Senior Engineering Director, HDD Head Wafer Manufacturing

Job description

WD's Great Oaks facility is one of the few remaining vertically integrated HDD head wafer fabs in the world and is mirrored by a second site in the SF Bay Area. This role leads the engineering organization that keeps the Great Oaks site running and moving forward. As Senior Engineering Director, you will own the Process Engineering and Equipment Engineering teams across all wafer process modules, tools, and segments, directly accountable for wafer supply, yield, cycle time, and cost performance. You report to the VP of HDD Head Wafer Manufacturing and operate as a senior member of the HDD Operations leadership team, with both day-to-day manufacturing accountability and a mandate to transform the fab into a modern, data-driven operation. This is a high-visibility role that requires equal parts of technical credibility, operational discipline, and organizational leadership. Essential Duties and Responsibilities Lead and develop the Process Engineering and Equipment Engineering teams across all wafer process modules, tools, and segments, setting clear engineering standards, performance expectations, and a culture of continuous improvement Drive wafer supply maximization strategies, owning the engineering response to capacity constraints, tool availability, and process excursions that threaten output commitments Own yield improvement programs end-to-end — from defect root cause analysis and process characterization to corrective action deployment and verification — targeting systemic reduction of yield loss across the fab Develop and execute cycle time reduction initiatives, identifying and eliminating bottlenecks across process flow, equipment utilization, and cross-functional handoffs Champion cost reduction through productivity and efficiency programs, applying lean manufacturing principles and instilling an operational mindset that balances speed, quality, and cost discipline Uphold the highest quality standards for wafer production, establishing process control frameworks that minimize defects, reduce variation, and protect customer-facing output integrity Advocate safety leadership at every level of the organization — modeling safe behaviors, driving accountability for EHS compliance, and embedding safety as a non-negotiable engineering and operational standard Partner with HDD head technology and product engineering teams to ensure manufacturing capability keeps pace with product roadmap requirements and new process introductions Recruit, develop, and retain engineering talent; build organizational depth and succession readiness across a team of approximately 50 engineers Drive restructuring and scaling initiatives where required, bringing the organizational structure, processes, and engineering practices into alignment with current and future manufacturing demands Skills Deep technical fluency in wafer process and equipment engineering sufficient to drive engineering decisions, assess root cause quality, and hold engineering teams accountable to rigorous standards Ability to translate manufacturing performance data — yield trends, cycle time metrics, equipment utilization — into clear strategic priorities and executable engineering plans Organizational leadership: builds bench strength, develops managers, and creates team environments where engineering excellence is expected and rewarded Change leadership: demonstrated ability to introduce new operational mindsets and practices in established manufacturing cultures Executive communication: able to present manufacturing performance, risk, and investment needs clearly to senior leadership and cross-functional partners Required: Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Applied Physics, or a related field, with 10+ years of relevant experience; or Master's degree with 8+ years of relevant experience 0-10+ years of experience in HDD head wafer fabrication, semiconductor wafer manufacturing, or an adjacent full-scale wafer fab environment, with demonstrated knowledge of process and equipment engineering across multiple process modules Proven track record leading large engineering organizations (50+ people) in a high-volume manufacturing environment, with direct accountability for yield, supply, and cost outcomes Demonstrated experience driving yield improvement programs, cycle time reduction, and cost/productivity initiatives in a wafer fab or equivalent manufacturing context Experience setting engineering standards, building high-performing teams, and leading organizational change or restructuring Strong safety leadership track record — able to model, advocate, and institutionalize a safety-first culture across an engineering organization Preferred: Master's degree (M.Sc.) in a relevant engineering or applied science discipline Direct experience with HDD head wafer processes and HDD technology (e.g., GMR/TMR head fabrication, thin film deposition, photolithography, CMP, ion milling) Experience leading engineering organizations through significant scaling or restructuring phases Familiarity with lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, or equivalent process improvement methodologies applied in a wafer fab context Experience partnering with product and technology development teams on new process introductions (NPI) and technology transfers