-generation storage systems
• Run bench experiments and characterizations, execute scripts, and help debug unexpected issues when systems don’t behave as expected
• Analyze engineering data using tools like MATLAB and Python to identify trends, issues, and opportunities for improvement
• Build and maintain data pipelines and databases that help the team make informed technical decisions
• Collaborate closely with engineers across hardware, firmware, and system development—your input will matter
• Learn by doing: gain exposure to engineering, physics, and materials science as they apply to real-world products

Qualifications

• Currently pursuing a BS or MS in Electrical Engineering, Software Engineering, or a related field
• Expected graduation December 2026 or May 2027
• Comfortable working with data and scripts (MATLAB, Python, SQL, Excel, or similar tools)
• Curious by nature—you like figuring out why something works (or doesn’t)
• Strong communicator who enjoys working on a team
• Located within driving distance of our Irvine office (no relocation provided)
• Right to work in the US without requiring Western Digital to commence or sponsor an immigration case to employ you.

Nice to Have (Not Required)

• Exposure to hardware lab work (oscilloscopes, bench testing, characterization)
• Experience debugging scripts or analyzing experimental data
• Interest in storage systems, firmware, or hardware-software interaction

Additional Information

Western Digital is committed to providing equal opportunities to all applicants and employees and will not discriminate against any applicant or employee 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 "Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal” poster. Our pay transparency policy is availab