Director, Analytical Service Lab

As Director, Analytical Service Lab at Western Digital in Thailand, you will lead the development and support of material and chemical analysis for HDDs and components, ensuring reliability and quality. This involves partnering with engineering and manufacturing teams to optimize analysis techniques, conduct root cause analysis for failures, and enhance cleaning technologies. You will also collaborate with international labs and universities on research projects, driving innovation in data storage.

Must Have

• Develop, deliver, and support material and chemical analysis of HDDs and incoming components.
• Partner with manufacturing, component engineering, and HDD engineering to modernize and optimize analysis techniques.
• Develop, deliver, and support material and chemical root cause analysis for failures.
• Manage, solution mitigation, and implement corrective action based on root cause analysis results.
• Develop or enhance, deliver, and support cleaning technology and processes.
• Assess, mitigate, and implement solutions to cleanliness issues.
• Collaborate with Material Lab and Chemical Integration Lab in the US and Japan.
• Build close relationships with universities in Thailand and collaborate on research projects.
• Master degree or relevant certification.
• At least 12-15 years of experience in material and chemical science field.
• Deep knowledge of material science and chemistry.
• Foundational understanding of laboratory analysis techniques (e.g., RAMAN, SEM-EDX).
• Exhibits data fluency to deliver compelling insights for effective decision-making.

Good to Have

• PhD degree
• Laboratory analysis and management experience
• Approaches problems from a whole systems perspective
• Excellent communication, interpersonal and collaboration skills (including presentation skills)

Company Description

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 and capture the first-ever picture of a black hole.

We offer an expansive portfolio of technologies, HDDs, and platforms for business, creative professionals, and consumers alike under our Western Digital®, WD®, WD_BLACK™, and SanDisk® Professional brands.

We are a key partner to some of the largest and highest-growth organizations in the world. From enabling systems to make cities safer and more connected, to powering the data centers behind many of the world’s biggest companies and hyperscale cloud providers, to meeting the massive and ever-growing 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 Description

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop, deliver, and support material and chemical analysis of HDDs and incoming components to ensure HDD reliability and quality. You will partner with manufacturing, component engineering, and HDD engineering to modernize and optimize analysis techniques during both development phase and volume production phase.
• Develop, deliver, and support material and chemical root cause analysis for failures from internal manufacturing and test processes and customer-end processes (e.g., MTP, QA test, Field Returns, etc.). You will partner with internal and external stakeholders to manage, solution mitigation, and implement corrective action based on root cause analysis results.
• Develop or enhance, deliver, and support cleaning technology and processes, and analyzing manufacturing processes cleanliness to ensure HDD reliability and quality. You will partner with stakeholders of various manufacturing processes (e.g., HSA process, washing process, HDD manufacturing, etc.) to assess, mitigate, and implement solutions to cleanliness issues detected.
• Collaborate with Material Lab and Chemical Integration Lab in the US and Japan to identify root cause of issues detected.
• Build close relationships with universities in Thailand and collaborate on research projects. You will partner with subject matter experts in the HDD OU and BU to define research collaboration opportunities with universities in Thailand.

Qualifications

REQUIRED:

• Master degree or relevant certification; PhD degree preferred.
• At least 12-15 years of experience in material and chemical science field; with laboratory analysis and management experience preferred.
• Deep knowledge of material science and chemistry; foundational understanding of laboratory analysis techniques (e.g., RAMAN, SEM-EDX, etc.) preferred.
• Exhibits data fluency to deliver compelling insights for effective decision-making.

PREFERRED:

• Approaches problems from a whole systems perspective by defining connections and interdependencies and understands how decisions have systematic consequences.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal and collaboration skills (including presentation skills) across levels to influence, build enthusiasm and enlist commitment. A good command in English (fluency in speaking and writing) is essential.

SKILLS:

• General business skillset (Communication, Presentation, Report, Team building etc.) and acumen.

Additional Information

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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.

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 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: Please be aware that Western Digital 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 Western Digital Ethics Helpline or email compliance@wdc.com.