Senior Engineer – SIT Lab (Customer Validation)

Company Description

At Western Digital, our vision is to power global innovation and push the boundaries of technology to make what you thought was once impossible, possible.

At our core, Western Digital is a company of problem solvers. People achieve extraordinary things given the right technology. For decades, we’ve been doing just that. Our technology helped people put a man on the moon.

We are a key partner to some of the largest and highest growth organizations in the world. From energizing the most competitive gaming platforms, to enabling systems to make cities safer and cars smarter and more connected, to powering the data centers behind many of the world’s biggest companies and public cloud, Western Digital is fueling a brighter, smarter future.

Binge-watch any shows, use social media or shop online lately? You’ll find Western Digital supporting the storage infrastructure behind many of these platforms. And, that flash memory card that captures and preserves your most precious moments? That’s us, too.

We offer an expansive portfolio of technologies, storage devices and platforms for business and consumers alike. Our data-centric solutions are comprised of the Western Digital®, G-Technology™ and WD® brands.

Today’s exceptional challenges require your unique skills. It’s You & Western Digital. Together, we’re the next BIG thing in data.

Job Description

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the verification of compatibility between Western Digital storage drives and enterprise customer systems, serving as a technical owner on qualification status and readiness decisions
• Work closely and proactively with development engineering and customer technical support to ensure product design quality, driving cross-functional alignment and advocating for resolution of systemic issues that impact customer satisfaction
• Independently configure complex multi-drive systems for test, then expertly monitor, analyze, and interpret drive logs, system logs, and bus signals to assess test status, identify trends, and escalate risk appropriately
• Isolate, analyze, and document test failures with depth and precision, conducting root cause analysis and influencing corrective action across engineering teams
• Architect, develop, and maintain test scripts and automation frameworks that improve team efficiency, reduce manual effort, and scale across multiple programs and platforms
• Create test schedules, write clear and concise reports, and confidently communicate written and verbal status to stakeholders — including customers, management, and cross-functional partners at varying technical levels
• Mentor junior engineers and co-ops, sharing technical expertise and best practices to elevate overall team capability
• Proactively identify gaps in test coverage, lab processes, or tooling and drive improvements without waiting to be directed

Qualifications

REQUIRED

• BS degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Computer Science
• 3+ years of related professional experience, with demonstrated growth in scope and technical ownership
• Deep, hands-on experience validating complex enterprise computer systems, including multi-device configurations
• Exceptional organization and planning skills, with the ability to manage multiple concurrent programs and shifting priorities
• Strong and polished verbal and written communication, with the ability to tailor messaging to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Proven ability to perform detailed failure analysis and independently lead investigations into complex system hardware and software issues with minimal guidance

PREFERRED

• Application-level programming (Java, C++, C#, etc.) with a track record of delivering tools or automation that benefited the broader team
• Application-level scripting (Python, Perl, Tcl, etc.), including development of reusable frameworks or parsers used across programs
• Strong working knowledge of storage interface protocols (SATA, SAS, NVMe), including an understanding of protocol-level behavior relevant to failure analysis
• Extensive experience installing, operating, and troubleshooting Windows and Linux server storage systems in enterprise or lab environments
• Demonstrated ability to speak confidently about complex technical topics with customers and stakeholders, including presenting findings, defending qualification decisions, and representing the team externally

Senior-level contributors are expected to operate with a high degree of independence, take ownership of program outcomes, actively develop others, and bring continuous improvement thinking to everything they do.

Additional Information

Western Digital is committed to providing equal opportunities to all applicants and employees and will not discriminate against any applicant or employee based on their race, color, ancestry, religion (including religious dress and grooming standards), sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, breastfeeding or related medical conditions), gender (including a person’s gender identity, gender expression, and gender-related appearance and behavior, whether or not stereotypically associated with the person’s assigned sex at birth), age, national origin, sexual orientation, medical condition, marital status (including domestic partnership status), physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, protected medical and family care leave, Civil Air Patrol status, military and veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. We also prohibit harassment of any individual on any of the characteristics listed above. Our non-discrimination policy applies to all aspects of employment. We comply with the laws and regulations set forth in the "Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal” poster. Our pay transparency policy is available here.

Western Digital 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.

Western Digital 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.

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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.

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.