SSD Firmware Engineer – Physical Storage

Company Description

The future. It’s on you. You & Western Digital.

We’ve been storing the world’s data for more than 50 years. Once, it was the most important thing we could do for data. Now we’re helping the world capture, preserve, access and transform data in a way only we can.

The most game-changing companies, consumers, professionals, and governments come to us for the technologies and solutions they need to capture, preserve, access, and transform their data.

But we can’t do it alone. Today’s exceptional data challenges require your exceptional skills. It’s You & Us. Together, we’re the next big thing in data. 
 
Western Digital® data-centric solutions are found under the G-Technology™, HGST, SanDisk®, Tegile™, Upthere™, and WD® brands.

Job Description

Work as part of a team developing firmware for solid state storage devices used in consumer computer systems.  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 interface to and controls the NAND memory devices:

• 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 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.

Qualifications

• Able to analyze and communicate at various levels of abstraction.
• Innovative problem solver.
• Strong “C” programming experience and skills; experience with logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, and/or protocol analyzers useful but not required.
• Ability to communicate ideas clearly and influence technical direction; strong verbal and written communication.
• NAND experience useful but not required.
• RTOS experience helpful but not required.

Additional Information

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 [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.

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 Colorado or remote jobs that can be performed in Colorado.  This range may be modified in the future.
• You will also be eligible to participate in Western Digital's Short-Term Incentive (STI) Plan and to receive equity awards under our annual Long-Term Incentive (LTI) program, which consists of restricted stock units (RSUs), pursuant to the terms of these programs.  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 Virgin Pulse Program; 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.