Associate Engineer - Tape Drive Mechatronics, Servo Systems & Robotics

Job Description

Job Description

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