Summer 2026 Intern - HAMR Component Testing

Company Description

At WD, 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, WD 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, WD 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

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• The intern will work with the tribological component testing team supporting Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR) technology.
• The project focuses on understanding and improving head-disk interface components operating under extreme conditions in HAMR.
• The intern will design and perform experiments to characterize tribological behavior of lubricants, overcoats and other materials relevant to HAMR head-disk interfaces and contribute to the development of next-generation storage technologies.
• This role is part of WD's early career development program. WD's early career development program is ideal for individuals at the early stages of their professional career.  Participants receive foundational training through structured onboarding, mentorship, and a curated development curriculum. The responsibilities of this role are typically aligned with candidates who have approximately 0–2+ years of relevant professional experience, though candidates of all experience levels are encouraged to apply.

Qualifications

REQUIRED

• Currently pursuing a PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Tribology, Physics, or a related fields
• Strong background in tribology, contact mechanics, surface science, or thin film materials
• Ability to work hands-on with precision mechanical testing systems
• Experience with experimental methods and data analysis
• Programming experience in Python, MATLAB, or similar

PREFERRED

• Experience with surface characterization techniques, such as optical microscopy, SEM, AFM, surface profilometry
• Knowledge of lubrication, DLC coatings, or surface engineering
• Experience with thermal or thermo-mechanical effects in sliding interfaces
• Background in statistical analysis or design of experiments (DOE)
• Strong experimental problem-solving ability
• Document results and present findings to the research and engineering teams
• Contribute to development of improved test methodologies or reliability models

Salary Range: 42.02-56.00

Additional Information

WD 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 available here.

WD 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