PhD Hardware Development Intern — Shape AI-Scale Storage

Western Digital; Colorado; On-site; USD 58,000 - 77,000; Full time

Job summary

Western Digital invites Fall 2026 PhD Interns to join the Hardware Development Engineering team in Fremont. This internship offers hands-on experience sustaining and developing processes related to mask/ photo layers and collaboration with ME owners, contributing to production integration in data storage hardware.

Applicants are pursuing or recently completed a PhD in Engineering or Core Science with strong critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving abilities.

Qualifications

• Currently pursuing or recently completed PhD in Engineering or Core Science (EE/ME/Physics, etc).
• Demonstrated critical thinking and problem solving abilities.
• Ability to quickly ascertain a situation and determine what is needed.
• Strong communication and presentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Learn how to disposition non-critical layers and assign ownership to their daily routine disposition and troubleshoot related excursions.
• Primary responsibility is to sustain layers owned by the team and collaborate with production to ensure smooth processes for their layers.
• Photo process development work for new layers/future products.
• Work with mask management ME owner to support day-to-day mask management activities.
• Assist current ME in executing projects on a per-project basis.

Skills

Critical Thinking

Problem Solving

Quick situational assessment

Communication & presentation

Education

PhD in Engineering or Core Science (EE/ME/Physics)

Job description

Western Digital invites Fall 2026 PhD Interns to join the Hardware Development Engineering team in Fremont. This internship offers hands-on experience sustaining and developing processes related to mask/ photo layers and collaboration with ME owners, contributing to production integration in data storage hardware.

Applicants are pursuing or recently completed a PhD in Engineering or Core Science with strong critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving abilities.