Associate Engineer – Tape Drive Mechatronics, Servo Systems & Robotics

Key Responsibilities

Under the guidance of senior engineers, the Associate Engineer will contribute to the design, analysis, testing, and improvement of tape drive and robotic storage systems.

Responsibilities include

• Support development and testing of precision electromechanical systems used in tape drives and robotic storage products.
• Assist in characterization of tape transport dynamics, motion control performance, and mechanical system behavior.
• Contribute to development and optimization of servo control systems for positioning, motion, and tension-control applications.
• Analyze motor-control systems including brushless DC motors, voice coil actuators, encoders, sensors, and feedback systems.
• Apply digital signal processing techniques to measurement systems, diagnostics, filtering, and control applications.
• Develop mathematical models and simulations to better understand system performance.
• Design and execute engineering experiments and collect performance data.
• Use Python and other engineering tools to analyze data, automate tests, and generate reports.
• Apply statistical methods to evaluate product performance, reliability, and manufacturing variation.
• Investigate product issues through structured root-cause analysis techniques.
• Analyze telemetry and large engineering datasets to identify trends and performance correlations.
• Support development of predictive analytics and machine-learning methods for reliability and performance analysis.
• Collaborate with mechanical, electrical, firmware, recording, robotics, and manufacturing engineers.
• Document test procedures, analytical methods, technical findings, and lessons learned.
• Present technical results clearly to engineering teams and stakeholders.
• Continuously develop subject-matter expertise in tape storage technologies and automation systems.

Required Education

M.S. or Ph.D. preferred in one of the following fields:

Mechanical Engineering

Mechatronics Engineering

Electrical Engineering

Robotics Engineering

Control Systems Engineering

Electromechanical Engineering

Applied Physics

Related Engineering Discipline

Strong B.S. candidates with relevant internships, research, co-op experience, or project work may also be considered.

Preferred Qualifications

The ideal candidate demonstrates

• Strong engineering fundamentals and analytical thinking
• Curiosity and desire to learn complex technologies
• Ability to connect theory, modeling, and experimental results
• Experience with Python, MATLAB, or similar technical computing tools
• Exposure to controls, robotics, signal processing, motion systems, data analytics, or reliability engineering
• Excellent problem-solving and troubleshooting skills
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary engineering teams

Preferred Experience

• Exposure through research, internships, graduate projects, or employment in one or more of the following areas is desirable:
• Robotics and automation
• Motion control and servo systems

Mechatronics

• Digital signal processing
• Applied statistics and data analytics
• Machine learning
• Semiconductor equipment
• Hard disk drives or storage systems
• Precision instrumentation and measurement systems
• Laboratory testing and engineering experimentation