Western Digital Technologies

Drive Teardown Failure Analysis Engineer

Western Digital Technologies • $80K — $110K *
San Jose, CA 95123In-Person
Technical Services
Less than 5 years of experience
Today
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Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • BS degree in Material Science, Mechanical Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, Engineering, Biology, or related field.
  • Eligible to work in the US without sponsorship.
  • Experience in a science or engineering environment through academia, internships, or projects.
  • Strong skills in organization, problem-solving, communication, and teamwork.
  • Comfortable in a hands-on technical environment, including clean room procedures.
  • Detail-oriented and eager to learn failure analysis methods.

Responsibilities

  • Perform HDD teardown in a Class 100 clean room environment.
  • Review electrical failure analysis results and plan further investigations.
  • Document potential failure causes and steps for further analysis.
  • Record findings in a failure analysis database and prepare detailed reports.
  • Collaborate with teams to prevent recurrence of issues and enhance product reliability.
  • Learn lab procedures, sample handling, and failure analysis workflows.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive health insurance including medical, dental, and vision coverage.
  • Paid vacation and sick leave.
  • Employee assistance and wellness programs.
  • Tuition reimbursement and professional development opportunities.
  • Participation in an employee stock purchase plan and retirement savings program.
Full Job Description
Job Description

WD is seeking a Drive Teardown Failure Analysis Engineer to join the Hyperscale HDD Development Team. This hands-on role helps identify causes of HAMR and ePMR HDD failures through physical teardown, lab-based inspection, documentation, and collaboration with reliability and product development teams. You will learn how physical evidence, electrical failure analysis, and advanced characterization methods combine to improve product quality and reliability.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:
  • Perform hands-on HDD teardown during the product development phase in a Class 100 clean room environment.
  • Review electrical failure analysis results and help determine the next course of investigation.
  • Collect, interpret, and document possible failure causes and recommended next steps for additional FA characterization or analysis.
  • Document findings in the FA database system and prepare clear failure analysis reports and conclusions for program teams.
  • Partner with functional teams to prevent recurrence of similar issues and improve product reliability.
  • Build proficiency in lab procedures, sample handling, technical documentation, and failure analysis workflows.

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 Qualifications
  • Recently completed a BS degree in Material Science, Mechanical Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, Engineering, Biology, or a related science or engineering field.
  • Right to work in the US without requiring WD to commence or sponsor an immigration case to employ you now or at any point in the future.
  • Academic, internship, project-based, or research lab experience in a science or engineering environment.
  • Strong organization, problem-solving, communication, teamwork, and documentation skills.
  • Comfort working in a hands-on technical environment and learning clean room and lab procedures.
  • Attention to detail and willingness to learn HDD teardown and failure analysis methods.

Preferred Qualifications
  • Exposure to optical microscopy, SEM, AFM, Raman, ToF-SIMS, materials characterization, sample preparation, clean room work, manufacturing processes, or reliability testing.
  • Interest in HDD, semiconductor, storage, failure analysis, materials science, product reliability, or physical root-cause investigation.
  • Experience documenting lab findings and communicating technical conclusions to a broader team.


Compensation & Benefits Details
  • An employee's pay position within the salary range may be based on several factors including but not limited to (1) relevant education; qualifications; certifications; and experience; (2) skills, ability, knowledge of the job; (3) performance, contribution and results; (4) geographic location; (5) shift; (6) internal and external equity; and (7) business and organizational needs.
  • The salary range is what we believe to be the range of possible compensation for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and this range is only applicable for jobs to be performed in California, Colorado, New York or remote jobs that can be performed in California, Colorado and New York. This range may be modified in the future.
  • If your position is non-exempt, you are eligible for overtime pay pursuant to company policy and applicable laws. You may also be eligible for shift differential pay, depending on the shift to which you are assigned.
  • You will be eligible to be considered for bonuses under either WD's Short Term Incentive Plan ("STI Plan") or the Sales Incentive Plan ("SIP") which provides incentive awards based on Company and individual performance, depending on your role and your performance. You may be eligible to participate in our annual Long-Term Incentive (LTI) program, which consists of restricted stock units (RSUs) or cash equivalents, pursuant to the terms of the LTI plan. Please note that not all roles are eligible to participate in the LTI program, and not all roles are eligible for equity under the LTI plan. RSU awards are also available to eligible new hires, subject to WD's Standard Terms and Conditions for Restricted Stock Unit Awards.
  • We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid vacation time; paid sick leave; medical/dental/vision insurance; life, accident and disability insurance; tax-advantaged flexible spending and health savings accounts; employee assistance program; other voluntary benefit programs such as supplemental life and AD&D, legal plan, pet insurance, critical illness, accident and hospital indemnity; tuition reimbursement; transit; the Applause Program; employee stock purchase plan; and the WD Savings 401(k) Plan.
  • Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company's sole discretion, consistent with the law.

About Western Digital Technologies

Western Technology Investment is a venture capital firm that specializes in offering acquisition financing to revenue-generating firms. The firm provides debt and lease financing to venture capital backed technology companies.

Western Digital Technologies Careers

Join the innovative world of Western Digital Technologies, a leader in data storage solutions, where we are committed to empowering our global team of professionals. This is an unparalleled opportunity to advance your career with a company at the forefront of technological innovation and digital storage.

Work You’ll Do

At Western Digital Technologies, you will be part of a dynamic team that drives data innovation across various industries. Our commitment to excellence and leadership in the technology sector provides a unique platform for professionals to influence the future of digital storage and management solutions.

Explore Job Opportunities and Growth

Western Digital Technologies offers a variety of job opportunities that cater to a range of skills and experiences. Whether you’re looking for an entry-level position or a more senior role, our company is eager to support your professional growth through challenging projects and continuous learning opportunities.

Internship Programs

Kickstart your career with Western Digital Technologies through our internship programs. These positions are designed to give you hands-on experience and insights into our day-to-day operations, preparing you for a full-time role in our company. Interns at Western Digital Technologies gain invaluable industry knowledge, networking opportunities, and professional skills under the guidance of experienced mentors.

Benefits and Culture

We pride ourselves on a culture that fosters diversity, innovation, and leadership. Western Digital Technologies is dedicated to providing employees with a supportive work environment where everyone is encouraged to be their best. Our benefits package is comprehensive, including health, dental, and vision insurance, employee wellness programs, and significant career development opportunities.

Join Our Team

We are continuously hiring creative, curious, and motivated individuals who are ready to drive innovation in the technology space. Explore open positions that match your skills and interests on our careers page. At Western Digital Technologies, we value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Professional Development and Training

Advance your career with Western Digital Technologies through our professional development programs. We offer a range of training and development options, including leadership training, skills enhancement workshops, and diversity training sessions to help you grow as a leader and innovator in our industry.

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Apply Now

Ready to take the next step in your career? Submit your resume, prepare for your interview, and join a team that’s redefining the future of technology. At Western Digital Technologies, your future is waiting.

SEARCH WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES JOBS

Join us at Western Digital Technologies, where your career growth is integrated with innovation and leadership, empowering you to reach new heights in the technology industry.
Learn more about Western Digital Technologies
Size
65,600 employees
Market Cap
$9.9 billion
Industry
Enterprise Technology
Net Income
$167 million
Founded
1970
5 Year Trend
-0.3%
Revenue
$16.3 billion
NASDAQ
WDC
* Ladders Estimates

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