Senior IT Technologist, Applications Engineering

Company: Western Digital
Location: San Jose
Posted on: February 16, 2026

Job Description:

Job Description 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™, 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 ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Trusted Business Partner and single point-of-contact accountable to Wafer Business Leadership for all IT MFG Wafer requests, project deliverables and timelines, and Service Level Agreements necessary to provide MFG Operations 24x7 IT Systems availability Conduct thorough analyses of Wafer manufacturing processes and workflows to pinpoint opportunities for IT-driven automation and optimization. Effectively manage and prioritize a portfolio of IT projects within the wafer manufacturing domain. Liaison to all IT Support Functions to ensure consistent integrity of IT end-to-end solution architecture and foster functional relationships with other project and supporting application owners. Work with IT MFG Architecture team to develop and oversee the IT architecture roadmap for the Wafer manufacturing domain, ensuring seamless alignment with the overarching enterprise architecture strategy. Maintain comprehensive documentation for Wafer IT architecture and systems. Assure IT MFG Change Process Guidelines are followed to assure no unplanned MFG impacts due to changes to any component within the IT infrastructure and application sphere. Foster a DevOps culture that nurtures digital transformation and optimizes application delivery timelines while minimizing effort and costs. Keep abreast of emerging technologies and trends in the manufacturing IT landscape. Possess a deep understanding of current technology, solutions, and industry trends, and conceptualize solutions that effectively address business needs, opportunities, and challenges. Lead discussions on solution options/alternatives and their associated impacts. Validate the alignment of Wafer IT MFG solutions with corporate standards and compliance requirements. Establish and enforce IT security standards and protocols specific to the manufacturing domain. Spearhead the preparation of Wafer IT architecture plans and documentation for the architectural review process (e.g., ARB) and architecture team to facilitate discussions regarding necessary modifications to project solution architecture, overcoming design challenges, or addressing deviations observed in project design. Lead IT MFG Wafer efforts to provide digital transparency for all IT MFG application solutions and meaningful KPI Metrics that provide the business with necessary insights to make the appropriate financial decisions that optimize revenue. Foster a DevOps culture that nurtures digital transformation and optimizes application delivery timelines while minimizing effort and costs. Constant business interfacing requires on-site presence at either Great Oaks San Jose, or Fremont MFG Factories 5 days per week. Qualifications Required: Master's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Systems, or related field. Minimum 12 years of experience in IT architecture design and implementation, with a strong focus on the manufacturing domain. Minimum 15 total years' experience in other technical roles such as developer or system analyst. Proven experience in designing and implementing MES, industrial automation, and other manufacturing systems. Experience with MES and Manufacturing workflow and process technologies. Knowledge of industrial automation protocols and standards (e.g., Secs Gem, Modbus, OPC UA). Experience with data analytics and visualization tools. Proficiency in Agile development methodologies and Project Management methodologies. Deep understanding of IT security principles and best practices in the manufacturing environment. Expertise in cloud computing platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud) and their application in manufacturing IT. Strong knowledge of IoT technologies and their integration with manufacturing systems. Experience with ERP systems and their integration with manufacturing processes. Proficiency in programming languages relevant to manufacturing IT (e.g., Python, Java, C++). Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively collaborate with both technical and non-technical stakeholders. Strong leadership skills with experience in managing cross-functional teams. Preferred: PhD in a relevant field such as Computer Science, Engineering, or Information Systems. Industry certifications such as CISSP, PMP, or ITIL. Experience with lean manufacturing principles and Six Sigma methodologies. Knowledge of semiconductor manufacturing processes and technologies. Experience with digital twin technology and its application in manufacturing. 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. Our pay transparency policy is available here. 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 09-24-2025 (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 LI-JS1 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 Company's sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole discretion, consistent with the law. Notice To Candidates: Please be aware that Western Digital and its subsidiaries will never request payment as a condition for applying for a position or receiving an offer of employment. Should you encounter any such requests, please report it immediately to Western Digital Ethics Helpline or email compliance@wdc.com.

Keywords: Western Digital, Pleasanton , Senior IT Technologist, Applications Engineering, IT / Software / Systems , San Jose, California