About our group:

The Wafer Fab Automation Program Director leads Seagate's cross-site, cross-functional wafer fab automation and digital-manufacturing portfolio, from opportunity identification and business case through pilot, scale-up and benefit realization. The role sits at the intersection of strategy, data and execution, translating Wafer Operations strategy into executable programs with clear scope, milestones and owners. The incumbent raises automation maturity across the fab network, establishes scalable and standardized best practices, and ensures that successful pilots become sustainable operations with clear functional ownership.

About the role - you will:

Key Stakeholders and Working Relationships

The role works closely with a broad network of internal partners at both NRM and STST and external suppliers, including:

• Manufacturing, Process (and Yield), Equipment, and Industrial engineering (I.E.),
• Facilities; IT and Factory systems (eg: MES); EHS.
• Finance; Procurement and Supply Chain.
• External automation suppliers and systems integrators.
• Site leadership across Seagate wafer fabs.

Portfolio Strategy and Prioritization

• Lead the cross-site, cross-functional automation portfolio, prioritizing opportunities by business value, technical feasibility, resource availability and strategic importance.
• Build and maintain a multi-year automation roadmap aligned to Wafer Operations strategy.
• Support capital planning and technical scope definition for automation investments.
• Develop rigorous business cases covering ROI, Capital and Operating cost, and risk.
• Define pilots, success criteria and implementation milestones before committing to scale.
• Guide scale-up and benefit realization with clear functional ownership at each site.
• Track realized versus planned benefits in partnership with Finance and site owners.

Target Outcome Areas

• Material handling and movement (i.e., AMHS, wafer / cassette transport, stockers etc.)
• Direct-labor productivity, equipment utilization and OEE, and cycle time.
• Yield and Quality, safety and ergonomics.
• Partner with I.E. to calculate automation-enabled capacity and capacity assumptions.

Program Execution and Dependency Management

• Work with relevant key stakeholders to maintain integrated plans, budgets and resource allocations across the portfolio.
• Oversee factory and site acceptance testing (FAT/SAT), deployment readiness and cutover.

Vendor and Supplier Leadership

• Own engagement with Automation, AMHS, robotics and software suppliers.
• Lead K-T analyses with all key stakeholders, for all automation solutions, to enable suitable Supplier choice and solution for NRM and STST.
• Ensure supplier solutions meet Seagate requirements for long-term Operations, and Maintenance.
• Support sourcing, contracts and supplier roadmap alignment with Procurement.

Sustainment, Adoption and Change Management

• Transition successful pilots into sustainable operations, with adoption, training and support embedded in the roadmap.
• Define handoff criteria, support models, SOPs and ownership for every deployed solution.

Metrics and Governance

• Define and continuously evolve metrics used to measure automation impact, including ROI, equipment utilization, OEE, cycle time, direct-labor productivity, and yield and quality.
• Prepare steering committee and executive updates.
• Establish a business process for capturing lessons learned and replicating proven solutions across NRM and STST.

About you:

• 10+ years in semiconductor or high-tech manufacturing, including 5+ years leading cross-functional programs or projects.
• Experience implementing factory automation, digital manufacturing, AI-enabled manufacturing, or advanced material-handling solutions.
• Demonstrated delivery of operational improvement programs in high-volume manufacturing.
• Working knowledge of fab metrics (eg: OEE, cycle time, yield).
• Excellent written, verbal and executive communication skills.
• Ability to work in a cleanroom environment, including full gowning.
• BS / MS in Engineering (Industrial, Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, Automation/Mechatronics or Computer) or a related field.

Your experience includes:

• PMP or equivalent program management certification; or MBA
• Experience AI/ML, data analytics (JMP, Python, SQL, Power BI etc).
• Experience with multi-site deployments and with vendor and capital project management.
• Experience in thin-film or wafer processing.

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. 

The estimated base salary range for this position is $167,731.20 - $249,080.00. 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: Normandale, United States
Travel: Up to 50%