Sr Vacuum Equipment Engineer

About our group

This position will work with the Vacuum Equipment Engineering team in our Bloomington, MN facility to support the vacuum equipment used to build the recording heads that go into every Seagate Hard Disc Drive (HDD).

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. We also manage the development and deployment of new wafer manufacturing tools.

You will interact with a range of team members from technicians, operators, engineers, and management. And you will have the opportunity to share your knowledge and to learn from others on the team. Seagate believes this is critical to the growth of our employees, as well as our Company.

• Be responsible for development and deployment of equipment (deposition, reactive etching, and annealing) within a manufacturing setting. Ownerships will change over time, allowing for professional growth
• Oversee manufacturing equipment issues (equipment scrap, MDA, cycle-time reduction, multiple-path maintenance)
• Develop factory automation system to improve tool performance (C#/ Python / R)
• Develop systematic and automated methods for tool controlling across multiple tools, including implementing streamline KPIV controls, Out-of-Control Action Plans (OCAPs), Preventive Maintenance plan (MP) instruction, equipment manufacturers’ training plan and safety issues
• Use Six Sigma methodologies and techniques to maximize the tool performance or minimize the variability
• Evaluate, recommend and ensure the tools/parts/materials that are most appropriate and cost effective for the manufacture
• Oversee the installation, modification, upgrade, and maintenance of manufacturing equipment
• Maintain all equipment control documents and ensure congruency across Seagate’s recording-head manufacturing sites
• Provide technical support to the manufacturing equipment repair and process engineering organizations
• Apply AI-driven workflows to improve operational excellence

• Excellent written and verbal skills; ability to persuade and gain agreement with cross functional teams
• Demonstrated ability to analyze data and perform KPIV analysis to predict tool performance or catch tool excursion
• Must be willing to work after hours on an "as needed" basis

• Wafer manufacturing and semiconductor production equipment
• Knowledge of design of experiments (methods of design)
• Statistical analytic tools, Six Sigma, JMP or Minitab or other statistical software
• AI and Machine Learning
• Demonstrated hands-on familiarity with vacuum related tooling and processing like physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, atomic layer deposition, ion beam milling, ICP etching, or anneal technology in a high to ultra-high vacuum application
• Experience in computer hardware and/or programming
• GPA 3.0 or above
• Bachelor's Degree in Material Science, Chemistry, Chemical & Electrical Engineering or Physics and 5+ years of experience, or Master’s degree in the same and 3+ years of experience, or PhD and 0+ years of experience or equivalent education and experience

Salary:
The estimated base salary range for this position is: $92,300.00 - $. The individual salary is based on work location and additional factors, including job related skills, experience, and relevant education and training.

Benefits:
Seagate offers comprehensive benefits to its eligible employees, including, but not limited to, eligibility discretionary bonus, medical, dental, vision and life insurance, short- and long-term disability, 401(k), employee stock purchase plan, health savings account, dependent care and healthcare spending accounts.

Seagate also offers paid time off, including 12 holidays; flexible time off provided pursuant to Seagate policy, a minimum of 48 hours of paid sick leave, and 16 weeks of paid parental leave. The…