Summer 2026 Intern - Advanced System Development Engineering - Hardware/Software

Western Digital•Irvine, CA

12h•Onsite

About The Position

At Western Digital, we’re not working on incremental updates—we’re building what’s next. As an Engineering Intern on our Advanced System Development team , you’ll work hands-on with next-generation Heat Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR) technology , contributing directly to how future data storage systems are designed, tested, and improved. This is a real engineering role , not a shadowing experience. You’ll run experiments, analyze data, debug issues, and collaborate with engineers who are actively shaping new technology.

Requirements

Currently pursuing a BS or MS in Electrical Engineering, Software Engineering, or a related field
Expected graduation December 2026 or May 2027
Comfortable working with data and scripts (MATLAB, Python, SQL, Excel, or similar tools)
Curious by nature—you like figuring out why something works (or doesn’t)
Strong communicator who enjoys working on a team
Located within driving distance of our Irvine office (no relocation provided)
Right to work in the US without requiring Western Digital to commence or sponsor an immigration case to employ you.

Nice To Haves

Exposure to hardware lab work (oscilloscopes, bench testing, characterization)
Experience debugging scripts or analyzing experimental data
Interest in storage systems, firmware, or hardware-software interaction

Responsibilities

Work hands-on with HAMR technology , supporting early-stage development and testing of next-generation storage systems
Run bench experiments and characterizations , execute scripts, and help debug unexpected issues when systems don’t behave as expected
Analyze engineering data using tools like MATLAB and Python to identify trends, issues, and opportunities for improvement
Build and maintain data pipelines and databases that help the team make informed technical decisions
Collaborate closely with engineers across hardware, firmware, and system development—your input will matter
Learn by doing : gain exposure to engineering, physics, and materials science as they apply to real-world products

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 Western Digital Savings 401(k) Plan