Mechanical Design Senior Staff Engineer (Onsite)

Seagate Technology•Longmont, CO

21h•Onsite

About The Position

The Mechanical Design team within Seagate's Hardware Engineering organization develops next-generation Head Disc Assemblies (HDA), Actuator Stack Assemblies (HSA), Voice Coil Motor, and precision positioning technologies that enable future recording density, performance, and reliability improvements. We work at the intersection of precision mechanics, structural dynamics, materials science, manufacturing, and controls engineering to solve nanometer-scale motion challenges in future HDD platforms. As part of Seagate's global Hardware Engineering organization, our team collaborates across design, manufacturing, suppliers, materials, electronics, and system engineering disciplines to mature advanced technologies from research concepts through high-volume manufacturing.

Requirements

Advanced experience in mechanical dynamics, structural mechanics, vibration analysis, and precision actuation systems.
Demonstrated ability to apply fundamental physical understanding to build and refine models, assess simulation validity, and develop new mechanical designs.
Proficiency in data analysis, using tools like, Python and/or MATLAB for automation, and modeling.
Experience bridging research, design, validation, and manufacturing requirements.
Proven ability to lead complex technical programs and influence cross-functional teams.
Bachelor’s degree in engineering related field (i.e. Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical, Computer Engineering, Materials, Physics, or Information Technology) and 12+ years of experience or master’s degree in the same and 8+ years’ experience or PhD and 5+ years’ experience or equivalent experience and education.

Nice To Haves

Expert-level experience with ANSYS APDL (Classic), ANSYS Workbench, HyperWorks, MATLAB, or equivalent simulation tools.
Demonstrated capability to develop automated and parametric simulation workflows.
Hands-on experience with laboratory testing and experimental validation of dynamic systems.
Experience with LDV, oscilloscopes, function generators, NI data acquisition systems, and related instrumentation.
Strong background in piezoelectric materials, micro-actuators, and material characterization.
Experience with MEMS or adjacent micro-scale technologies.
Experience applying AI/ML, advanced analytics, surrogate modeling, optimization algorithms, or automated design exploration to engineering problems.
Experience with invention disclosures, patent generation, and technology strategy development.
Experience in HDD, semiconductor, aerospace, robotics, precision instrumentation, or other high-performance mechatronic systems.
Experience developing first-of-a-kind technologies and transitioning them to manufacturing.

Responsibilities

Build dynamic and structural FEA models to predict vibration, modal behavior, actuation response, and system interactions.
Develop, automate, and maintain reusable simulation methodologies and parametric modeling frameworks using ANSYS APDL, ANSYS Workbench, HyperWorks, MATLAB, or equivalent tools.
Use physical insight to define boundary conditions, material behavior, and model assumptions that ensure predictive simulation results.
Close models through experimental correlation, identifying where assumptions break down and refining them accordingly.
Interpret results beyond solver outputs by explaining why systems behave as they do and what must change to improve performance.
Design and execute experiments to validate dynamic behavior, including vibration, resonance, damping, and actuation performance.
Lead model-to-test correlation using LDV, oscilloscopes, function generators, NI data acquisition systems, and high-frequency instrumentation.
Translate model-hardware discrepancies into actionable engineering insight and design improvements.
Develop test methodologies that improve understanding of subsystem behavior and accelerate technology maturity.
Own the design and development of Head Stack Assemblies (HSA), suspensions, actuators, coil and mechanical subsystems from concept through validation.
Develop novel mechanical solutions to challenges involving bandwidth, resonance, stiffness, coupling, damping, and robustness in precision motion systems.
Apply strong fundamentals in dynamics, structures, and actuation to guide design decisions where empirical rules or existing templates are insufficient.
Design solutions that simultaneously achieve performance, reliability, manufacturability, and cost objectives suitable for high-volume production environments.
Create novel mechanical architecture, actuation concepts, and subsystem innovations that enable future recording technologies and areal density scaling.
Generate and evaluate solutions to unresolved technical challenges where requirements, architectures, or modeling approaches are not fully defined.
Identify, develop, and protect intellectual property through invention disclosures, patent generation, and differentiated technology concepts.
Evaluate emerging technologies, materials, manufacturing approaches, and design concepts to influence future HSA technology roadmaps.
Mature concepts from exploratory research through feasibility demonstration and production-readiness assessment.
Serve as technical owner for cross-functional programs spanning R&D, manufacturing, suppliers, and global engineering teams.
Drive alignment across controls, materials, tribology, electronics, signal integrity, and manufacturing disciplines.
Resolve complex tradeoffs involving performance, manufacturability, reliability, yield, tolerance sensitivity, scalability, and cost.
Communicate technical maturity, risks, and engineering recommendations based on validated data and sound physical understanding.
Mentor engineers and contribute to technical best practices in modeling, testing, and mechanical system design.