Principal Test Engineer - Semiconductor Test Strategy

Western Digital Corp.; Pasir Gudang; On-site; MYR 300,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

Western Digital Corp. is seeking a highly experienced Principal Test Engineer to lead test strategy and investigations within our semiconductor manufacturing operations.

This senior IC-focused role operates as an individual contributor, guiding cross-functional teams with technical authority to improve test yield and reliability. The position requires hands-on expertise in test automation, ATE, and data analytics, plus the ability to communicate complex findings to engineers and leaders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related technical discipline.
• Minimum 10 years of hands-on test engineering experience in high-volume semiconductor manufacturing, spanning process and hardware domains.
• Experience in multinational semiconductor environments with multi-site operations and global teams.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams without direct line management authority.
• Strong analytical skills with RCA methodologies (8D, FMEA, Fishbone, Fault Tree).
• Proficiency in data analysis tools (Minitab, JMP, Python).
• Expertise in test automation, automated test equipment (ATE), and related software.
• Excellent verbal and written communication; ability to present to engineering, quality, and leadership.
• Familiarity with ISO, IEC, RBA, and BCMS compliance.

Responsibilities

• Define and drive test strategies and execution plans in high-volume semiconductor manufacturing.
• Act as technical authority influencing engineers without direct management authority.
• Lead RCA investigations for complex failures and yield excursions.
• Apply SPC, DOE, and multivariate analysis to identify failure patterns and drive actions.
• Collaborate with process, hardware, product engineering and QA to integrate test into production.
• Champion continuous improvement of test methodologies, coverage, and first-pass yield.
• Evaluate and optimize automated test equipment and fixtures.
• Translate findings into clear insights for technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Skills

SPC/DOE

Root Cause Analysis

Data analysis/visualization

Test automation

Cross-functional leadership

Project coordination

Technical communication

AI/ML in manufacturing

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Electronic/Computer Engineering

Tools

Minitab

JMP

Python (pandas, numpy)

LabVIEW

NI TestStand

Job description

Western Digital Corp. is seeking a highly experienced Principal Test Engineer to lead test strategy and investigations within our semiconductor manufacturing operations.

This senior IC-focused role operates as an individual contributor, guiding cross-functional teams with technical authority to improve test yield and reliability. The position requires hands-on expertise in test automation, ATE, and data analytics, plus the ability to communicate complex findings to engineers and leaders.