Software Engineer (Apps & Firmware)

Western Digital; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits package

Paid vacation time

Tuition reimbursement

Employee stock purchase plan

Job summary

Western Digital in San Jose, California, is seeking a software engineer to develop internal tools for HDD product innovation. The ideal candidate will have expertise in C/C++, Python, and web-based development, as well as familiarity with machine learning and data engineering. This role offers a hybrid work environment, where collaboration and continuous learning are essential to influence the future of storage technology. A Master's degree in a related field is required for consideration.

Qualifications

• Strong foundation in software engineering principles with hands-on experience.
• Comfortable with both relational and non-relational databases.
• Completed coursework or hands-on projects involving GenAI, LLMs, or machine learning.

Responsibilities

• Design and build custom software tools that transform raw HDD development data.
• Architect and develop ETL systems and web-based applications.
• Work closely with hardware and prepare devices for validation workflows.

Skills

C/C++

Python

Web-based development

Machine Learning

Data Science

Education

MS in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Data Science, or related field

Tools

PyTorch

TensorFlow

Kafka

Kubernetes

MySQL

Node.js

Job description

Job Description

If you are looking for a role where your code doesn’t just sit in a Git repo—this is it. Our team builds internal tools that power the development of world‑class hard disk drives. You won’t be designing the hardware itself— but you will be designing the software tools that help engineers make smarter, faster, data‑driven decisions that shape the future of storage technology.

What you’ll do (and grow doing)

• Design and build custom internal software tools that transform raw HDD development and production data into actionable insights, directly accelerating product innovation and time‑to‑market.
• Architect and develop ETL systems, web‑based applications, advanced analytics and ML models and their pipelines that empower product engineers to make data‑driven decisions and push the boundaries of storage technology.
• Work closely with hard disk drives and test environments, including preparing devices for validation and analysis workflows.
• Leverage modern frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow, svelte), languages (Python, C/C++, Node.js), databases (MySQL, SingleStore, Redshift, Elasticsearch) and distributed systems (Kafka, Kubernetes) to solve complex engineering challenges and build scalable solutions.
• Participate actively in architecture discussions, code reviews, and collaborative problem‑solving sessions that strengthen both the codebase and your technical expertise.
• Create comprehensive internal documentation and guides that democratize access to your tools, multiplying your impact across the engineering organization.
• Thrive in an hybrid, fast‑paced, highly collaborative team environment that values ownership, intellectual curiosity, and continuous learning—where your contributions directly influence the future of storage innovation.

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled or recently completed an MS in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Data Science, or a related field.
• Strong foundation in software engineering principles with hands‑on experience in C/C++, Python and web based development.
• Comfort working with Windows and Linux environments and both relational and non‑relational databases.
• Completed coursework or hands‑on projects involving GenAI, LLMs, or machine learning.

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. 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 York or remote jobs that can be performed in those locations. 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 will be eligible to be considered for bonuses under either the Short Term Incentive Plan (STI Plan) or the Sales 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 WD 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 WD Ethics Helpline or email [e-mail].

EEO Statement

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.