Factory Control AI Senior Engineer

About our group:

 

Equipment Engineering is the backbone of Seagate’s wafer manufacturing excellence. Our team ensures every piece of tooling on the factory floor operates at peak performance to fabricate the Magnetic Recording Heads that power Seagate’s world-class HDDs. We combine proven equipment-control strategies with cutting-edge KPIV streamline systems to monitor equipment health in real time and take proactive, automated actions.  

This position will work as a Factory Control and AI Engineer, together with Equipment Engineering in Seagate’s advanced wafer manufacturing team, where you’ll be at the forefront of smart factory transformation.  This role is ideal for engineers passionate about automation, AI, and smart factory transformation. You’ll lead efforts to build intelligent control systems, integrate sensor technologies, and deploy AI-driven workflows that redefine operational excellence.

 

About the role - you will:

 

• Factory Control& Data Infrastructure
  • Be part of Seagate’s Wafer AI 2.0 vision: scaling AI to revolutionize wafer operations.
  • Develop and implement data collection systems by integrating network gateways, PLCs, microcontrollers, or other methods.
  • Create automated workflows to trigger decisions and actions based on sensor data and events.
  • Develop user-friendly dashboards and tools for engineers to visualize and interpret data effortlessly
  • Support equipment automation initiatives from concept to full-scale implementation.
  • Collaborate with stakeholders and IT partners to define scope, assess feasibility, and translate objectives into technical requirements.

 

• AI Innovation-Development-Integration
  • Take ideas through the full model development lifecycle: task design, data creation, training, evaluation, and governance.
  • Innovate with generative AI to eliminate repetitive tasks and boost engineering productivity.
  • Work with data scientists to integrate AI/ML models for real-time optimization, predictive maintenance, and defect prevention.
  • Build functional proofs of concepts to test new capabilities and product concepts.

 

• Engineering Excellence
  • Write clean, maintainable code and participate in reviews, and ensure reliable delivery in production environments.
  • Continuously expand your technical knowledge to solve emerging engineering challenges.

About you:

 

• Effective communicator, written and verbal; ability to persuade and gain agreement with cross functional teams
• Have a passion for transforming traditional manufacturing through intelligent systems and data-driven insights.
• Must be willing to work off shift hours on an "as need" basis 

Your experience includes:

 

• Proficiency in Python, ML frameworks (e.g., MLflow, KServe), and containerization tools (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Excellent engineering, problem-solving, communication, and project management skills.

• Experience in factory automation, process control, or AI deployment in manufacturing environments.
• Experience integrating sensor hardware into factory systems using PLCs, microcontrollers, and network gateways.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering related field (i.e. Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical, Computer Engineering, Materials, Physics, or Information Technology) and 5+ years of experience or Master’s degree in the same and 3+ years’ experience or PhD and 0+ years’ experience or equivalent experience and education

 

You might also have:

• Strong understanding of semiconductors
• Experience with wafer fabrication processes

Location:

 

Our Normandale campus spans two suburbs, Edina and Bloomington, and serves as the Recording Head development and manufacturing arm of Seagate. Located in the heart of a bustling community, Seagate offers an on-site café, or if you prefer, you can drive to one of many restaurants just minutes away. Need to grab a gift over lunch time? Shopping is abundant in the area. If working out is your thing, the on-site fully equipped fitness center hosts wellness programs, outdoor acti