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.

This internship involves working as part of the "physical storage" team developing firmware for solid state storage devices used in consumer and enterprise computer systems.  ("Firmware" refers to software running on an embedded system such as Western Digital's SSD products.)

Western Digital’s firmware team designs and implements features to support current and next-generation memory devices and develops features required for new product requirements and applications.  The physical storage team is specifically responsible for the layer of firmware that interfaces to and controls the NAND memory devices.

The PS Team implements features including:

• basic operations such as erase, write, and read;
• sophisticated algorithms to maximize performance (write cache, read cache, program and erase suspend / resume, configuring read thresholds for optimal performance);
• mechanisms to handle defect mechanisms (uncorrectable ECC errors, program failures, etc…); and
• countermeasures against those defects (read scrub, wear leveling, optimizing program voltage levels, tracking and setting NAND read thresholds, etc…).

Typical engineer activities include:

• examining design options and evaluating tradeoffs between performance, memory requirements, and processor workloads;
• collaborating with engineers in other teams at Western Digital (Memory Systems, NAND / memory, System Architecture, and Validation) to define overall drive functionality and behavior;
• designing and drafting specifications for FW features that integrate within the overall SSD system and firmware architecture;
• implementing the necessary functionality in C/C++ (and/or machine language in some cases); and
• using debuggers and other tools to analyze failures and correct software defects.

Necessary qualifications:

• Able to analyze and communicate at various levels of abstraction;
• Ability to communicate ideas clearly and influence technical direction;
• Strong verbal and written communication;
• Proficiency in  “C” programming and related concepts;
• Innovative problem solver.

Other helpful (but not required) qualifications:

• NAND experience useful but not required;
• experience with logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, and/or protocol analyzers useful but not required;
• RTOS experience helpful but not required.

Western Digital is committed to providing equal opportunities to all applicants and employees and will not discriminate 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 Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law poster.

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 staffingsupport@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.

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