Principal Engineer, Development Engineering

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: BE integration engineer and technical project lead responsible for evaluating how new wafer-level designs and materials perform through back-end slider processing. The role blends hands-on materials characterization, cross-team coordination, technology milestone tracking, and emerging AI/ML capability development — all within a HAMR recording head manufacturing environment.  Examples include: Wafer-to-slider BE assessment — Evaluate wafer designs at BE through process mapping, electrical measurements, and surface characterization using AFM, SEM, and FIB-TEM techniques. Technology milestone ownership — Tracks and drives BE evaluations for multiple technology milestones, coordinating DOE (Design of Experiment) builds, lapping, and post-process inspections. Cross-functional coordination — Leads a bi-weekly WF/BE interlock meeting that bridges wafer-level (front-end) teams with BE development, managing agendas and ensuring alignment across engineers in multiple geographies. AI/ML initiatives — Drives projects using machine learning and WD's ML platform for data-driven prediction of slider performance metrics. Process automation — Develops scripts for ISA data automation, missing lot checking, and multi-step query tools to improve team efficiency. REQUIRED: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Science or engineering, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field  (Preferred) 3–5+ years in HDD head manufacturing, magnetic recording, or semiconductor process engineering, with hands-on experience using AFM, SEM, FIB-TEM, and optical microscopy Experience with DOE (Design of Experiments) planning, execution, and statistical process control (SPC/EDCSPC) for data-driven decision making Familiarity with AI/ML tools for defect detection and process optimization SKILLS: Proficiency in competitive and failure analysis methodologies Strong communication skills in English (written and verbal) for technical reporting and cross-site meetings Demonstrated ability to coordinate cross-functional teams (wafer, process, BE, NPI, and design groups) and manage multiple concurrent programs with clear timelines #LI-KS2 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 fusion of various perspectives results in the best outcomes for our employees, our company, our customers, and the world around us. We are committed to an inclusive environment where every individual can thrive through a sense of belonging, respect and contribution. WD is committed to offering opportunities to applicants with disabilities and ensuring all candidates can successfully navigate our careers website and our hiring process. Please contact us at  jobs.accommodations@wdc.com  to advise us of your accommodation request. In your email, please include a description of the specific accommodation you are requesting as well as the job title and requisition number of the position for which you are applying. Notice To Candidates: Please be aware that WD and its subsidiaries will never request payment as a condition for applying for a position or receiving an offer of employment. Should you encounter any such requests, please report it immediately to  WD Ethics Helpline  or email compliance@wdc.com . ... (truncated, view full listing at source)