Staff Engineer, Equipment Engineering

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Today’s exceptional challenges require your unique skills. Together, we can build the future of data storage.

The Staff Equipment Engineer is a hands-on technical expert responsible for sustaining, improving, and qualifying Thin Film process equipment—specifically Vacuum Ion Beam Etch (IBE) and Vacuum Ion Beam Deposition (IBD) systems—in a high-volume wafer fabrication environment. This role requires strong analytical, project management, and cross-functional collaboration skills to drive equipment reliability, process capability, and cost efficiency.

• Evaluate, select, and implement cost-effective equipment solutions aligned with manufacturing requirements.
• Lead equipment upgrades, installations, and modifications to support new technologies and increase throughput.
• Own preventive maintenance programs, spare parts planning, and documentation (procedures, troubleshooting guides, configurations).
• Monitor and improve tool performance metrics (MTBF, MTTR, AOU); report weekly and drive improvement plans.
• Analyze SPC charts and alarm logs; respond to out-of-control conditions and tool aborts with root cause analysis and corrective actions.
• Support and train maintenance personnel; develop certification programs and technical training materials.
• Collaborate with QA, Process Engineering, and Maintenance to reduce wafer scrap and improve tool uptime.
• Lead or support projects focused on grid life, yield, cycle time, and tool matching.
• Respond to down tool escalations and lead recovery efforts efficiently and effectively.
• Participate in new tool specification, vendor negotiations, design reviews, and qualification testing.
• Ensure documentation and knowledge transfer across shifts and functions.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives and stay current with emerging equipment and process technologies.

Required Qualifications:

• B.S. in Electronics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field.
• Minimum 4 years of experience in equipment sustaining or engineering roles in a wafer fab environment.
• Strong mechanical and electrical aptitude with hands-on troubleshooting experience.
• Proficiency in data analysis, SPC, and root cause methodologies.
• Experience with Veeco IBE and IBD systems.
• Knowledge of vacuum systems, helium leak detection, and control systems (PLC, Galil, Devicenet).
• Strong communication and documentation skills; ability to train and lead cross-functional teams.
• Proficient in MS Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook), JMP, and Project.
• Experience in magnetic recording head wafer processing.
• Familiarity with endpoint detection tools (Hiden SEM, JA Wollam Ellipsometer, Mass Spectrometry).
• Experience with Brooks wafer handlers (MAG7, VTR5, Aligners, VCE6).
• CAD experience (Solid Works, AutoCAD) and geometric tolerance knowledge.
• Six Sigma certification or training.
• Experience with Wiki-based documentation systems.

Western Digital is committed to providing equal opportunities to all applicants and employees and will not discriminate against any applicant or employee based on race, color, ancestry, religion (including religious dress and grooming standards), sex…