HDD Servo Processing Subsystem Architecture Lead

Western Digital•San Jose, CA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking an experienced HDD Servo Processing Subsystem Architecture Lead to join our organization in San Jose, CA, United States. In this pivotal role, you will drive the strategic vision and execution of the servo real-time compute platform architecture—encompassing firmware architecture, instruction set architecture (ISA), and SoC microarchitecture—to enable next-generation HDD products with multiple concurrent data streams and multi-actuator control. You will be accountable for defining a coherent, scalable platform strategy that balances technical feasibility with economic viability across program schedules, power envelopes, and cost constraints. This position offers the opportunity to shape the future of storage technology while leading cross-functional teams across multiple locations and technical disciplines.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or an equivalent degree and professional experience
10+ years of professional experience in embedded architecture and development, with specific focus on real-time control, storage technology, or related servo control applications
5+ years of experience as a project technical leader or in senior technical leadership roles, demonstrating strong leadership and commitment to delivering results
Deep expertise in digital signal processing and real-time systems development
Demonstrated experience with FPGA and/or ASIC design for servo processing applications
Advanced programming skills in C/C++ and experience with hardware description languages (HDL)
Proficiency with MATLAB, Simulink, and other modeling and simulation tools
Deep expertise with specialized simulation and development tools including Renode, Verilator, and LLVM
Solid understanding of hardware-software co-design and system-level integration
Proven ability to lead cross-functional engineering teams across geographically distributed locations and manage complex technical projects
Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with meticulous attention to detail
Excellent communication, interpersonal, and collaborative skills, including strong presentation abilities, with demonstrated capability to work effectively across worldwide engineering teams in English
Experience with product development lifecycle and design for manufacturability principles
Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, collaborative environment

Nice To Haves

Master's degree or relevant professional certification (e.g., in embedded systems, real-time architecture) desirable
PhD or specialist certification with demonstrated expertise in real-time, multi-core computing platform architecture highly desirable
Strong proficiency in servo control theory, including loop design, stability analysis, and performance optimization highly desirable
Familiarity with industry standards and best practices in storage technology

Responsibilities

Define and maintain a future-state servo real-time compute architecture and ISA that scales from single to multiple concurrent data streams and supports concurrent control of multiple actuators and heads, with explicit guidance to SoC and servo teams on power, area, and performance trade-offs
Co-lead SoC microarchitecture decisions affecting servo compute, including core count and placement, memory hierarchy, interconnect design, and dynamic control accelerators, ensuring that FPGA prototype work and accelerator designs map cleanly into production-ready firmware and tools models
Own servo compute resource management and budgeting, including instruction/data memory allocation, processor cycle and path-length limits, and regression thresholds; drive adherence through continuous integration practices to prevent late-stage resource conflicts
Lead the co-design of firmware platform architecture, including core control-loop implementations, multi-cluster and multi-actuator orchestration, and cross-generation stability, ensuring deterministic real-time performance across multiple SoC generations
Drive evolution of the servo compute tooling ecosystem—including internal compiler, real-time compute platform simulator, Renode-based system simulation, debug and diagnostics tools, and profiling/debug flows—to support multi-cluster, multi-stream characterization and debugging by servo, manufacturing, and validation teams
Coordinate across geographically distributed teams (servo firmware (FW), SoC architecture/design, recording subsystem/algorithms, servo tools, manufacturing FW, and test) to align platform decisions with program risk, schedules, yield, and customer experience objectives
Deliver a major multi-stream and multi-actuator capability that meets control performance and power targets on a new SoC generation, demonstrating the viability of the defined architecture and ISA
Strengthen the organizational pipeline by evolving servo compute training, standards, and review processes into a broader platform curriculum, enabling more engineers to safely contribute to platform-level code and architectural changes
Conduct technical reviews and provide architectural guidance to engineering teams throughout the product development lifecycle, ensuring alignment with platform strategy and resource constraints
Analyze and optimize servo loop performance through modeling, simulation, and real-world validation using tools such as MATLAB and Simulink, with focus on multi-actuator control scenarios and high-bandwidth data paths
Develop and document architectural standards, design guidelines, and best practices for servo subsystem development, including guidance on HAMR, laser, spacing, and read/write channel control parameter mapping to the compute platform
Mentor and develop junior engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence, platform thinking, and continuous improvement in servo compute architecture
Communicate technical concepts, architectural trade-offs, and strategic recommendations to senior management and cross-functional stakeholders

Benefits

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
the WD Savings 401(k) Plan