Materials Research Engineer -- Principal Engineer

WD; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 187,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid vacation time

Paid sick leave

Medical/dental/vision insurance

Life, accident and disabilityinsurance

401(k) plan

Tuition reimbursement

Transit benefits

Employee stock purchase plan

Job summary

WD's Western Digital Research in San Jose, California, invites a Ph.D.-level researcher to advance thin film technologies for superconducting qubits, non-volatile memories, and novel sensors. The role focuses on materials development and nanoscale devices.

You will perform hands-on experiments, deposit films in UHV, characterize properties with XRD/XRF/XPS/AFM, and collaborate with engineers to drive impactful results toward AI compute architectures.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in materials science, physics, electrical engineering, or closely related field.
• Expertise in non-volatile memory technologies, superconducting qubits, oxide semiconductor transistors, or novel sensors.
• Strong hands-on experience with UHV film deposition equipment.
• Strong hands-on experience with film characterization instrumentation and techniques such as XRD, XRF, XPS, AFM, and electrical transport as a function of temperature.
• Strong knowledge of nanofabrication and general device design and operation.
• Demonstrated ability to self-direct a research project.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, and the ability to work both independently and in a team environment.

Responsibilities

• Conduct hands-on, experimental research of thin films for emerging technologies such as superconducting qubits, non-volatile memories and novel sensor applications.
• Thin film growth by physical vapor deposition using ultra-high vacuum film deposition tools.
• Characterization of structural, electronic, optical, chemical, magnetic, thermal and mechanical film properties.
• Design of materials for integration into nanoscale devices.
• Collect, analyze, present and report film and device characterization data, results and conclusions.
• Work closely and collaborate within a team of engineers and support staff.

Skills

Self-directed research

Nanofabrication basics

Written & verbal communication

UHV deposition

Device characterization (XRD/XRF/XPS//

Team collaboration

Strong experimental skills

Education

Ph.D. in materials science and engineering, physics, or electrical engineering

Tools

XRD

XRF

XPS

AFM

Electrical characterization

Job description

• Full-time
• Job Type (exemption status): Exempt position - Please see related compensation & benefits details below
• Salary Range: 140,300.00-187,000.00
• Business Function: R&D Engineering

Company Description

WD is building the infrastructure behind the AI-driven data economy.

As AI scales, so does data. Every interaction, every model, every system generates data that must be stored, managed, and made accessible over time. That’s where we come in.

We combine deep engineering expertise with global-scale manufacturing to deliver the storage systems that make AI possible, powering hyperscale data centers, cloud platforms, and enterprise infrastructure worldwide.

This isn’t theoretical work. It’s real systems, at real scale, people solving some of the hardest challenges in technology today.

We’re looking for people who want to build, solve, and operate at that level.

Join us and let’s shape the future of data.

Job Description

This position is in Western Digital Research, a world-class research laboratory in San Jose, California with ~80 employees. Research activities in the lab focus on all aspects of information storage, sensors, spintronics, superconducting devices, non-volatile memory, and AI compute architectures. The materials team’s mission is to develop novel materials for emerging technologies. The team is well-equipped with thin film deposition tools and related characterization tools, located in a fully functional cleanroom with the capability to fabricate a wide array of nanoscale devices using novel materials.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Conduct hands-on, experimental research of thin films for emerging technologies such as superconducting qubits, non-volatile memories and novel sensor applications.
• Thin film growth by physical vapor deposition using ultra-high vacuum film deposition tools.
• Characterization of structural, electronic, optical, chemical, magnetic, thermal and mechanical film properties.
• Design of materials for integration into nanoscale devices.
• Collect, analyze, present and report film and device characterization data, results and conclusions.
• Work closely and collaborate within a team of engineers and support staff.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in materials science and engineering, physics, electrical engineering, or closely related field.
• Expertise with materials and devices in the areas of non-volatile memory technologies, superconducting qubits, oxide semiconductor transistors, or novel magnetic or chemical sensors.
• Strong hands-on experience with UHV film deposition equipment.
• Strong hands-on experience with film characterization instrumentation and techniques such as XRD, XRF, XPS, AFM, and electrical transport as a function of temperature.
• Strong knowledge of nanofabrication and general device design and operation.
• Demonstrated ability to self-direct a research project.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, and the ability to work both independently and in a team environment.

Additional Information

WD 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 .

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 [emailprotected] 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.

Based on our experience, we anticipate that the application deadline will be 11/18/2026(3 months from posting), although we reserve the right to close the application process sooner if we hire an applicant for this position before the application deadline. If we are not able to hire someone from this role before the application deadline, we will update this posting with a new anticipated application deadline.

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.
• Thesalaryrange 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 Yorkor 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 undereither WD’s Short Term Incentive Plan (“STI Plan”) or theSales 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.