Sr. Vacuum Equipment Engineer

Seagate Technology; BLOOMINGTON (MN); On-site; USD 92,300 - 131,900; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discretionary bonus

Medical insurance

401(k) plan

Stock purchase plan

Job summary

Seagate Technology in Bloomington, MN is seeking an experienced equipment engineer to lead development and deployment of vacuum-related manufacturing tools for recording heads in HDD production.

You will drive tool performance through KPIV controls, automation (C#, Python, R), and Six Sigma, while supporting a broad cross‑functional team and after‑hours work as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field with 5+ years of experience or advanced degrees with corresponding experience.
• GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• Experience with vacuum-related tooling and processes in high-to ultra-high vacuum environments.

Responsibilities

• Develop and deploy equipment (deposition, reactive etching, annealing) in a manufacturing setting.
• Oversee equipment issues, scrap, MDA, and cycle-time reductions.
• Develop factory automation systems to improve tool performance (C#, Python, R).
• Implement KPIV controls, OCAPs, preventive maintenance plans, and safety processes.
• Apply Six Sigma methodologies to maximize tool performance and minimize variability.
• Provide technical support to manufacturing equipment repair and process engineering teams.

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Materials Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related field and 5+ years of experience

Master’s degree in the same fields and 3+ years of experience

PhD and 0+ years of experience or equivalent education and experience

Tools

DOE tools

Statistical analysis software (JMP, Minitab)

AI/ML applications

Job description

About our group:

The position will work with the Vacuum Equipment Engineering team in our Bloomington, MN facility to support the equipment used to build the recording heads that go into Seagate Hard Disk Drives. Equipment Engineering ensures tooling on the factory floor operates at peak performance to fabricate Magnetic Recording Heads that power Seagate’s world‑class HDDs. We combine proven equipment control strategies with advanced KPIV streamline systems to monitor equipment health in real time and take proactive, automated actions. We also manage development and deployment of new wafer manufacturing tools. You will interact with technicians, operators, engineers, and management, sharing knowledge and learning from others.

About the role - you will:

• Be responsible for the development and deployment of equipment (deposition, reactive etching, and annealing) within a manufacturing setting. Ownership will evolve over time, allowing for professional growth.
• Oversee manufacturing equipment issues, including equipment scrap, MDA, cycle‑time reduction, and multi‑path maintenance.
• Develop factory automation systems to improve tool performance (C#, Python, R).
• Develop systematic and automated methods for tool control across multiple tools, including implementing streamline KPIV controls, Out‑of‑Control Action Plans (OCAPs), preventive maintenance plans (MP), equipment manufacturer training plans, and safety processes.
• Use Six Sigma methodologies and techniques to maximize tool performance and minimize variability.
• Evaluate, recommend, and ensure tools, parts, and materials are appropriate and cost‑effective for manufacturing.
• Oversee the installation, modification, upgrade, and maintenance of manufacturing equipment.
• Maintain all equipment control documentation and ensure consistency across Seagate’s recording‑head manufacturing sites.
• Provide technical support to manufacturing equipment repair and process engineering organizations.
• Apply AI‑driven workflows to improve operational performance.

About you:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence and gain alignment across cross‑functional teams.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze data and perform KPIV analysis to predict tool performance and identify excursions.
• Willingness to work after hours on an as‑needed basis.

Your experience includes:

• Wafer manufacturing and semiconductor production equipment.
• Knowledge of design of experiments (DOE) methodologies.
• Statistical analysis tools, including Six Sigma, JMP, Minitab, or similar software.
• AI and machine learning applications.
• Demonstrated hands‑on experience with vacuum‑related tooling and processes such as physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, atomic layer deposition, ion beam milling, ICP etching, or annealing technologies in high‑ to ultra‑high‑vacuum environments.
• Computer hardware and/or programming.
• GPA of 3.0 or above.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Materials Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related field and 5+ years of experience, or Master’s degree in the same fields and 3+ years of experience, or PhD and 0+ years of experience or equivalent education and experience.

Salary

The estimated base salary range for this position is $92,300.00 – $131,900.00.

Benefits

Seagate offers comprehensive benefits including discretionary bonus, medical, dental, vision and life insurance, short‑ and long‑term disability, 401(k), employee stock purchase plan, health savings account, dependent‑care and health‑care spending accounts.

Paid time off includes 12 holidays; flexible time off, a minimum of 48 hours of paid sick leave, and 16 weeks of paid parental leave.

Location

Bloomington, MN, US (Onsite Monday – Friday during core business hours). Travel up to 10%.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Seagate is an equal‑opportunity employer. All qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, ancestry, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital status, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, religion, military and veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law. We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. Seagate will provide reasonable accommodation with the application process upon request as required to comply with applicable laws. If you need assistance due to a disability, contact us at [e-mail].