Summer 2026 Intern - HDD Testing
About The Position
Join Western Digital's HDD Integration and Head-Media Reliability team as an HDD Test Intern, where you'll support critical testing operations that validate drive performance and quality. Working within HDD Development, you'll assist senior engineers in test execution, learn failure analysis methodologies, and develop technical reporting skills while gaining hands-on experience with cutting-edge nanotechnology. You'll work on Hard Drive Integration Tests and Head-Media Reliability Design of Experiments (DOE), supporting the validation of read/write head and media interactions that ensure drive reliability and performance. This position is part of our Early Career program at WD. Our Early Career program is designed to support individuals beginning their professional career by providing the foundational training through a structured onboarding, mentorship, and development curriculum.
Requirements
- Currently pursuing a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent experience
- Foundational engineering skills in problem-solving, data analysis, and technical documentation
- Proficiency in Python for scripting, test automation, and data processing
- Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook
- Experience with JMP or similar statistical analysis software
- Hands-on involvement in engineering projects (academic or personal) demonstrating self-driven initiative
Nice To Haves
- Familiarity with Design of Experiments (DOE) methodologies
- Understanding of component testing, hardware validation, or storage systems
Responsibilities
- HDD Test Maintenance & Execution – Assist prime engineers in running HDD integration tests and head-media reliability experiments; ensure tests execute accurately and troubleshoot issues as they arise
- Failure Analysis – Learn and apply FA methodologies to investigate test failures; identify root causes and document findings for corrective action
- Data Analysis & Reporting – Analyze test datasets using Python and JMP; generate technical reports and presentations summarizing test outcomes and engineering insights
- Design of Experiments (DOE) – Support head-media reliability DOE activities to optimize performance parameters and validate component interactions
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
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What This Job Offers
Career Level
Intern
