Staff Engineer, Applications Engineering (APC)

Western Digital•San Jose, CA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Staff Engineer, Applications Engineering (APC) is responsible for developing, implementing, and sustaining Advanced Process Control (APC) systems—including run‑to‑run (R2R) control and fault detection & classification (FDC)—to improve manufacturing yield, process capability, cycle time, and equipment productivity. The role requires close collaboration with process, equipment, and IT engineering teams to deploy scalable APC solutions, advance automation initiatives, and drive continuous improvement across wafer manufacturing operations. As part of the industry’s transition from traditional feedback‑based APC to AI‑augmented, model‑driven control, the Staff Engineer will help integrate predictive and data‑driven methods that more accurately identify process drift, reduce variability, and minimize scrap. These next‑generation APC capabilities leverage machine learning, virtual metrology, and advanced equipment analytics to enhance system stability and responsiveness. The Staff Engineer plays a critical role in enabling these AI‑enhanced manufacturing capabilities while ensuring stable, high‑quality, and efficient wafer production.

Requirements

BS/MS in Engineering (Computer, Electrical, Chemical, Industrial, Mechanical), Applied Physics, Operations Research, or Statistics.
Experience with semiconductor R2R control and FDC systems.
Strong analytical and programming skills; proficiency with statistical analysis and ML tools such as JMP, MATLAB, Python, and multivariate analysis platforms.
Knowledge of semiconductor processing technologies and equipment.
Solid understanding of IT systems, including:
Linux system administration and shell‑based workflow,
Windows OS,
SQL Server & SQL queries,
Networking,
SECS/GEM communications, and
Data acquisition systems.

Nice To Haves

Experience applying large language models (LLMs) or AI‑assisted engineering workflows for data analysis, troubleshooting support, automation scripting, documentation generation, or accelerating APC/FDC model development.
Effective verbal and written communication skills with project‑management experience.

Responsibilities

Implement APC solutions in collaboration with Process Engineering, Equipment Engineering, IT, and external partners.
Lead APC/automation projects through production release and quantify improvements against baseline metrics.
Perform data analysis to develop and optimize FDC models for real‑time fault detection.
Configure and deploy new control strategies and automation recipes; support recipe management and specification database setups.
Develop and tune R2R control models using feedback and feed‑forward algorithms.
Create advanced FDC models for scrap prevention, tool matching, predictive maintenance, and condition‑based maintenance.
Conduct system integration testing for R2R, FDC, and automation host systems.
Maintain R2R and FDC systems; monitor controller/model performance and initiate continuous improvement activities.
Increasing use of predictive maintenance and health‑monitoring models leveraging FDC + ML to identify faults earlier and reduce unplanned downtime.
Troubleshoot system issues and support system recovery during failures.
Participate in roadmap planning for future APC and automation capabilities.
Work effectively in a fast‑paced, cross‑functional environment and model continuous improvement behaviors.

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