{"id":2520949,"url":"https://alion.io/job/western-digital-staff-engineer-manufacturing-equipment-engineering","title":"Staff Engineer, Manufacturing Equipment Engineering","company":{"id":8924,"name":"Western Digital","domain":"wdc.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/wdc","size_band":"5000+","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"SmartRecruiters","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":75,"open_postings":15,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":1,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":37,"computed_at":"2026-10-21T05:46:15Z"}},"role":"Industrial Engineering","role_family":"Industrial Engineering","seniority":"staff","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"hybrid","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["George Town, Malaysia"],"countries":["MY"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":19000,"max_usd":44000,"period":"year","method":"global_role_cell_scaled_by_country","sample_n":1625},"experience_years_min":8,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Microsoft Office","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-14T08:52:15Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-14","last_verified_at":"2026-10-21T06:18:10Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":7,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":7},"description":"WD is building the infrastructure behind the AI-driven data economy.\nAs 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.\nWe 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.\nThis isn’t theoretical work. It’s real systems, at real scale, people solving some of the hardest challenges in technology today.\nWe’re looking for people who want to build, solve, and operate at that level.\nJoin us and let’s shape the future of data.\n As a Staff Equipment Engineer specializing in sputter media, you will be responsible for overseeing the operation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of sputtering equipment used in the production of hard disk media. You will work closely with cross-functional teams to ensure optimal equipment performance, minimize downtime, cycle time improvement and contribute to the development of new processes and technologies.\nESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:\nOversee day-to-day equipment maintenance activities, troubleshooting, and line issue management to ensure high equipment availability and minimal production downtime.\nLead equipment reliability, maintenance, and engineering improvement initiatives to support stable and efficient manufacturing operations.\nDrive preventive and predictive maintenance strategies to improve equipment reliability, reduce failures, and sustain long-term operational performance.\nLead equipment upgrades, machine conversions, and technology improvements to support next-generation HDD product requirements.\nManage new equipment installation, commissioning, and acceptance testing to ensure systems meet operational, safety, and process specifications before production release.\nMonitor and analyze equipment performance, reliability, and OEE data to identify improvement opportunities and drive operational excellence.\nLead root cause analysis for equipment failures, implementing effective corrective and preventive actions to prevent recurrence.\nCollaborate with Process Engineering and Sputter Yield teams to improve yield performance, reduce defects, and enhance process capability.\nCoordinate closely with Production, Quality, Facilities, and other cross-functional teams to ensure smooth production operations and achieve manufacturing targets.\nManage engineering projects related to equipment upgrades, modifications, and system improvements, ensuring timely execution within scope and budget.\nProvide technical leadership, guidance, and mentorship to junior engineers and technicians to strengthen team capability and technical competency.\nDevelop and maintain engineering documentation, including SOPs, maintenance procedures, and best practices for equipment operation and sustainment.\nEnsure all equipment and related systems comply with safety regulations, company policies, and industry standards.\nSupport continuous improvement initiatives by introducing new technologies, automation solutions, and engineering best practices.\nStrengthen knowledge sharing and technical skill development within the engineering team to build a high-performing equipment engineering organization.\nMaintain strong collaboration with OEM suppliers and technical partners to support equipment upgrades, troubleshooting, and technology development.\nPerform other duties and responsibilities as assigned by management.\n REQUIRED:\nBachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Electronic, Materials Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.\nMinimum 8-12 years of experience in equipment engineering, preferably in sputter media, semiconductor, vacuum coating, or advanced manufacturing environments.\nStrong knowledge of vacuum systems, sputtering equipment, automation systems, and equipment control architecture.\nStrong analytical and data analysis skills to evaluate equipment performance, reliability trends, and OEE improvements.\nExcellent project management skills, with the ability to lead cross-functional teams.\nProficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Access) and ability to analyze and present technical data effectively.\nPREFERRED:\nExperience in a sputter media or semiconductor manufacturing environment.\nKnowledge of high-vacuum technology and plasma physics.\nSKILLS:\nKnowledge of vacuum systems and thin-film deposition processes, with the ability to support sputtering equipment operation and performance optimization.\nExperience with PLC systems, automation, and equipment control systems, including supporting system modifications and interface improvements.\nProficiency in using diagnostic tools and equipment for troubleshooting.\nSolid understanding of Statistical Process Control (SPC), equipment performance analysis, and data-driven decision-making.\nAbility to work independently while also contributing effectively to a team environment\nExcellent communication skills with the ability to clearly present technical information to engineers, technicians, and management.\nStrong technical writing skills for creating detailed reports and documentation\n 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.\nWD 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  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.\nNotice 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 .","description_format":"text","description_chars":6485,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":8,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[{"language":"English","level":"All levels","optional":false}]},"benefits":[],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"Malaysia","iso":"MY","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Industrial Machinery","Enterprise Storage Systems","Digital Storage"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-14T10:57:26Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":62,"band":"ok","label":"Likely open","p_open":1,"p_active":0.623,"p_room":1,"age_days":6,"expected_fill_days":37,"reasons":["conf:3","stale_co","velocity","win:early","comp:brand"],"computed_at":"2026-10-21T05:46:15Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/western-digital-staff-engineer-manufacturing-equipment-engineering","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/western-digital-staff-engineer-manufacturing-equipment-engineering.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-21T10:33:45Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":14982,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-22T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":8924},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=8924"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fwestern-digital-staff-engineer-manufacturing-equipment-engineering"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fwestern-digital-staff-engineer-manufacturing-equipment-engineering"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fwestern-digital-staff-engineer-manufacturing-equipment-engineering"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/western-digital-staff-engineer-manufacturing-equipment-engineering\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fwestern-digital-staff-engineer-manufacturing-equipment-engineering"}]}