Engineering Co-op, SoC Development

Job Description

About Western Digital

At Western Digital, our vision is to power global innovation, pushing the boundaries of technology to make the impossible, possible. We are a company of problem solvers, believing that people achieve extraordinary things with the right technology. Our innovations have contributed to significant milestones, from landing a man on the moon to capturing the first-ever picture of a black hole.

We offer an expansive portfolio of technologies, including HDDs and platforms for business, creative professionals, and consumers, under our Western Digital®, WD®, and WD_BLACK™ brands. We are a key partner to some of the largest and highest-growth organizations globally, enabling safer, more connected cities, powering data centers for major companies and hyperscale cloud providers, and meeting the massive 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 Title: Engineering Co-op, SoC Development

Job Description

The SoC Development team is actively seeking highly motivated students to join a team of experienced engineers. This role involves working on the design, verification, prototyping, and validation of hard disk drive controller SoCs.

As an engineering co-op, you will be deeply involved in various aspects of SoC/ASIC development, including:

• Design, verification, prototyping, timing closure, and validation of state-of-the-art silicon technologies.
• Engagement with emulation and prototyping platforms.

You will contribute significantly to the success of industry-leading data storage control SoCs, which are deployed in high-volume consumer and enterprise products.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Learn and apply ASIC hardware architecture principles, particularly those involving large-scale, multi-processor, and multi-core designs.
• Gain hands-on experience with SoC prototyping using platforms such as FPGAs and advanced simulation tools like Synopsys VCS and Cadence Xcelium.
• Develop, test, and maintain firmware using C/C++ to operate and enhance the functionality of SoC hardware.
• Contribute to SoC-level verification, developing skills in creating and supporting test benches.
• Engage in stimulating projects, including creating test plans, participating in code reviews, and conducting various tests to verify features.
• Collaborate with experienced engineers to manage regressions and perform code/functional coverage analysis.
• Assist in the development of documentation for validation plans and results.

This position is part of Western Digital’s Early Career program, which is designed to support individuals beginning their professional journey. The program provides foundational training through structured onboarding, mentorship, and a dedicated development curriculum.

Qualifications

Required:

• Currently pursuing a BS/MS in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent experience.
• Right to work in the US without requiring Western Digital to commence or sponsor an immigration case for employment now or in the future.
• Minimum of 3.0 GPA.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Exposure to emulation/prototyping platforms, gained through coursework, projects, or internships.
• Familiarity with embedded C/C++ from class projects or personal exploration.
• Understanding of programming principles and languages, such as System Verilog, Verilog, or similar technologies discussed in classes.
• Interest in hardware and software interface protocols, including high-speed serial interfaces (SAS, SATA, PCIe) and memory architectures (DDR).
• Proficiency in Perl, Python, MySQL, PHP.
• Knowledge of UVM Verification Methodology.

Compensation & Benefits Details

An employee’s pay position within the salary range is determined by various factors, including relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, ability, job knowledge, performance, contribution, results, geographic location, shift, internal and external equity, and business and organizational needs.

The posted salary range reflects the estimated compensation for this role at the time of posting and is primarily applicable for jobs performed in California, Colorado, New York, or remote jobs performed in these states. This range may be adjusted in the future, and actual pay may be higher or lower than the posted range.

If your position is non-exempt, you are eligible for overtime pay according to company policy and applicable laws. You may also be eligible for shift differential pay, depending on your assigned shift.

You will be eligible for consideration for bonuses under either WD’s Short Term Incentive Plan (“STI Plan”) or the Sales Incentive Plan (“SIP”), providing incentive awards based on Company and individual performance, depending on your role and performance. You may also be eligible to participate in our annual Long-Term Incentive (LTI) program, which includes restricted stock units (RSUs) or cash equivalents, per the LTI plan terms. Please note that not all roles are eligible for the LTI program or equity under the LTI plan. RSU awards are also available to eligible new hires, subject to WD’S Standard Terms and Conditions for Restricted Stock Unit Awards.

Comprehensive Benefits Package:

Western Digital offers a robust benefits package 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
• Voluntary benefit programs (supplemental life and AD&D, legal plan, pet insurance, critical illness, accident, and hospital indemnity)
• Tuition reimbursement
• Transit benefits
• The Applause Program
• Employee stock purchase plan
• The WD Savings 401(k) Plan

Note: No amount of pay is considered wages or compensation until earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits remain at the Company’s sole discretion until paid and may be modified consistent with the law.

Diversity & Inclusion

Western Digital is committed to providing equal opportunities to all applicants and employees, prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, gender, age, national origin, sexual orientation, medical condition, marital status, physical/mental disability, 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. Our non-discrimination policy applies to all aspects of employment.

Western Digital thrives on the power and potential of diversity. As a global company, we believe that mirroring the diversity of our customers and communities from within leads to the most effective outcomes for our employees, company, customers, and the world. We are committed to an inclusive environment where every individual can thrive through a sense of belonging, respect, and contribution.

Accommodation for Applicants with Disabilities

Western Digital is committed to offering opportunities to applicants with disabilities and ensuring all candidates can successfully navigate our careers website and 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.

Notice To Candidates: Fraud Warning

Please be aware that WD 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 WD Ethics Helpline or email compliance@wdc.com.