Job Description

Western Digital Research is looking for enthusiastic individuals to work on a wide range of electronic systems design projects and share their experiences with the broader community.  Furthermore, in order to better support the needs of our product teams and research partners, and enhance the visibility of our contributions to the research community, we also support the development of open source hardware IP and EDA tools.

About the Group

Our research team is a diverse group of individuals with a mix of backgrounds from both the academic research community as well as the IC design industry.

Ongoing Projects Include:

• Development of FPGA and ASIC prototypes or IP for future Western Digital products
• Active engagement with academic researchers including joint project development and journal publications.
• Creation of Open Source hardware IP through the OpenTitan Project
• Contributions of Open Source EDA tools (e.g., Verilator, CoCoTB, and the Open Road Project)
• Research into novel machine learning accelerators, and hardware validation of new machine learning designs.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 

The job duties will vary with the unique skills of each team member. However in general each project does share a number of common elements:

• Establishing goals for new prototype projects based on surveys of academic literature, the needs of our academic partners, and the requirements of internal stakeholders.
• Working as a team to establish an architectural direction for each electronic prototype.
• Implementing RTL designs, mixed signal & verification IP, or firmware and validating the designs through simulation.
• Contributing to open source projects creating new frameworks for EDA tools or enhancing existing methodologies. 
• Validating designs through FPGA or Emulator testing.
• Presenting results to stakeholders, scientific collaborators and conference audiences.

Qualifications

REQUIRED: 

The ideal candidate would possess either:

• A PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Physics or similar fields OR
• A Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Physics or similar as well as at least 7 years experience in electronics systems design (either digital hardware design or embedded computing).

SKILLS:

We are looking for individuals who:

• Are passionate about creating new technology and eager to share their learnings with the world through technology transfer or publication.
• Can exhibit strong attention to detail, particularly if developing IP for future ASIC’s
• Have strong communication skills, which are essential for working in collaborative teams or resolving any technical uncertainties that one might face when working with novel technologies.
• Possess a strong desire to learn about new developments or applications in electrical engineering.

PREFERRED

Some demonstrated experience designing electronic systems is required.   In addition some preference will be given to candidates with experience using one or more of the following tools:

• FPGA design tools such as Vivado from Xilinx.
• Embedded system design tools, such as OpenEmbedded, or any other embedded design tool.
• Strong familiarity with Linux systems and the ability to write scripts to work with EDA tools are a big plus.
• Experience with mixed-signal/analog generators, such as the Berkeley Analog Generator (BAG)

Additional Information

Because Western Digital thrives on the power of diversity and is committed to an inclusive environment where every individual can thrive through a sense of belonging, respect, and contribution, we are committed to giving every qualified applicant and employee an equal opportunity.

Western Digital does not discriminate against any applicant or employee based on their protected class status and complies with all federal and state laws against discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, as well as the laws and regulations set forth in the "Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law" poster. Part of creating a diverse and inclusive workplace includes ensuring that all qualified applicants and employees are provided equal consideration for any available opportunity.

Western Digital is committed to offering opportunities to applicants with a disability. If you need a reasonable accommodation, email us at Careers.Accommodations@WDC.com. 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.