Director, Supply Chain Planning and Capital Chief of Staff and Strategy

Western Digital•San Jose, CA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director, Strategy & Chief of Staff is a strategic operator and trusted advisor to the VP of Supply Chain, Capital, and Inventory Planning in a fast‑paced technology environment. This leader drives clarity, prioritization, and execution across a portfolio that supports hardware development, cloud infrastructure growth, digital supply chain systems, and capital-intensive scaling initiatives. You will help shape long‑term strategy, align cross‑functional teams (Product, Engineering, Finance, Manufacturing, Data/Analytics), and ensure operational excellence across planning cycles. This role is ideal for a high‑capacity, tech‑savvy leader who thrives at the intersection of strategy, operations, analytics, and executive enablement. Scope Supply Chain, Capital, and Inventory Planning for Western Digital’s entire portfolio supporting $12B/year revenue growing at ~20% per year 10 Global Factories supporting wafer, Head, Substrate, Media, and final Hard Disk Drive assembly and test Four Primary Customer Segments – Cloud, Client, Platforms, and Consumer/Channel

Requirements

Extensive experience in supply chain, operations, strategy, or related domains—ideally in a fast-scaling tech, hardware, semiconductors, or cloud infrastructure environment.
Experience partnering closely with Product, Engineering, Manufacturing, and Finance in a technology company.
Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to create compelling narratives for senior executives.
Strong analytical and modeling skills; comfort with large data sets and technology-forward planning ecosystems.
Proven success leading cross-functional initiatives in matrixed organizations.
Ability to influence without authority in high-velocity, ambiguous environments.
Tech-Savvy Problem Solver: Quickly grasps technical concepts and system interdependencies.
Executive Presence: Represents the VP and the function with credibility and confidence.
Systems Thinking: Understands how hardware, software, and supply chain converge in a tech ecosystem.
Data-Driven Leadership: Leverages analytics to drive clarity and influence decisions.
Agile Operator: Balances strategic long-term planning with rapid execution.
Collaborative Influencer: Builds trust across engineering, product, and operations.

Nice To Haves

Experience with cloud, device, or hardware supply chains (e.g., semiconductors, compute/storage, networking equipment).
Familiarity with tech‑focused planning tools (e.g., Kinaxis, Oracle, etc.).
Knowledge of AI/ML applications in forecasting, automation, or supply chain optimization.
MBA, MS in Supply Chain, Engineering, or a quantitative field.

Responsibilities

Co-develop multi‑year supply chain and capital strategies that support hardware launches, global fulfillment, infrastructure scaling, and automation investments.
Lead strategy formulation for digital supply chain transformation—tools, data platforms, forecasting systems, and end-to-end visibility solutions.
Evaluate emerging technologies (AI/ML models for demand planning, IoT for inventory tracking, supply chain digital twins) and drive adoption roadmaps.
Serve as the VP’s strategic advisor and operational proxy across both internal and external stakeholder forums.
Orchestrate operational rhythms such as QBRs, annual planning, OKR cycles, and investment prioritization reviews.
Ensure alignment between engineering, product, operations, and finance on roadmap dependencies, data needs, and capital allocations.
Structure decision-making frameworks and eliminate operational friction across teams.
Work with the VP on the Organizational Strategy, hiring decisions, and talent development
Craft narrative-driven, data-backed presentations for C-level, Board, and cross-functional executives.
Translate operational complexity into simple, strategic insights that guide executive decision-making.
Represent the VP in leadership meetings, program reviews, vendor engagements, and operational forums as needed.
Partner with functional leaders on mission‑critical programs such as capacity expansion, dual‑sourcing strategies, supply chain resiliency efforts, and next‑gen planning tool deployments.
Establish a program management structure to track progress, risks, KPIs, and outcomes across a diverse portfolio of initiatives.
Build business cases and analytical models that drive investment decisions for cloud infrastructure, hardware supply, and automation.
Design scalable processes that maintain agility—balancing rapid innovation cycles with operational stability and governance.
Partner with Finance, Engineering, and Product to align capital budgets with technology roadmaps and infrastructure timelines.
Develop mechanisms for data-driven supply chain decisions—supporting real‑time analytics, cost modeling, and scenario planning.

Benefits

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
the WD Savings 401(k) Plan