Summer 2025, Hardware Development Engineering Intern (Mechanical)

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 & Responsibilities:

The Mechanical Engineer will participate in design and development of parts and assemblies of mechanisms for storage systems consisting of JBOD’s and their customer replaceable units to include fans, power supplies and electronics with high-speed communication interfaces. The candidate will design and develop using SolidWorks solid modeling CAD software in a revision-controlled environment. Deliverables will consist of parts, assemblies and mechanisms made primarily from metal, sheet metal, molded plastic and other elastomers. Due to the complex interrelationships of these systems, the engineer will work alongside other ME’s while working with Electrical, System and Firmware Engineers to develop mechanical enclosure solutions in a process driven environment.  The candidate must possess strong analytical skills and be a creative “out of the box” thinker. In this role, the engineer will be a contributor on design programs and will be expected to work closely with engineers in other departments and possibly other locations. The candidate should understand Mechanical Engineering concepts, be familiar with product life cycles and Agile Development methods and be aware of the entire engineering life cycle for their assigned area including design, implementation, integration, test, report documentation and maintenance. A working knowledge of MATLAB or other similar technical analysis software is a plus.

This position will provide the right candidate a window into what an entry level position would look like for an individual with superior technical skills, solid project management abilities, and an enthusiasm for success while being focused on efficiently spending time and energy to produce world class designs.

Qualifications

Candidate must be adept in using SolidWorks for part and assembly design as this is the key tool used in the ME department; design output will include native SolidWorks files and .stp files as well as 2D drawings with appropriate design tolerances and dimensioning schemes deployed. The ME design engineer will be expected to fabricate parts from multiple methods such as 3D printing, water jet cutting, brake press forming, and other more specialized methods as required. The engineer will be responsible for writing and executing test plans and reports to ensure designs can be tested and proven to meet design requirements with test reports a deliverable out of the process. Must be able to work on a project team that typically consists of cross-functional engineers with electrical, mechanical, firmware and manufacturing backgrounds at a minimum. As a member of the project team your creative thinking and judgment will contribute to the overall resolution of technical, logistical, cost, and schedule issues for the program. In this position, you will work closely with and be mentored by a more senior Mechanical Engineer to enable professional and personal skills growth.

REQUIRED:

• BS ME or MS ME graduating in 2026
• Right to work in the US without requiring Western Digital to commence or sponsor an immigration case in order to employ you at any point in the future required
• Relevant work experience in design and/or fabrication of self-designs
• Strong knowledge of mechanical design, and supporting coursework with high marks in properties of materials, fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, statics, dynamics, design of mechanisms including cams, linkages, latches, sheet metal, and molded parts
• Working knowledge of CAD software is a must (SolidWorks highly preferred)
• Understanding of electro-mechanical systems such as fans, power supplies
• Strong troubleshooting ability to debug issues while running in real time environment
• Demonstrated ability in creative problem solving and innovation
• Strong team player, effective communication skills over multiple platforms such as MSTeams, email and video conferencing
• Knowledge of Agile Development methods and self-managed development teams from design to production
• Some understanding of manufacturing technologies and methodologies
• Ability to lift 50 lbs on an as needed basis
• Ability to work in a machine shop, follow safety rules while self-fabricating components

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 [email protected] 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 7/2/25, 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 application deadline.

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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 participate in Western Digital’s Short-Term Incentive (STI) Plan, 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.