Ph.D. Interface Scientist - Advanced Materials & Future Storage Technologies
About The Position
Join our advanced R&D team focused on next-generation storage technologies. In this role, you will design and execute experiments to better understand material interfaces, ultra-thin films, and thermal transport mechanisms related to future HDD technologies. You will work in a highly collaborative laboratory environment alongside scientists and engineers across multiple disciplines. This position combines hands-on experimentation, instrumentation development, data analysis, and scientific problem solving. This role is part of WD's early career development program. WD's early career development program is ideal for individuals at the early stages of their professional career. Participants receive foundational training through structured onboarding, mentorship, and a curated development curriculum. The responsibilities of this role are typically aligned with candidates who have approximately 0–2+ years of relevant professional experience, though candidates of all experience levels are encouraged to apply.
Requirements
- Currently enrolled or recently completed a PhD in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science/Engineering, Physics, Mechanical Engineering, or related field
- Extensive hands-on laboratory research experience
- Experience designing and executing scientific experiments
- Strong Python programming and data analysis skills
- Experience with instrumentation development and/or instrumentation programming
- Experience with thin film characterization techniques such as: Ellipsometry TEM SEM AFM FTIR IR spectroscopy
- Related analytical techniques
- Strong communication, presentation, and collaboration skills
Nice To Haves
- Experience with scientific automation workflows
- Experience working with large experimental datasets
- Exposure to AI-assisted research or analytical tools
Responsibilities
- Design and execute laboratory experiments related to advanced materials and interface science
- Develop and support instrumentation and experimental workflows
- Collect, analyze, and present scientific data
- Perform ultra-thin film and surface characterization
- Collaborate with cross-functional engineering and research teams
- Utilize Python and modern analytical tools to support experimentation and data analysis
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
- bonuses under either WD’s Short Term Incentive Plan (“STI Plan”) or the Sales Incentive Plan (“SIP”)
- annual Long-Term Incentive (LTI) program, which consists of restricted stock units (RSUs) or cash equivalents
- RSU awards are also available to eligible new hires
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
Ph.D. or professional degree
