Level: Senior Staff Engineer (Senior Individual Contributor role; no direct reports)
About our group:
The HGA Process Development team owns early‑stage process invention, feasibility, and KPIV understanding to enable future product requirements
The team builds deep, physics‑based process knowledge, focusing on identifying critical KPIVs, defining their relationships to KPOVs, and delivering validated, tool‑ready concepts
Working closely with HGA/TGA design and product teams, the group ensures alignment to next‑generation architectures while influencing process capability and design tradeoffs
Operating upstream of integration and factory organizations, the team emphasizes rapid learning, concept validation, and technical risk reduction
Development is strongly engineering‑driven, with focus on process physics, materials behavior, and reliability, supported by analytical tools such as modeling and FEA
About the role - you will:
- Architect and develop control systems for advanced HGA process equipment, translating process requirements into precise, repeatable, and scalable system behavior
- Define and implement motion control, vision alignment, and automation strategies, enabling high‑precision assembly, dispensing, interconnect formation, and inspection processes
- Partner closely with tool design engineers and process architects to ensure all critical KPIVs are properly measured, controlled, and maintained through system design
- Develop and integrate closed‑loop control systems, including feedback from sensors, vision systems, and metrology to ensure process stability and consistency
- Establish alignment, positioning, and calibration strategies to meet increasingly tight tolerances for next‑generation HGA designs
- Drive development of automation architecture, including sequencing, machine control logic, and system integration across mechanical, electrical, and software components
- Collaborate with software, vision, and metrology engineers to integrate data acquisition, process monitoring, and control algorithms into tool platforms
- Support rapid prototyping and iteration of control systems on bench and prototype tools to accelerate process learning and concept validation
- Work with internal development teams and external suppliers to implement controls solutions for first‑of‑kind equipment
- Collaborate with global engineering teams, including U.S.-based partners, requiring flexibility to support cross‑time‑zone engagement and periodic evening meetings
- Deliver robust and scalable control solutions, enabling downstream teams to replicate, optimize, and deploy process capability
About you:
- Background in controls engineering, automation, mechatronics, or related field, with experience in precision equipment or manufacturing systems
- Experience in motion control, vision systems, or automation development, with exposure to PLCs, embedded systems, or machine control platforms considered a plus
- Familiarity with system integration across mechanical, electrical, and software domains
- Basic understanding of process requirements such as precision, repeatability, and process control, with ability to translate these into control strategies
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with ability to debug complex system interactions and drive root cause understanding
- Experience with data acquisition, signal processing, or feedback control concepts is a plus
- Good communication skills in English (written and spoken), capable of working effectively with global and cross-functional teams
- Demonstrated teamwork and initiative, with ability to work in a fast‑paced, iterative development environment
Location:
Teparuk Thailand
Home to over 4,000 employees, our Teparuk site specializes in producing nano-recording heads—a crucial component for the read/write functionality of hard disk drives. At our Teparuk facility, work is both productive and enjoyable. You and your colleagues can grab breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks at our 24/7 on-site canteen and coffee shop. Stay active by taking a few laps around our running track or participating in volleyball, basketball, table tennis, badminton, or football at our on-site gymnasium and fitness center. We also offer a variety of activities, including music, dance, and aerobic classes. Alternatively, unwind in our lush green areas. Consider joining any of our employee resource groups (ERGs), such as Seagate Women in Leadership Network (SWLN), Seagate PRIDE: Thailand chapter, or Seagate’s parents and caregivers' group. These ERGs provide educational and fun activities. Additionally, enjoy on-site festivals, celebrations, and opportunities to give back to the local community.
