Data Science Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Sandisk understands how people and businesses consume data and we relentlessly innovate to deliver solutions that enable today's needs and tomorrow's next big ideas. With a rich history of groundbreaking innovations in Flash and advanced memory technologies, our solutions have become the beating heart of the digital world we're living in and that we have the power to shape.

Sandisk meets people and businesses at the intersection of their aspirations and the moment, enabling them to keep moving and pushing possibility forward. We do this through the balance of our powerhouse manufacturing capabilities and our industry-leading portfolio of products that are recognized globally for innovation, performance and quality.

Sandisk has two facilities recognized by the World Economic Forum as part of the Global Lighthouse Network for advanced 4IR innovations. These facilities were also recognized as Sustainability Lighthouses for breakthroughs in efficient operations. With our global reach, we ensure the global supply chain has access to the Flash memory it needs to keep our world moving forward.

We are seeking a Senior Staff AI/ML Engineer to lead the design, development, and deployment of advanced AI/ML and Generative AI solutions that drive innovation across our engineering, manufacturing, and business operations.

This role requires deep expertise in machine learning engineering, data science methodologies, and large-scale AI systems, combined with strong domain intuition in semiconductor/NAND environments. You will operate at the intersection of data, models, and real-world systems, translating complex, high-impact problems into scalable AI solutions.

Key Responsibilities

AI/ML, Data Science & Domain Integration

• Develop advanced machine learning, statistical, and optimization models to solve complex business and engineering problems
• Apply end-to-end data science rigor: problem framing, feature engineering, modeling, validation, and impact measurement
• Work with large-scale datasets (e.g., process, yield, test, operational data) to derive actionable insights
• Integrate domain knowledge (semiconductor/NAND processes, constraints, variability) directly into model design and interpretation

Generative AI & Intelligent Systems

• Design and deploy GenAI solutions (LLMs, RAG pipelines, agent-based systems) for engineering and operational use cases
• Build knowledge-driven systems leveraging enterprise data (documents, logs, process data)
• Develop evaluation frameworks to ensure quality, grounding, and reliability of GenAI outputs
• Apply GenAI to enable decision support, automation, and productivity at scale

End-to-End System Architecture

• Architect production-grade AI/ML systems, including:
  • Data pipelines and feature engineering frameworks
  • Model training and experimentation platforms
  • Real-time and batch inference systems
• Design systems that balance accuracy, scalability, latency, and cost efficiency
• Establish patterns for integrating AI into existing enterprise platforms and workflows

MLOps & Production Excellence

• Build and scale MLOps pipelines (CI/CD, model registry, monitoring, drift detection)
• Ensure reproducibility, observability, and governance of AI systems
• Lead efforts to operationalize models into reliable, maintainable production systems

Collaboration & Mentorship

• Partner with cross-functional teams (engineering, manufacturing, product, IT) to translate requirements into solutions
• Mentor engineers and data scientists in advanced modeling, system design, and GenAI capabilities

Required

• Master's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Statistics, Applied Mathematics, or a related quantitative field
• 8-12+ years of experience in AI/ML engineering, data science, or related domains
• Strong expertise in:
  • Python and modern ML frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow, scikit-learn)
  • Statistical modeling, experimentation, and data science methodologies
  • Scalable ML system design and production deployment
• Proven track record of delivering production-grade AI/ML systems with measurable business impact

Preferred

• PhD in a relevant field (e.g., Machine Learning, AI, Statistics, Operations Research, Electrical Engineering) with significant industry experience
• Deep experience applying AI/ML in complex, real-world systems (e.g., semiconductor, manufacturing, or large-scale operational environments)
• Hands-on experience with:
  • Generative AI / LLM systems (RAG, prompt engineering, evaluation frameworks, fine-tuning)
  • MLOps platforms (MLflow, Azure ML, Kubeflow, or equivalent)
  • Distributed data platforms (Spark, Databricks)

Sandisk is committed to providing equal opportunities to all applicants and employees and will not discriminate based on their race, color, ancestry, religion (including religious dress and grooming standards), sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, breastfeeding or related medical conditions), gender (including a person's gender identity, gender expression, and gender-related appearance and behavior, whether or not stereotypically associated with the person's assigned sex at birth), age, national origin, sexual orientation, medical condition, marital status (including domestic partnership status), physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, protected medical and family care leave, Civil Air Patrol status, military and veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. We also prohibit harassment of any individual on any of the characteristics listed above. Our non-discrimination policy applies to all aspects of employment. We comply with the laws and regulations set forth in the Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law poster.

Sandisk thrives on the power and potential of diversity. As a global company, we believe the most effective way to embrace the diversity of our customers and communities is to mirror it from within. We believe the fusion of various perspectives results in the best outcomes for our employees, our company, our customers, and the world around us. We are committed to an inclusive environment where every individual can thrive through a sense of belonging, respect and contribution.

Sandisk is committed to offering opportunities to applicants with disabilities and ensuring all candidates can successfully navigate our careers website and our hiring process. Please contact us at [email protected] to advise us of your accommodation request. In your email, please include a description of the specific accommodation you are requesting as well as the job title and requisition number of the position for which you are applying.

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.
• You will be eligible to participate in Sandisk's Short-Term Incentive (STI) Plan, 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 Sandisk'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 Sandisk's 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 Company's sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company's sole discretion, consistent with the law.