Summer 2027 Intern - Hardware Engineering

Western Digital•San Jose, CA

13h•$35 - $46

About The Position

WD is recruiting for current and anticipated early-career Hardware Engineering internship opportunities for Summer 2027. Applicants may be considered for roles aligned with their qualifications, preferences, and availability; applying does not guarantee an immediate opening or interview. Opportunities may be located in Colorado Springs, Colorado; Irvine, California; Longmont, Colorado; Fremont, California; Rochester, Minnesota; or San Jose, California. The posting covers a range of engineering disciplines: ASIC Engineering; Hardware Development Engineering; Firmware Engineering; Systems Design & Integration Engineering; Mechanical Design Engineering; Equipment Engineering; and System-on-Chip (SoC) Engineering. Work may involve designing and verifying ASIC architectures and digital logic; developing, prototyping, validating, and testing electronic hardware and magnetic recording systems; creating embedded firmware; integrating hardware, firmware, and software; designing mechanical components and assemblies; optimizing manufacturing equipment; or designing and validating SoC components and subsystems. Across these areas, interns work with engineering teams on product performance, reliability, validation, debugging, and development from concept or design through manufacturing or system integration. This internship is part of WD’s early career development program, which provides structured onboarding, mentorship, foundational training, and a curated development curriculum. The responsibilities are typically aligned with candidates who have approximately 0–2+ years of relevant professional experience, although candidates of all experience levels are encouraged to apply. The posting lists a salary range of $34.52–$46.00. The position is non-exempt. The location listed for this posting is WD’s San Jose Great Oaks Headquarters.

Requirements

Currently pursuing or recently completed a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Ph.D. degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Software Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechatronics, Materials Engineering, Data Science, or a related engineering or technical discipline.
Experience developing technical skills through coursework, internships, co-ops, research, laboratory work, capstone projects, hackathons, or personal projects in one or more relevant engineering or technical areas.
Familiarity with engineering fundamentals and one or more relevant technical areas, such as programming, digital logic, embedded systems, computer architecture, electronics, mechanical design, CAD, manufacturing processes, automation, testing, simulation, verification, debugging, data analysis, or systems integration.
Demonstrated analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively in a cross-functional engineering environment.
Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills, problem-solving ability, and a passion for learning new technologies.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively in a team environment.
Interest in storage technologies, semiconductors, embedded systems, cloud computing, AI, data analytics, or other emerging technologies.

Nice To Haves

Proficiency with Microsoft Office and common software development tools such as Git, Linux, or IDEs.
Experience with or familiarity in relevant technical areas such as software development, embedded systems, firmware, ASIC/SoC design, hardware development, systems engineering, mechanical design, manufacturing, automation, data analysis, testing, or validation.

Responsibilities

Design and verify ASIC architectures and digital logic; simulate and validate hardware designs; support development through synthesis, place-and-route, and timing closure; and optimize performance, power, and reliability.
Design and develop electronic hardware and magnetic recording systems; create validation strategies and automated test solutions; conduct reliability, stress, and performance testing; analyze hardware components; and improve products from prototype through manufacturing.
Design, develop, and debug embedded firmware; integrate firmware with analog and digital hardware; troubleshoot hardware-software interactions; and improve system performance, functionality, and reliability.
Define system requirements and technical specifications; integrate hardware, firmware, and software; coordinate subsystem development; troubleshoot system-level issues; and improve product performance, compatibility, and reliability.
Design mechanical components, assemblies, and packaging; develop prototypes; perform engineering analysis and design validation; conduct testing; and work with manufacturing teams to prepare products for production.
Install, upgrade, and optimize manufacturing equipment; improve uptime, reliability, and process performance; investigate equipment failures and implement corrective actions; develop preventive maintenance strategies; and drive continuous improvement with manufacturing and process engineers.
Design, integrate, and validate SoC components and subsystems; develop and verify digital logic, interfaces, and IP blocks; support simulation, debugging, and hardware bring-up; analyze performance, power, timing, and reliability; and collaborate across engineering teams.
Participate in WD’s early career development program, including structured onboarding, mentorship, and a curated development curriculum.

Benefits

Paid vacation time and paid sick leave
Medical, dental, and vision insurance
Life, accident, and disability insurance
Flexible spending and health savings accounts
Employee assistance program
Voluntary benefits, including supplemental life and AD&D, legal plan, pet insurance, critical illness, accident, and hospital indemnity
Tuition reimbursement
Transit benefits
Applause Program
Employee stock purchase plan
WD Savings 401(k) Plan
Potential eligibility for bonuses under the Short Term Incentive Plan or Sales Incentive Plan, depending on role and performance
Potential eligibility for the annual Long-Term Incentive program, which may include restricted stock units or cash equivalents