Equipment Engineering Manager - Wet process

Company: Western Digital
Location: Campbell
Posted on: February 10, 2026

Job Description:

Company Description At Western Digital, our vision is to power global innovation and push the boundaries of technology to make what you thought was once impossible, possible. At our core, Western Digital is a company of problem solvers. People achieve extraordinary things given the right technology. For decades, we’ve been doing just that—our technology helped people put a man on the moon and capture the first-ever picture of a black hole. We offer an expansive portfolio of technologies, HDDs, and platforms for business, creative professionals, and consumers alike under our Western Digital®, WD®, WD_BLACK™ Professional brands. We are a key partner to some of the largest and highest-growth organizations in the world. From enabling systems to make cities safer and more connected, to powering the data centers behind many of the world’s biggest companies and hyperscale cloud providers, to meeting the massive and ever-growing data storage needs of the AI era, Western Digital is fueling a brighter, smarter future. Today’s exceptional challenges require your unique skills. Together, we can build the future of data storage. Job Description The Sr. Equipment Manager for the Wet Process area will be responsible for overseeing all operations related to electroplating, resist strip/liftoff, and Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP) equipment. This role is critical for ensuring maximum tool uptime, reducing process scrap, and driving continuous improvement initiatives. The successful candidate will manage a team of equipment engineers and technicians, coordinate preventive and corrective maintenance activities, and implement best practices to enhance equipment performance and reliability. Key responsibilities include developing and executing strategies to minimize equipment downtime, analyzing failure data to identify root causes, and leading projects aimed at process optimization and cost reduction. The Sr. Equipment Manager will collaborate closely with process engineering, manufacturing, and EHS teams to ensure all equipment meets operational and safety standards. Additionally, the manager will oversee personnel development, set clear performance expectations, and foster a culture of accountability and innovation within the wet process group. Lead daily operations and maintenance of electroplating, resist strip/liftoff and CMP tools, ensuring high availability and reliability. Monitor and drive reduction of equipment-induced scrap and yield loss through data-driven problem solving and corrective actions. Manage, mentor, and develop a team of equipment engineers and technicians, including performance reviews and training plans. Plan and execute equipment upgrades, retrofits, and capacity expansion projects in alignment with business needs. Establish and track key performance indicators (KPIs) for tool uptime, maintenance response, and cost savings initiatives. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to support process changes, new technology introductions, and compliance with environmental, health, and safety requirements. Drive continuous improvement culture by leveraging Lean, Six Sigma, or similar methodologies. Qualifications Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, or related field preferred). Minimum 8 years of experience in semiconductor equipment engineering, with at least 3 years in a people management role. Additional Information Western Digital is committed to providing equal opportunities to all applicants and employees and will not discriminate against any applicant or employee based on their race, color, ancestry, religion (including religious dress and grooming standards), sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, breastfeeding or related medical conditions), gender (including a person’s gender identity, gender expression, and gender-related appearance and behavior, whether or not stereotypically associated with the person’s assigned sex at birth), age, national origin, sexual orientation, medical condition, marital status (including domestic partnership status), physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, protected medical and family care leave, Civil Air Patrol status, military and veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. We also prohibit harassment of any individual on any of the characteristics listed above. Our non-discrimination policy applies to all aspects of employment. We comply with the laws and regulations set forth in the "Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal” poster. Western Digital thrives on the power and potential of diversity. As a global company, we believe the most effective way to embrace the diversity of our customers and communities is to mirror it from within. We believe the fusion of various perspectives results in the best outcomes for our employees, our company, our customers, and the world around us. We are committed to an inclusive environment where every individual can thrive through a sense of belonging, respect and contribution. Western Digital is committed to offering opportunities to applicants with disabilities and ensuring all candidates can successfully navigate our careers website and our hiring process. Based on our experience, we anticipate that the application deadline will be 4-27-2026 (3 months from posting), although we reserve the right to close the application process sooner if we hire an applicant for this position before the application deadline. If we are not able to hire someone from this role before the application deadline, we will update. Compensation & Benefits Details An employee’s pay position within the salary range may be based on several factors including but not limited to (1) relevant education; qualifications; certifications; and experience; (2) skills, ability, knowledge of the job; (3) performance, contribution and results; (4) geographic location; (5) shift; (6) internal and external equity; and (7) business and organizational needs. The salary range is what we believe to be the range of possible compensation for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and this range is only applicable for jobs to be performed in California, Colorado, New York or remote jobs that can be performed in California, Colorado and New York. This range may be modified in the future. If your position is non-exempt, you are eligible for overtime pay pursuant to company policy and applicable laws. You may also be eligible for shift differential pay, depending on the shift to which you are assigned. You will be eligible to be considered for bonuses under either Western Digital’s Short Term Incentive Plan (“STI Plan”) or the Sales Incentive Plan (“SIP”) which provides incentive awards based on Company and individual performance, depending on your role and your performance. You may be eligible to participate in our annual Long-Term Incentive (LTI) program, which consists of restricted stock units (RSUs) or cash equivalents, pursuant to the terms of the LTI plan. Please note that not all roles are eligible to participate in the LTI program, and not all roles are eligible for equity under the LTI plan. RSU awards are also available to eligible new hires, subject to Western Digital’s Standard Terms and Conditions for Restricted Stock Unit Awards. We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including 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; and the Western Digital Savings 401(k) Plan. Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Companys sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole discretion, consistent with the law.

Keywords: Western Digital, Stockton , Equipment Engineering Manager - Wet process, Engineering , Campbell, California