Sr Staff Engineer, Chemical Mechanical Polish

About our group:

At Seagate, our mission is to build the world’s best data storage devices. The Advanced Transducer Development group is a global R&D organization dedicated to developing new recording head technologies to advance areal density and support Seagate’s HDD (Hard Disk Drive) product roadmap for the next four years and beyond.

Our process team utilizes state-of-the-art wafer fabrication tools and cleanroom facilities to innovate and deliver leading-edge writers and read sensors. With a focus on proving the feasibility of new devices, processes, and materials, we drive Seagate’s future time-to-market leadership.

If you are passionate about innovative technology development, naturally creative, and enthusiastic about bringing ideas to life, this could be the perfect opportunity to advance your research and development career.

About the role - you will:

• Lead the development of novel, robust, and manufacturable Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) processes to achieve critical planarity, roughness, and dimensional targets in nanometer-scale head devices.
• Own CMP process performance and stability, applying statistical process control and independently determining root causes of process excursions and defining corrective actions.
• Drive CMP R&D by determining experimental approaches, defining evaluation criteria, and optimizing CMP equipment configurations.
• Partner with design teams to influence device architecture, translating performance requirements into process capabilities and driving alignment between fabricated structures and design intent.
• Lead cross-functional integration efforts with wafer process teams (lithography, deposition, etch, wet process, and integration) to incorporate CMP modules into advanced prototype wafer builds.
• Evaluate and communicate the impact of CMP processes on downstream head performance, influencing technical decisions across engineering teams.
• Drive collaboration with wafer capital equipment suppliers, defining hardware development paths and influencing capability roadmaps for advanced CMP processes.
• Lead technology transfer strategy and execution to product development engineering teams, ensuring manufacturability and scalability of new processes.
• Drive innovation strategy and contribute to Seagate’s IP portfolio, including invention disclosures, patents, trade secrets, journal articles, and white papers.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship, guiding junior engineers and technicians while influencing technical direction across teams.

About you:

• You are self-motivated, intellectually curious, and able to operate independently while addressing complex and ambiguous technical challenges.
• You are a collaborative leader who builds strong cross-functional relationships and influences technical decisions across a global organization.
• You demonstrate strong judgment in selecting methods, techniques, and evaluation criteria for solving complex problems.
• You are effective at managing multiple priorities, balancing short-term execution with long-term technology development and strategy.
• You communicate complex technical concepts clearly to engineering teams and leadership.
• You actively contribute to technology direction through innovation and use of external research, publications, and industry engagement.
• You provide technical leadership and mentorship to junior staff members.
• You are able and enthusiastic about working in a mix of clean room and laboratory environments.

Your experience includes:

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Chemistry, or a related field with 12+ years of experience, or a Master’s degree with 8+ years of experience, or a PhD with 5+ years of experience, or equivalent experience.
• Deep expertise and hands-on experience in slurry chemistry, surface reactions, pad materials, mechanics of material removal, and other CMP-related phenomena.
• Strong experience applying advanced analytical and characterization techniques (e.g., AFM, ellipsometry, XRF, FIB, SEM, (S)TEM) to support process development and evaluation.
• Proven experience applying analytical methods for slurry, nanoparticle, and pad characterization (e.g., PSD, HPLC, FTIR, nanoindentation).
• Extensive experience with CMP process equipment in R&D or production environments.
• Demonstrated ability to independently define experimental approaches, analyze complex data sets, and drive technical decisions.

You might also have:

• Knowledge of modeling CMP mechanisms (including fluid flow, stress, abrasion) and/or wafer-scale CMP process simulation.
• Familiarity with advanced statistical experimentation methods including hypothesis testing, DOE design and analysis, and ANOVA. Experience with JMP or R is preferred.

The estimated base salary range for this position is $130,375.00 - $190,020.00. The individual salary is based on work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

Seagate offers comprehensive benefits to its eligible employees, including, but not limited to, , eligibility to participate in discretionary bonus program, medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, short-and long-term disability, 401(k), employee stock purchase plan, health savings account, dependent care, and healthcare spending accounts. Seagate also offers paid time off, including 12 holidays, flexible time off provided pursuant to Seagate policy, a minimum of 48 hours of paid sick leave, and 16 weeks of paid parental leave. The benefits for this position are based on a full-time schedule for a full calendar year and may differ depending on work location.

Location:

Our Normandale campus spans two suburbs, Edina and Bloomington, and serves as the Recording Head development and manufacturing arm of Seagate. Located in the heart of a bustling community, Seagate offers an on-site café, or if you prefer, you can drive to one of many restaurants just minutes away. Need to grab a gift over lunch time? Shopping is abundant in the area. If working out is your thing, the on-site fully equipped fitness center hosts wellness programs, outdoor activities, tournaments and group workouts. Looking for something more laid back? Reset in one of our meditation rooms, or simply take a walk around our indoor walking path. On-site cultural festivals, celebrations and community volunteer opportunities also abound.

Location: Normandale, United States
Travel: Up to 10%