Principal Process Engineer — Advanced Semiconductor Device Development

Principal Process Engineer — Advanced Semiconductor Device Development Full-time Business Function: Process Engineering Work Location: Germany-Ulm-LMS13 Office--LOC_WDT_DEU-LMS13 Office Company Description WD is building the infrastructure behind the AI-driven data economy. As AI scales, so does data. Every interaction, every model, every system generates data that must be stored, managed, and made accessible over time. That’s where we come in. We combine deep engineering expertise with global-scale manufacturing to deliver the storage systems that make AI possible, powering hyperscale data centers, cloud platforms, and enterprise infrastructure worldwide. This isn’t theoretical work. It’s real systems, at real scale, people solving some of the hardest challenges in technology today. We’re looking for people who want to build, solve, and operate at that level. Join us and let’s shape the future of data.

For over three decades, breakthrough advances in computing and intelligent systems have been driven by innovation at the intersection of physics, materials, manufacturing, and engineering. The next generation of high-performance technologies will require entirely new approaches to semiconductor processing, integration, and scalable device fabrication. We are looking for a Senior Process Engineer to help develop advanced semiconductor device technologies from early research through process integration and pilot manufacturing. This role combines hands-on cleanroom work, process development, external partner coordination, and deep technical problem solving across complex wafer fabrication flows. You will work closely with multidisciplinary R&D teams to enable next-generation device platforms through advanced process engineering and integration. What you’ll be doing: Develop and optimize semiconductor wafer fabrication processes across multiple process modules. Drive process integration from incoming wafer through fully processed devices. Work hands-on in the cleanroom across lithography, dry etch, wet etch, dielectric deposition, implantation, metallization, and wafer handling processes. Develop and qualify advanced substrate preparation, thinning, bonding, and backside processing flows. Define process characterization strategies including CD control, overlay budgets, metrology, and defect inspection. Partner with external vendors and manufacturing partners to support complex multi-site wafer flows. Drive DOE learning cycles, root-cause investigations, yield analysis, and process optimization. Collaborate with device, characterization, packaging, and reliability teams to correlate process behavior with device performance. Build scalable process documentation, travelers, specifications, and process-control methodologies. Support transfer of development processes into pilot manufacturing environments.

What we need to see: BS, MS, or PhD in Materials Science, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or related field. 5+ years of semiconductor process development experience. Strong hands-on cleanroom experience across multiple semiconductor processing modules. Experience with compound semiconductor or advanced device processing preferred. Understanding of lithography, etch, dielectric deposition, implantation, metallization, and process integration. Experience working with process characterization, SPC, DOE, and failure analysis methodologies. Strong experimental problem-solving and debugging skills. Ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary engineering teams. Ways to stand out from the crowd: Experience developing advanced or non-standard semiconductor process flows. Experience with wafer bonding, substrate removal, or heterogeneous integration. Strong process integration mindset with broad cross-module understanding. Experience building scalable process infrastructure in R&D environments. Familiarity with advanced metrology and defect characterization techniques.