Probe Process Engineer

SmartRecruiters, Inc.; Fremont, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Western Digital is seeking a Process Engineer to support wafer probe operations in product development and high-volume manufacturing. You will develop, qualify, and sustain wafer probe processes and probe card configurations, ensuring robust control and data integrity across teams.

The role collaborates with Test Eng, Yield Eng, Manufacturing, and Quality to drive improvements, optimize test setups, and enable successful new product introductions with a focus on yield and cycle time.

Qualifications

• BS/MS in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Physics, Mechanical Engineering or related discipline.
• Experience in semiconductor manufacturing, wafer probe engineering, or test engineering.
• Proficiency in electrical measurement techniques with hands-on lab and cleanroom experience.
• Strong understanding of SPC, DOE, and semiconductor test methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Develop, qualify, and sustain wafer probe processes and probe recipes for product development and high-volume manufacturing.
• Define and maintain probe card configurations and wafer test setups for engineering builds and production ramps.
• Monitor process performance using SPC and statistical analysis; develop control limits and dashboards.
• Investigate excursions and implement data-driven corrective actions to improve yield and cycle time.
• Lead readiness for New Product Introductions, coordinating cross-functional activities for smooth transfer to production.
• Drive continuous improvements in yield, cycle time, and equipment utilization.

Skills

SPC

DOE

Data analysis

MSA

Root cause analysis

Python

SQL

Education

Bachelor/Master in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Physics, Mechanical Engineering

Tools

SQL

Python

Minitab

JMP

Job description

• Job Type (exemption status): Exempt position - Please see related compensation & benefits details below
• Salary Range: 119,900.00-159,800.00
• Business Function: Hardware Development
• Work Location: Fremont Office--LOC_WDT_USCA13

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

The Process Engineer will support wafer probe operations for both product development and high-volume manufacturing environments. This role is responsible for developing, sustaining, and optimizing wafer probe processes, test methodologies, SPC systems, probe card configurations, and test setup infrastructure. The engineer will work closely with Test Engineering, Product Development, Yield Engineering, Manufacturing, and Operations teams to ensure robust process control, measurement integrity, and successful new product introductions.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Develop, qualify, and sustain wafer probe processes for new and existing products, including probe recipes, operating specifications, setup requirements, and engineering controls across both product development and high-volume manufacturing environments.

Define, validate, and maintain probe card configurations and wafer test setups, supporting qualifications, releases, maintenance strategies, and change management to ensure test readiness for engineering builds, qualifications, and production ramps.

Monitor and optimize process performance using SPC, EDC, and statistical analysis; develop and maintain control limits, OCAPs, screening methodologies, and engineering dashboards to ensure measurement integrity and data accuracy.

Investigate process excursions and implement data-driven corrective actions through characterization studies, gauge capability evaluations, and tool correlation analyses to improve yield, quality, and cycle time.

Lead wafer probe readiness for New Product Introductions (NPI), defining product-specific test plans, specifications, and qualification strategies while coordinating cross-functional activities to ensure seamless transfer from development to high-volume manufacturing.

Drive continuous improvement initiatives targeting yield enhancement, cycle time reduction, productivity gains, process simplification, measurement system improvements, and equipment utilization optimization.

Partner with Test Engineering, Product Engineering, Yield Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, Quality, and IT teams to provide technical leadership in root cause analysis, corrective action implementation, engineering reviews, and documentation of best practices and knowledge transfer materials.

Qualifications

• BS/MS in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Physics, Mechanical Engineering, or related discipline.
• Experience insemiconductor manufacturing, wafer probe engineering, or test engineering.
• Demonstrated proficiency in electrical measurement techniques with hands‑on experience in laboratory and cleanroom environments.
• Strong understanding of statistical process control (SPC), design of experiments (DOE), and semiconductor test methodologies.
• Proficiency with data analysis tools such as SQL, Python, JMP, Minitab, or equivalent platforms.
• Demonstrated knowledge of measurement system analysis (MSA), gauge R&R, and process capability studies.
• Proven experience with yield optimization, maintenance protocols, and failure analysis.
• Track record of driving process improvements through automation, machine learning, or AI-based initiatives.
• Exceptional troubleshooting and root‑cause analysis capabilities.
• Strong communication and cross‑functional collaboration skills with manufacturing, design, and quality teams.

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 [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 be 12/24/2026 (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.

#LI-RR1

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 under either 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.

Notice To Candidates: Please be aware that WDand 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 [e-mail] .

By clicking the link above or any third‑party link within this posting, you are leaving this site and going to a third‑party website where the third‑party website's terms and privacy policy apply