Mechanical Design Engineer (Senior Technologist)

Western Digital; Colorado Springs (CO); On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid vacation time

Medical/dental/vision insurance

401(k) matching

Employee stock purchase plan

Job summary

A leading data storage company is looking for a Senior Mechanical Design Engineer in Colorado Springs. The successful candidate will design and analyze high-performance storage systems for OEM and data center marketplace. Candidates should have over 10 years of experience in product development, particularly with HDDs, and knowledge of CAD systems like SolidWorks. This role offers a full-time position with opportunities for project innovation and leadership in a collaborative environment.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10+ years product development experience in computing or data storage.
• Extensive working knowledge of CAD systems is required.
• Proficient in writing and executing test plans and reports.

Responsibilities

• Design and analyze high-performance storage systems.
• Lead and mentor cross-functional teams on product design.
• Conduct feasibility studies and ensure successful operation.

Skills

Problem solving

Innovative design

Project multitasking

Education

BSME or MSME degree

Tools

SolidWorks

ANSYS

MATLAB

Job description

Mechanical Design Engineer (Senior Technologist)

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. We are 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 and capture the first‑ever picture of a black hole. We offer an expansive portfolio of technologies, HDDs, and platforms for business, creative professionals, and consumers alike under our Western Digital®, WD®, WD_HA…, etc. We are a key partner to some of the largest and highest‑growth organizations in the world, enabling systems to make cities safer, powering data centers behind hyperscale cloud providers, and meeting the data storage needs of the AI era.

Job Description

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Western Digital is seeking a Mechanical Design Engineer (Senior Technologist) responsible for design and analysis of high‑performance storage systems and subsystems for the OEM and data center marketplace with specific focus on product design for the housing of hard‑disk drives (HDDs). The successful candidate will develop products that are robust enough to withstand shock, vibration, thermal, acoustic, and other environmental challenges while maintaining world‑class design principles. The role involves applying design knowledge of HDDs to influence enclosure design, working with PCB, sheet metal, plastic components, and system fans; collecting population‑level data for enclosures; performing statistical analysis; and contributing to intellectual property. Intimate knowledge of SolidWorks and ANSYS, as well as data acquisition and MATLAB scripting, will be essential. The engineer will lead and mentor cross‑functional teams, conduct feasibility studies, write test plans, oversee data acquisition, and ensure successful enclosure operation at system and HDD levels.

Qualifications

REQUIRED

• BSME or MSME degree with minimum of 10+ years product development experience in computing, data storage or related fields; especially in the realm of HDD manufacturing and/or design.
• The ability to learn new concepts quickly and apply them to new situations.
• Demonstrated ability in creative problem solving and innovation.
• Extensive working knowledge of CAD systems (SolidWorks preferred) required.
• Extensive experience in design and modeling of vibration, shock, and acoustic attenuation components with intentional design features and tolerance considerations.
• Working knowledge of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and/or structural finite element analysis (FEA) is desirable; experience with multiple analysis programs is a plus.
• Prior experience with ANSYS non‑linear analysis using viscoelastic materials is desirable.
• Familiar with test instrumentation such as accelerometers, force gauges, airflow, and thermal test equipment.
• Highly proficient in writing and executing test plans and test reports to validate the design of parts, assemblies, and systems to positively impact HDD function in an enclosure.
• Experience in successful participation (engineering portion) of development projects from design to production.
• Excellent project multi‑tasking and communication skills are required.
• Solid understanding of manufacturing technologies and methodologies; actual manufacturing experience is a plus.
• Ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally (≤10% of total work time).
• Extensive knowledge and use of Microsoft Office products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, OneNote) and Adobe products.
• Experience with developing scripting and GUI code using MATLAB.
• Ability to distill large amounts of experimental data to a meaningful conclusion and write a brief report for internal or external use.

Working knowledge of the following

• Hand tools (pliers, clamps, jigs).
• Vices and holding fixtures.
• Drill, files, burr removal.
• Lifting and positioning equipment safely.
• Ability to lift 50lbs on an as‑needed basis.

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 race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, gender, age, national origin, sexual orientation, medical condition, marital status, disability, or any other legally protected characteristic. 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 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 hiring process. Please contact us at [e-mail] 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 02-01-2025 (3 months from posting). If we are not able to hire someone from this role before the application deadline, we will update accordingly.

Compensation & Benefits Details

• An employee’s pay position within the salary range may be based on several factors including but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, and experience; skills, ability, knowledge of the job; performance, contribution and results; geographic location; shift; internal and external equity; and 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. It 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 your assigned shift.
• You will be eligible to be considered for bonuses under either Western Digital’s Short Term Incentive Plan ("STI Plan") or the Sales Incentive Plan ("SIP"), which provides incentive awards based on Company and individual 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.
• 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 Western Digital 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 remain 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 Western Digital 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 Western Digital Ethics Helpline or email [e-mail].

Seniority level

Mid‑Senior level

Employment type

Full‑time

Job function

Computer Hardware Manufacturing, Computers and Electronics Manufacturing, and Semiconductor Manufacturing

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