Jobs / United States / Western Digital Technologies INC
Principal Process Engineer — Advanced Semiconductor Device Development
Western Digital Technologies INC · 🇺🇸 Ulm, BW, DE
Sponsorship verdict
Sponsorship possible
One solid signal, not two — worth applying, and worth asking about sponsorship early.
- Employer is on a government sponsor recordThe US Department of Labor certified 176 H-1B/E-3 labor condition applications for this employer between Oct 2025 and Jun 2026 (latest Jun 2026) — the step every H-1B hire needs first. USCIS also records 56 H-1B approvals in FY2023. Source: LCA disclosure data (US Department of Labor (OFLC)).
- The posting doesn’t mention sponsorshipSilence isn’t a refusal — ask the recruiter before investing much time.
- No salary bar for this routeH-1B has no fixed salary bar: the employer must pay at least the prevailing wage for the role and area. Cap-subject employers enter a lottery weighted by wage level. Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/12/29/2025-23853/weighted-selection-process-for-registrants-and-petitioners-seeking-to-file-cap-subject-h-1b, rules effective 2026-02-27.
- What Western Digital Technologies INC paid sponsored hires in similar roles35 certified filings for “Staff Engineer, Hardware Development Engineering” (Industrial Engineers) in CA: $120k–$163k, median $145k. Most were filed at wage level II (44%) — 2 lottery entries, ≈31% projected selection odds for cap-subject employers. Source: US Department of Labor LCA disclosure data (Oct 2025 – Jun 2026).
- Confirmed live todayWhen a source last listed this job as open.
US H-1B: cap-subject employers enter a lottery weighted by wage level — Level I gets 1 entry, Level IV gets 4 (DHS projected selection odds ≈15% at Level I to ≈61% at Level IV). Universities and non-profit research employers are cap-exempt. The $100,000 fee for new petitions from abroad is currently blocked by a court order (appeal pending).
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Sponsor Radar — Western Digital Technologies INC
The US Department of Labor certified 176 H-1B/E-3 labor condition applications for this employer between Oct 2025 and Jun 2026 (latest Jun 2026) — the step every H-1B hire needs first. USCIS also records 56 H-1B approvals in FY2023. Source: LCA disclosure data (US Department of Labor (OFLC)).
Past sponsorship or register membership never guarantees sponsorship for this vacancy or for you. Full Sponsor Radar for Western Digital Technologies INC →
About the role
For over three decades, breakthrough advances in computing and intelligent systems have been driven by innovation at the intersection of physics, materials, manufacturing, and engineering. The next generation of high-performance technologies will require entirely new approaches to semiconductor processing, integration, and scalable device fabrication. We are looking for a Senior Process Engineer to help develop advanced semiconductor device technologies from early research through process integration and pilot manufacturing. This role combines hands-on cleanroom work, process development, external partner coordination, and deep technical problem solving across complex wafer fabrication flows. You will work closely with multidisciplinary R&D teams to enable next-generation device platforms through advanced process engineering and integration. What you’ll be doing: • Develop and optimize semiconductor wafer fabrication processes across multiple process modules. • Drive process integration from incoming wafer through fully processed devices. • Work hands-on in the cleanroom across lithography, dry etch, wet etch, dielectric deposition, implantation, metallization, and wafer handling processes. • Develop and qualify advanced substrate preparation, thinning, bonding, and backside processing flows. • Define process characterization strategies including CD control, overlay budgets, metrology, and defect inspection. • Partner with external vendors and manufacturing partners to support complex multi-site wafer flows. • Drive DOE learning cycles, root-cause investigations, yield analysis, and process optimization. • Collaborate with device, characterization, packaging, and reliability teams to correlate process behavior with device performance. • Build scalable process documentation, travelers, specifications, and process-control methodologies. • Support transfer of development processes into pilot manufacturing environments. What we need to see: • BS, MS, or PhD in Materials Science, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or related field. • 5+ years of semiconductor process development experience. • Strong hands-on cleanroom experience across multiple semiconductor processing modules. • Experience with compound semiconductor or advanced device processing preferred. • Understanding of lithography, etch, dielectric deposition, implantation, metallization, and process integration. • Experience working with process characterization, SPC, DOE, and failure analysis methodologies. • Strong experimental problem-solving and debugging skills. • Ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary engineering teams. Ways to stand out from the crowd: • Experience developing advanced or non-standard semiconductor process flows. • Experience with wafer bonding, substrate removal, or heterogeneous integration. • Strong process integration mindset with broad cross-module understanding. • Experience building scalable process infrastructure in R&D environments. • Familiarity with advanced metrology and defect characterization techniques. • Demonstrated ability to rapidly iterate and solve complex process problems. #LI-BN1 WD 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. WD is committed to offering opportunities to applicants with disabilities and ensuring all candidates can successfully navig