Summer 2026 Intern- Material Scientist / Thin Film Processes Engineer (Ph.D. Only)

Required:

PhD candidate in Materials Science, Physics, Chemistry, or related field

Strong background in Computational Materials Science and thin film processes

Proficiency in data analysis and interpretation using MATLAB, Python, or similar

Familiarity with analytical tools (TEM, SEM, AFM) for materials characterization.

Experience in atomic simulation, molecular dynamics, and DFT.

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

jobs.accommodations@wdc.com

We are seeking a Material Scientist Intern to contribute to our development team in Fremont, United States. This internship position focuses on the critical areas of materials synthesis modeling and thin film processes, providing exposure to advanced materials research and Heated Assisted Magnetic Recording product development.  This role is ideal for PhD candidates nearing graduation who have experience in one or more of the following areas: materials modeling, atomic simulations, molecular dynamics, and density functional theory (DFT). The intern will work on advanced materials modeling projects, leveraging analytical tools to predict material properties.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

Work with analytical tools such as TEM, SEM, and AFM for materials characterization.

Utilize atomic simulations, molecular dynamics, and DFT to analyze material behavior

Employ open-source material databases to conduct rigorous predictions of plasmonic properties and utilize analytical tools to design and optimize plasmonic materials and processes

Contribute to design and execution of experiments pertaining to thin film deposition and characterization

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®, and WD_BLACK™.

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.