Senior Staff Equipment Development Engineer

About the Company

Level: Senior Staff Engineer (Senior Individual Contributor role; no direct reports)

The HGA Process Development team owns early-stage process invention, feasibility, and KPIV understanding to enable future product requirements. The team builds deep, physics-based process knowledge, focusing on identifying critical KPIVs, defining their relationships to KPOVs, and delivering validated, tool-ready concepts. Working closely with HGA/TGA design and product teams, the group ensures alignment to next-generation architectures while influencing process capability and design tradeoffs. Operating upstream of integration and factory organizations, the team emphasizes rapid learning, concept validation, and technical risk reduction. Development is strongly engineering-driven, with focus on process physics, materials behavior, and reliability, supported by analytical tools such as modeling and FEA.

Responsibilities

• Architect and design advanced HGA process equipment, translating process requirements from SLA, adhesive dispense, TIC, and other process domains into fully functional tool concepts and systems
• Lead development of bench-level and prototype tooling to enable rapid experimentation, process learning, and concept validation across multiple process areas
• Define and develop tool architectures and critical subsystems, including fixturing, alignment mechanisms, motion systems, dispense/placement modules, curing approaches, and environmental control
• Partner with process architects and engineers to ensure critical KPIVs are understood, controlled, and enabled through tool design and system capability
• Drive design for scalability so early tool concepts can evolve into robust, high-precision manufacturing solutions for factory deployment
• Collaborate with controls, software, and vision engineers to integrate automation, inspection, and process control into tool designs
• Work with internal equipment teams and external suppliers to develop and build first-of-kind tools from concept through prototype and refinement
• Support development of process capability through tool performance, including stability, repeatability, precision, and robustness across key process variables
• Collaborate with global engineering teams, including U.S.-based partners; flexibility required to support cross-time-zone engagement and periodic evening meetings
• Deliver validated tooling solutions and engineering documentation to enable downstream teams to replicate, scale, and optimize process capability

Qualifications

• Background in mechanical engineering, equipment design, or automation development, with experience in precision tools or manufacturing systems
• Experience in tool design, fixture design, or equipment development; exposure to assembly, dispense, or micro-scale processes is a plus
• Familiarity with multi-disciplinary systems, including motion systems, alignment, vision, controls, and automation
• Basic understanding of process development and manufacturing requirements, including precision, repeatability, and process control
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills, with ability to translate abstract process requirements into practical mechanical and system designs
• Experience using CAD tools and engineering design methods (e.g., tolerance analysis, design for manufacturability)
• Good communication skills in English (written and spoken), able to work effectively across global and cross-functional teams
• Demonstrated teamwork and initiative, with ability to work in a fast-paced, iterative development environment

Benefits

• Location: Teparuk, Thailand; site specializes in producing nano-recording heads and is home to over 4,000 employees
• 24/7 on-site canteen and coffee shop
• On-site running track and gymnasium/fitness center with volleyball, basketball, table tennis, badminton, and football
• Variety of activities including music, dance, and aerobic classes, plus lush green areas for relaxation
• Employee resource groups (e.g., Seagate Women in Leadership Network, Seagate PRIDE, parents and caregivers' group) and on-site festivals, celebrations, and community volunteering opportunities