Principle Software Engineer, Development

Company: Western Digital
Location: East Irvine
Posted on: February 10, 2026

Job Description:

Company Description At Western Digital, our vision is to power global innovation and push the boundaries of technology to make what you thought was once impossible, possible. At our core, Western Digital is a company of problem solvers. People achieve extraordinary things given the right technology. For decades, we’ve been doing just that—our technology helped people put a man on the moon and capture the first-ever picture of a black hole. We offer an expansive portfolio of technologies, HDDs, and platforms for business, creative professionals, and consumers alike under our Western Digital®, WD®, WD_BLACK™. We are a key partner to some of the largest and highest-growth organizations in the world. From enabling systems to make cities safer and more connected, to powering the data centers behind many of the world’s biggest companies and hyperscale cloud providers, to meeting the massive and ever-growing data storage needs of the AI era, Western Digital is fueling a brighter, smarter future. Today’s exceptional challenges require your unique skills. Together, we can build the future of data storage. Job Description Be part of a small, dynamic, team of Customer Firmware Engineers within the Hard Disk Drive organization. The Customer Firmware team is missioned to be the first touch point on technical customer engagements, processes, and technical discussions involving firmware. Customer Firmware Engineers work closely with validation organizations, firmware development teams as well as multiple Sales related teams. The ideal candidate will have a passion for helping customers through technical issues, ensuring Western Digital is meeting customer needs and expectations in firmware while thriving in a dynamic work environment where multi-tasking skills are challenged. Essential Duties and Responsibilities: This is position is in the Customer Firmware Support team whose mission is to ensure customer satisfaction on firmware features, HDD qualifications, and on-going support The team is responsible for bringing up new HDD products and providing firmware engineering technical support to customers throughout the product life cycle Communicate customer status and priorities into upper management Develop customer technical material and guide customers through technical discussions Lead internal process improvement initiatives through collaborative work sessions and training Qualifications Bachelors degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field; Masters degree preferred 4 years of experience in relevant software development, with at least 2 years in a more senior technical role Proven track record of designing and delivering medium-scale software projects Proficiency in multiple programming languages such as Java, Python, C++, web service design Strong understanding of software architecture principles, design patterns, and best practices Experience with cloud computing platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP) and microservices architecture Proficiency in Agile methodologies and DevOps practices Demonstrated proficiency in performance optimization and scalability design for high-traffic applications Experience with CI/CD pipelines and automated testing frameworks Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with attention to detail Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence cross-functional teams Deep knowledge of web application development, and enterprise software solutions Exposure to project management and experience in driving technical initiatives Additional Information Because Western Digital thrives on the power of diversity and is committed to an inclusive environment where every individual can thrive through a sense of belonging, respect, and contribution, we are committed to giving every qualified applicant and employee an equal opportunity. Western Digital does not discriminate against any applicant or employee based on their protected class status and complies with all federal and state laws against discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, as well as the laws and regulations set forth in the "Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law" poster. Compensation & Benefits Details An employee’s pay position within the salary range may be based on several factors including but not limited to (1) relevant education; qualifications; certifications; and experience; (2) skills, ability, knowledge of the job; (3) performance, contribution and results; (4) geographic location; (5) shift; (6) internal and external equity; and (7) business and organizational needs. The salary range is what we believe to be the range of possible compensation for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and this range is only applicable for jobs to be performed in California, Colorado, New York or remote jobs that can be performed in California, Colorado and New York. This range may be modified in the future. If your position is non-exempt, you are eligible for overtime pay pursuant to company policy and applicable laws. You may also be eligible for shift differential pay, depending on the shift to which you are assigned. You will be eligible to be considered for bonuses under either Western Digital’s Short Term Incentive Plan (“STI Plan”) or the Sales Incentive Plan (“SIP”) which provides incentive awards based on Company and individual performance, depending on your role and your performance. You may be eligible to participate in our annual Long-Term Incentive (LTI) program, which consists of restricted stock units (RSUs) or cash equivalents, pursuant to the terms of the LTI plan. Please note that not all roles are eligible to participate in the LTI program, and not all roles are eligible for equity under the LTI plan. RSU awards are also available to eligible new hires, subject to Western Digital’s Standard Terms and Conditions for Restricted Stock Unit Awards. We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid vacation time; paid sick leave; medical/dental/vision insurance; life, accident and disability insurance; tax-advantaged flexible spending and health savings accounts; employee assistance program; other voluntary benefit programs such as supplemental life and AD&D, legal plan, pet insurance, critical illness, accident and hospital indemnity; tuition reimbursement; transit; the Applause Program; employee stock purchase plan; and the Western Digital Savings 401(k) Plan. Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Companys sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole discretion, consistent with the law

Keywords: Western Digital, Carlsbad , Principle Software Engineer, Development, IT / Software / Systems , East Irvine, California