Principal R&D Engineer

Role Overview

We are seeking a Senior Principal R&D Engineer (Servo Controls) to join our HDD servo team. In this role, you will drive research and development projects in servo control systems for HDDs, working on both new feature development and product support. This position is highly impactful, giving you the opportunity to solve complex technical challenges, mentor junior engineers, and collaborate across multiple functions to deliver world-class storage solutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design, implementation, debugging, and evaluation of HDD servo projects.

• Take ownership of large, complex assignments with minimal supervision.

• Mentor and support junior engineers within the servo team.

• Collaborate with engineers across functional teams to meet product requirements.

• Produce high-quality embedded firmware and documentation.

• Participate in peer design reviews and technical discussions.

• Communicate effectively with local and remote development teams.

• Balance hands-on development with strategic technical leadership.

Required Qualifications

• 15+ years of directly relevant engineering experience.

• Deep expertise in servo controls, signal processing, and control theory.

• Strong foundation in HDD technologies.

• Proficiency in C/C++ programming.

• Advanced skills in MATLAB (required).

• Ability to read schematics and work with oscilloscopes.

• Strong communication skills; comfortable in both collaborative and independent work environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Python for scripting and prototyping.

• Direct HDD servo experience (theory acceptable if practical expertise is strong).

• Advanced degree (M.S. or PhD) in a relevant engineering discipline.

Work Environment & Flexibility

• Hybrid flexibility: Onsite in San Jose preferred, with potential for remote if candidate can:

  • Spend the first month onsite for ramp-up.

  • Return onsite 1–2 times per year.

• Travel: Occasional (1–2 times per year), typically to Japan.

• Team Structure: Small, focused servo group (4–5 engineers) within a 40-person engineering org.

Compensation & Sponsorship

• Competitive base salary + up to 10% bonus.

• Relocation assistance available.

• H1B sponsorship supported.