**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™, and SanDisk® 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** We are at the forefront of designing and fabricating the **next generation** of magnetic recording media, relying on **nano-fabrication** and advanced **high-vacuum** techniques to push technological boundaries. As a HAMR Media Sputter Intern, you will learn and contribute to how we integrate cutting-edge research in **material science** and **physics** to refine deposition processes for magnetic storage. This is a unique opportunity for **PhD candidates** eager to blend hands-on experimentation with visionary research that makes a lasting impact. What you'll do: + **Experiment & Innovate:** Design and run experiments utilizing **nano-lithography** and **vacuum-based deposition** methods to investigate and optimize the performance of Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR) media. + **Collaborate with Experts:** Work side-by-side with seasoned material scientists, test engineers, and subject matter experts to deepen your understanding of sputter processes and magnetic recording physics. + **Analyze & Refine:** Collect, interpret, and present complex data—providing insights to guide new material development, fabrication techniques, and process improvements. + **High-Impact Contributions:** Help discover novel approaches that improve the reliability and storage capacity of next-generation media devices. **Essential Duties and Responsibilities** 1. **Collaborate** daily with engineers from the magnetic sputter and recording test groups to design experiments exploring new materials and processes. 2. **Share Key Results** with other team members, offering suggestions for further analysis and receiving feedback to continually refine both experimental design and final outcomes. **Qualifications** Required: + Current student, pursuing a Ph.D. in Materials Science Engineering/Physics/Math and graduating between December 2025 and June 2026 + Minimum of 3.0 GPA Skills: + Excellent written and verbal communication skills + Self-learner, motivated and interested in unlocking the potential of data **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 (https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/22-088\_EEOC\_KnowYourRights6.12.pdf) ” poster. Our pay transparency policy is available here (https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/OFCCP/pdf/pay-transp\_%20English\_formattedESQA508c.pdf) . 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. Please contact us at jobs.accommodations@wdc.com to advise us of your accommodation request. In your email, please include a description of the specific accommodation you are requesting as well as the job title and requisition number of the position for which you are applying. Based on our experience, we anticipate that the application deadline will be **5/26/25** , 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 this posting with a new anticipated deadline. \#LI-MT