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.

We are a key partner to some of the largest and highest growth organizations in the world. From energizing the most competitive gaming platforms, to enabling systems to make cities safer and cars smarter and more connected, to powering the data centers behind many of the world’s biggest companies and public cloud, Western Digital is fueling a brighter, smarter future.

Binge-watch any shows, use social media or shop online lately? You’ll find Western Digital supporting the storage infrastructure behind many of these platforms. And, that flash memory card that captures and preserves your most precious moments? That’s us, too.

We offer an expansive portfolio of technologies, storage devices and platforms for business and consumers alike. Our data-centric solutions are comprised of the Western Digital®, G-Technology™, SanDisk® and WD® brands.

Today’s exceptional challenges require your unique skills. It’s You & Western Digital. Together, we’re the next BIG thing in data.

The Director of Firmware Verification Engineering for Next-Gen SSD is responsible for ensuring WD’s Next-Gen SSD products meet rigorous WD qualification standards, in addition to the requirements of our Hyperscale and OEM customers, with ‘best-in-class’ quality. This executive role will lead a world class software engineering organization, driving state of the art test platform and infrastructure technologies, test strategies and methodologies, and agile development practices. Focus will be placed on white and grey-box test methods for SSD internal feature sets such as flash management algorithms (garbage collection, wear leveling), IO path error recovery algorithms, system data structure robustness, and counter integrity.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 

• Build up the Firmware Verification team for WD’s Next-Gen SSD platform.
• Define the team organizational structure, geographic strategy, lab and execution plan.
• Define test strategy for new products based on internal and external Marketing and OEM requirements, Engineering Spec, Product feature documents, with specific focus on areas that require white and grey-box test methodologies.
• Manage department budget. Scoping, projection, orders, and audits of HW/SW/lab/IT/Automation costs.
• Work cross-team with product development and tools teams to ensure product features are delivered on time with high quality. This includes scoping and placing testability requisites to the firmware and tools teams.
• Provide validation team members with leadership, guidance, and mentorship. Responsible for team accountability, growth, development, and morale.
• Research and implement innovative ways to test high-performance, high-capacity PCIe SSD’s.
• Collaborate with Verification and Validation leadership teams across business units to identify and consolidate best-in-class processes, tools, and practices.
• Ensure efficient end to end workflow from requirements to production execution, includes automation and KPI tracking reports across the workflow.
• Create, enforce, and maintain technical and process documents for the department.

REQUIRED: 

• Requires BS or MS degree or equivalent in Computer Science or Computer Engineering
• 10+ years of relevant industry experience, 5 years managing software engineering teams, with expertise in agile development.
• Experience in developing or testing complex storage systems (HDD or SSD). Preferred experience in high-performance Enterprise-class storage systems.
• In-depth working knowledge NVMe and PCIe protocols is preferred.
• General knowledge of storage system architecture, with a strong understanding of internal features sets for system integrity maintenance.
• Expertise in white and grey box test methodologies.
• Expert knowledge of Quality Assurance practices and procedures.
• Expert in debug, ability to analyze complex problems and lead engineers/teams, as required, to root-cause and recommendation of corrective actions.
• Effective communicator, able to succinctly summarize information and create clear status reports for executive consumption.

PREFERRED: 

• The ideal individual must have proven ability to achieve results in a fast moving, dynamic, and functionally-structured organizational environment.
• Self-motivated and self-directed, however, must have demonstrated ability to work well with people and motivate teams.
• Ability to multi-task and meet deadlines. Excellent communication (written and verbal) and interpersonal skills.
   

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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.

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