Western Digital Technologies

Principal Failure Analysis Engineer

Western Digital Technologies$130K — $155K *
Manufacturing & Automotive
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5-7 years of experience in hard disk drive failure analysis
  • Strong problem-solving abilities with leadership experience
  • Excellent multi-tasking and organization skills
  • Self-motivated with the ability to work under pressure
  • Detailed understanding of hard drive technology and factory processes
  • Proficiency in data analytics; knowledge of Python, C++, and SQL is advantageous
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills for team collaboration

Responsibilities

  • Manage failure analysis (FA) activities and prioritize tasks to identify causes of failures
  • Summarize FA results with key findings and communicate effectively to stakeholders
  • Engage with subject matter experts across various teams on critical customer issues
  • Follow established processes and improve documentation of FA procedures
  • Participate actively in issue resolution meetings as a key team member
  • Present ideas and findings effectively to peers and management
  • Develop and enhance tools and processes for better failure analysis

Benefits

  • Comprehensive health insurance including medical, dental, and vision
  • Paid vacation and sick leave to support work-life balance
  • Tuition reimbursement to encourage ongoing education
  • Employee stock purchase plan to foster financial investment in the company
  • 401(k) plan with savings options for retirement
  • Employee assistance programs for personal and professional support
Full Job Description
Job Description

Join our dynamic and collaborative team to help with WD customer failure analysis in support of requests from our customers. As Principal FA Lead, you will be managing Failure Analysis activities spanning across multiple hard disk drives labs. You will collaborate with worldwide FA teams and review failure analysis reports from the labs and collaborate with labs and subject matter experts to decide on best course of action for identifying underlying causes of failures and drive problems. You will be in charge of the overall FA summaries with key findings and supporting images from the labs. These summaries are used to communicate failure modes and causes to the customers, field application engineers, quality managers, manufacturing, or development teams. You will have multiple opportunities to help improve FA processes and tools based on learnings from FA work.

Over time, you will gain expertise allowing you to be one of few HDD FA experts in the world!

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
  • Manage FA activities, priorities and identify causes of failures and related drive problems on customer and field drives within the corresponding priority time frame
  • Summarize FA results based on key lab findings and causes of failure
  • Pro-actively engage with subject matter experts in PCBA, Firmware, Reliability, Data Analytics, FA Tools, Customer Technical Support and Customer Quality Managers, Factory FA and Quality teams on customer issues
  • Follow department/work group processes
  • Develop, improve, and document failure analysis procedures, processes, and requirements
  • Participate in selected Program/Product/Customer issue resolution meetings and act as an integral part of the issue resolution team
  • Effectively present information, ideas, and your perspective to peers, team members and managers
  • Create and meet schedules for high priority FA and process improvements
  • Brainstorm, be open to inputs and recommend team improvements and team process improvements
  • Interact with Development teams to understand new technology, develop associated failure analysis tools, processes, and documentation
  • Define and work on tool improvements related to FA such as drive log visualizations and FIO tests
  • Learn about product failures from development teams

You will effectively communicate results and status with management and team members and participate in resolving product and customer issues by providing meaningful insights.

Qualifications
  • Hard disk drive failure analysis experience
  • Proven problem-solving skills
  • Proven leadership skills
  • Effective at multi-tasking, organization and time management
  • Self-motivated
  • Demonstrates patience, confidence, and composure
  • Detailed knowledge of hard drives and knowledge of factory processes and storage applications
  • Knowledge and experience with Data Analytics is a big plus
  • Knowledge and experience with Python, C++, and/or SQL is a big plus
  • Knowledge and experience with FIO performance testing is a plus
  • Knowledge and experience with Reliability is a plus
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills
  • Excellent interpersonal and teamworking skills

Candidates must demonstrate relevant experience, interest and aptitude in both analytical and practical aspects of the above topics

Education: BS/MS in EE, ME, IE, or equivalent

Experience: 2+ years of Failure Analysis experience with Western Digital enterprise or client hard drives highly desired

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.

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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
Net Income
$167 million
Founded
1970
5 Year Trend
-0.3%
Revenue
$16.3 billion
NASDAQ

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