Senior Technologist — Photonics Device and Systems R&D

Western Digital Corp.; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 216,000 - 288,000; Full time

Job summary

Western Digital Corp. is seeking a Senior Technologist to lead photonics device and system R&D for data storage and communications.

You will define roadmaps, guide multi-disciplinary teams, and translate photonic concepts into viable technology platforms with clear paths to product impact. The role requires a PhD and 10+ years in photonics, plus a track record of leadership and collaboration across engineering disciplines.

Qualifications

• PhD in Photonics, Optics, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, or a closely related field.
• 10+ years of experience in photonic device or system development.
• Deep technical expertise in photonic device physics, optical systems, and experimental development.
• Proven leadership of complex, multidisciplinary R&D programs from concept through prototype validation.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to influence technical direction across organizational boundaries.
• Track record of mentoring technical contributors and building alignment among diverse engineering teams.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership for research and development of new photonic devices and systems for data storage and communications.
• Define technology roadmaps, device architectures, performance targets, and development plans aligned with long-term business and research objectives.
• Lead concept generation, feasibility assessment, modeling, design, fabrication, characterization, and prototype demonstration activities.
• Guide technical tradeoff studies across optical performance, electrical drive, thermal behavior, reliability, manufacturability, packaging, and system integration.
• Collaborate with device, process, test, packaging, electronics, firmware, and system teams to resolve complex cross-disciplinary challenges.
• Establish experimental strategies and interpret device- and system-level data to accelerate learning and improve technical decisions.
• Identify external technology trends, research opportunities, intellectual-property opportunities, and strategic partnerships.
• Mentor engineers and scientists, drive rigorous technical reviews, and raise the organization’s photonics capability.
• Communicate technical strategy, risks, progress, and recommendations clearly to engineering and business leadership.

Skills

Leadership

Mentoring

Communication

Problem-solving

Education

PhD in Photonics/Optics/EE/Applied Physics

Job description

Senior Technologist — Photonics Device and Systems R&D

• Full-time
• Job Type (exemption status): Exempt position - Please see related compensation & benefits details below
• Salary Range: 215,900.00-287,800.00
• Business Function: R&D Engineering

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.

The next generation of data storage and communications technologies will depend on photonic devices that deliver higher performance, greater efficiency, and tighter integration across optical, electrical, thermal, and mechanical domains.

We are looking for a Senior Technologist to provide technical leadership for the research and development of new photonic devices and systems for data storage and communications applications. This role combines deep photonics expertise, device and system architecture, experimental development, and cross-functional technical direction from early concepts through demonstrated prototypes.

You will define technical direction, guide multidisciplinary teams, and translate emerging photonics concepts into differentiated technology platforms with clear paths to product impact.

What you’ll be doing:

• Provide technical leadership for research and development of new photonic devices and systems for data storage and communications.
• Define technology roadmaps, device architectures, performance targets, and development plans aligned with long-term business and research objectives.
• Lead concept generation, feasibility assessment, modeling, design, fabrication, characterization, and prototype demonstration activities.
• Guide technical tradeoff studies across optical performance, electrical drive, thermal behavior, reliability, manufacturability, packaging, and system integration.
• Collaborate with device, process, test, packaging, electronics, firmware, and system teams to resolve complex cross-disciplinary challenges.
• Establish experimental strategies and interpret device- and system-level data to accelerate learning and improve technical decisions.
• Identify external technology trends, research opportunities, intellectual-property opportunities, and strategic partnerships.
• Mentor engineers and scientists, drive rigorous technical reviews, and raise the organization’s photonics capability.
• Communicate technical strategy, risks, progress, and recommendations clearly to engineering and business leadership.

What we need to see:

• PhD in Photonics, Optics, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, or a closely related field.
• 10+ years of experience in photonic device or system development.
• Deep technical expertise in photonic device physics, optical systems, and experimental development.
• Demonstrated leadership of complex, multidisciplinary R&D programs from concept through prototype validation.
• Strong understanding of photonic device design, fabrication, characterization, packaging, and system integration.
• Proven ability to make sound technical decisions with incomplete data and to resolve difficult first-principles engineering problems.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to influence technical direction across organizational boundaries.
• Track record of mentoring technical contributors and building alignment among diverse engineering teams.

Ways to stand out from the crowd:

• Experience developing photonic technologies for data storage, optical communications, or adjacent high-volume applications.
• Expertise in semiconductor lasers, modulators, detectors, integrated photonics, micro-optics, or optical interconnects.
• Experience bridging device-level innovation with system architecture and product requirements.
• Strong record of patents, publications, invited presentations, or recognized technical leadership in photonics.
• Experience working with external research institutions, fabrication partners, suppliers, or strategic technology collaborators.
• Demonstrated ability to create new technology directions and translate them into executable development programs.

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 1/9/27, 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.

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] .

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