UTP Wafer Process Engineering Technician IV - A Shift

About our group:

As a Wafer Process Engineering Technician, you play a critical role in supporting Seagate’s thin‑film head manufacturing. You will partner closely with process and sustaining engineers to control processes, evaluate tool performance, execute data‑driven troubleshooting, and ensure the highest quality of recording head wafers. This position requires strong analytical skills, comfort working with data, and the ability to apply structured problem‑solving in a fast‑paced production environment.

This role supports a complex, high‑reliability operating environment where sustained mental focus, continuous learning, and sound judgment are required throughout extended shifts.

About the role - you will:

As a UTP Wafer Process Engineering Technician, you will provide specialized technical and sustaining support for UTP production and RD processing in Seagate’s thin-film head manufacturing environment. You will support wafer flow, GaAs wafer processing and qualification, manual RD operations, and first-line troubleshooting of UTP equipment and processes.

Working with Process, Sustaining, and RD Engineering, Operations, Materials, and Maintenance, you will coordinate priorities, maintain production flow, respond to abnormal conditions, and interpret process and equipment data. As an Engineering Specialist IV, you will serve as a shift resource—independently assessing unfamiliar situations, managing product and equipment risk, supporting other technicians, and escalating when additional expertise is required.

This high-reliability role requires sustained focus, continuous learning, sound technical judgment, and clear communication through Microsoft Teams, Outlook, and shift passdowns.

Able to work A-shift, Mon-Wed and every other Thursdays, 6:30AM-6:30PM

Production, Process Control, and RD Operations

• Manage incoming and outgoing UTP production WIP, source wafers, utilization, and priorities based on time at step, production needs, and special requests; coordinate schedules and concerns across RD Admins, Operations, Engineering, and Materials.
• Manage GaAs wafer qualification, including yield inspection review, rework, custom transfer maps, and specialized handling.
• Evaluate qualification and process stability using SPC charts, distributions, trends, correlations, historical baselines, and quantitative reasoning; distinguish normal variation from assignable causes and assess product or process risk.
• Perform manual overnight RD runs, wafer and optical alignment, safe abort and wafer removal, Stamp and Height Sensor calibrations, and custom handling following interruptions.
• Balance UTP assignments with broader factory priorities and support other manufacturing areas when needed.

Troubleshooting, Analysis, and Engineering Support

• Independently perform first-line troubleshooting for UTP processes, equipment behavior, software alarms, and ambiguous manufacturing issues using structured problem-solving.
• Analyze tool logs, KPIV and wafer data, SPC results, and historical trends to differentiate equipment-, process-, material-, and system-driven causes and determine next steps.
• Review MWE configurations, consumables, and chemical bath compositions; resolve applicable alarms and coordinate Maintenance support when required.
• Apply technical judgment when documentation does not address a condition, considering personnel, product, equipment, and process risk; escalate with clear evidence, actions taken, and required follow-up.
• Support Engineering trials, experiments, qualifications, special processing, software or process testing, and manual runs; monitor processes, make in-scope adjustments, and document results.
• Identify recurring issues and opportunities for corrective or preventive action, improved reaction plans, and clearer technical documentation.

Technical Leadership and Cross-Functional Support

• Serve as a technical resource for UTP and broader wafer manufacturing, applying advanced in-room skills and factory knowledge to unfamiliar situations.
• Train and mentor technicians, guide less-experienced staff through complex situations, reinforce best practices, and expand capability across manufacturing areas.
• Execute Engineering rules for non-conforming wafers; analyze rework and scrap, apply root-cause analysis and disposition guidelines, and engage Engineering when conditions fall outside established guidance.
• Communicate effectively with Engineering, Operations, Maintenance, Materials, and RD through Microsoft Teams, Outlook, and established workflows.
• Provide concise shift passdowns covering processing and production status, abnormal conditions, equipment concerns, troubleshooting, actions taken, and outstanding follow-up.
• Maintain accurate technical documentation, recognize concerns requiring broader escalation, and recommend improvements to guidelines and reaction plans.
• Work in accordance with all health, safety, equipment, chemical, and material-handling requirements.

About you:

• Strong analytical and structured problem-solving skills; able to independently investigate complex manufacturing issues and make evidence-based decisions.
• Comfortable extracting, filtering, visualizing, and interpreting tool logs, KPIV datasets, wafer, qualification, equipment, and SPC data using Excel and tools such as JMP or Minitab.
• Sound judgment in situations beyond established documentation, including when to act independently and when risk requires Engineering, Maintenance, or broader escalation.
• Clear written and verbal communicator across varying levels of technical knowledge; highly proficient with Microsoft Teams, Outlook, SharePoint, Office applications, and digital manufacturing workflows.
• Able to perform specialized manual wafer processing and handling, adapt to changing priorities, support multiple manufacturing areas, and maintain focus and accuracy during extended work periods.
• Demonstrates initiative, continuous learning, and the ability to train and mentor others.

Your experience includes:

• At least 5 years of applicable technician or manufacturing experience.
• Strong understanding of thin-film wafer processing and associated manufacturing engineering principles.
• Demonstrated independent troubleshooting of complex wafer, process, equipment, or manufacturing-system issues across multiple manufacturing areas.
• Experience using tool log viewers, SPC platforms, engineering dashboards, Excel, JMP, Minitab, or equivalent tools to sort, filter, chart, trend, and analyze manufacturing data.
• Ability to apply algebraic and quantitative reasoning to process windows, parameter changes, offsets, tolerances, and technical decisions.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including effective use of Microsoft Teams and Outlook in manufacturing operations.
• Demonstrated ability to train, mentor, and provide technical assistance, and to learn evolving equipment, software, systems, and processes.
• AA/AAS degree and/or comparable technical experience with wafer production equipment.

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 wage range for this position is $29.89 - $39.61/hr. The individual base wage 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, medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, short- and long-term disability, eligibility to participate in discretionary bonus program, 401(k), employee stock purchase plan, flexible and dependent care spending accounts, and health care spending accounts. Seagate also offers paid time off, including 12 holidays, 120 hours of vacation, 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 and tenure with the Company.

• Location: Normandale, United States
• Travel: None