Staff Engineer, Applications Engineering (APC)

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

The Staff Engineer, Applications Engineering (APC) is responsible for developing, implementing, and sustaining Advanced Process Control (APC) systems—including run‑to‑run (R2R) control and fault detection & classification (FDC)—to improve manufacturing yield, process capability, cycle time, and equipment productivity. The role requires close collaboration with process, equipment, and IT engineering teams to deploy scalable APC solutions, advance automation initiatives, and drive continuous improvement across wafer manufacturing operations.

As part of the industry’s transition from traditional feedback‑based APC to AI‑augmented, model‑driven control, the Staff Engineer will help integrate predictive and data‑driven methods that more accurately identify process drift, reduce variability, and minimize scrap. These next‑generation APC capabilities leverage machine learning, virtual metrology, and advanced equipment analytics to enhance system stability and responsiveness.

The Staff Engineer plays a critical role in enabling these AI‑enhanced manufacturing capabilities while ensuring stable, high‑quality, and efficient wafer production.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Implement APC solutions in collaboration with Process Engineering, Equipment Engineering, IT, and external partners. 
• Lead APC/automation projects through production release and quantify improvements against baseline metrics. 
• Perform data analysis to develop and optimize FDC models for real‑time fault detection.
• Configure and deploy new control strategies and automation recipes; support recipe management and specification database setups. 
• Develop and tune R2R control models using feedback and feed‑forward algorithms. 
• Create advanced FDC models for scrap prevention, tool matching, predictive maintenance, and condition‑based maintenance.
• Conduct system integration testing for R2R, FDC, and automation host systems. 
• Maintain R2R and FDC systems; monitor controller/model performance and initiate continuous improvement activities.
• Increasing use of predictive maintenance and health‑monitoring models leveraging FDC + ML to identify faults earlier and reduce unplanned downtime. 
• Troubleshoot system issues and support system recovery during failures. 
• Participate in roadmap planning for future APC and automation capabilities. 
• Work effectively in a fast‑paced, cross‑functional environment and model continuous improvement behaviors.

Qualifications

REQUIRED

• BS/MS in Engineering (Computer, Electrical, Chemical, Industrial, Mechanical), Applied Physics, Operations Research, or Statistics.
• Experience with semiconductor R2R control and FDC systems.
• Strong analytical and programming skills; proficiency with statistical analysis and ML tools such as JMP, MATLAB, Python, and multivariate analysis platforms.
• Knowledge of semiconductor processing technologies and equipment.
• Solid understanding of IT systems, including:
  • Linux system administration and shell‑based workflow,
  • Windows OS,
  • SQL Server & SQL queries,
  • Networking,
  • SECS/GEM communications, and
  • Data acquisition systems.

SKILLS

• Experience applying large language models (LLMs) or AI‑assisted engineering workflows for data analysis, troubleshooting support, automation scripting, documentation generation, or accelerating APC/FDC model development.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills with project‑management experience.

Additional Information

Western Digital is committed to providing equal opportunities to all