Principal Technical Recruiter

Western Digital•San Jose, CA

About The Position

WD is building the infrastructure behind the AI-driven data economy. As AI scales, so does data. Every interaction, every model, every system generates data that must be stored, managed, and made accessible over time. That’s where we come in. We combine deep engineering expertise with global-scale manufacturing to deliver the storage systems that make AI possible, powering hyperscale data centers, cloud platforms, and enterprise infrastructure worldwide. This isn’t theoretical work. It’s real systems, at real scale, people solving some of the hardest challenges in technology today. We’re looking for people who want to build, solve, and operate at that level. Join us and let’s shape the future of data. The Opportunity We are seeking a Principal Technical Recruiter to join our Global Talent Acquisition organization, reporting directly to the Director of Talent Acquisition — Product, IT & Strategy . This is a high-impact, full-cycle recruiting role designed for a seasoned talent professional who operates at the intersection of strategic advisor, delivery expert, and transformation leader. As a Principal-level contributor, you will own the end-to-end recruitment experience for some of WD's most critical and complex technical disciplines—including Product Management, Software Engineering, Data & Analytics, IT Infrastructure, Corporate Strategy, and New Business Ventures. You will be expected to not only close requisitions, but to elevate how we recruit through data intelligence, stakeholder influence, and innovative program ownership.

Requirements

8+ years of full-cycle technical recruiting experience and a proven track record placing talent across product, material science, hardware, firmware, software, IT, or corporate strategy disciplines.
Energized by owning the room with senior leaders—presenting market data, pushing back on unrealistic expectations, and earning a seat at the strategic table.
Sees data as their first language —able to build pipeline reports, benchmark compensation packages, and speak to talent market dynamics.
Experience building programs, fixing broken processes, or launching initiatives that improved their TA team.
Fluent with recruiting tools like Workday, LinkedIn Recruiter, sourcing platforms, and AI-assisted workflows.
Thrives in complex, matrixed, global environments where ambiguity is the norm and self-direction is required.
Brings a consultative mindset to every search—understanding the business context behind every hire, not just the job description.
Comfortable pushing back on VPs and hiring managers and influencing hiring decisions.
Cares deeply about the full arc of every candidate interaction, from first outreach to close.

Nice To Haves

Experience recruiting within the semiconductor, data storage, hardware, or enterprise technology sectors.
Prior agency or executive search background combined with in-house corporate experience.
Exposure to workforce planning, organizational design, or HR business partnering conversations.
Proficiency with platforms such as LinkedIn Recruiter, Beamery, SeekOut, Gem, Tableau, or Power BI.

Responsibilities

Own the complete recruitment lifecycle—from intake and sourcing strategy through offer negotiation and close—for mid to senior-level technical and strategic roles across Product, IT & Strategy.
Partner deeply with hiring managers, HRBPs, and business leaders to develop tailored hiring strategies aligned to approved headcount plans and workforce priorities.
Maintain a high bar for candidate quality and experience, ensuring every interaction reflects WD's employer brand and values.
Proactively manage requisition loads with urgency and precision, consistently meeting or exceeding time-to-fill, offer acceptance, and quality-of-hire benchmarks.
Navigate ambiguous, fast-moving, and highly specialized talent markets with confidence and adaptability.
Serve as the subject matter expert on talent supply and demand dynamics for your assigned business units, including compensation benchmarking, competitor talent mapping, and skills availability analysis.
Leverage labor market data platforms (LinkedIn Talent Insights, Lightcast, Radford/Mercer) to deliver actionable intelligence to hiring managers and HR partners.
Use data to identify pipeline gaps, forecast hiring outcomes, and drive accountability across the funnel.
Present structured, data-backed hiring updates and market insights to business leaders and TA leadership on a regular cadence.
Function as a trusted advisor and thought partner to senior business stakeholders—including VPs and Directors—on hiring strategy, workforce planning, and talent market realities.
Challenge and influence hiring decisions through consultative dialogue, including calibrating role requirements, leveling discussions, and competitive positioning.
Partner with HRBPs and Total Rewards to build compelling, competitive offer packages that win in the current market.
Develop and champion proactive talent pipelines for critical capability areas, reducing dependency on reactive hiring cycles.
Represent TA in business planning conversations and contribute to longer-term workforce strategy initiatives.
Identify, design, and own recruitment programs and process improvement initiatives that elevate the effectiveness and scalability of the Global TA function.
Lead or co-lead projects such as: hiring manager enablement programs, structured interviewing frameworks, diversity sourcing strategies, candidate experience improvements, or new role intake process design.
Apply project management discipline to TA initiatives—defining scope, milestones, stakeholders, and success metrics—and drive cross-functional execution from ideation to adoption.
Serve as an internal champion for TA innovation, bringing external best practices inside and advocating for changes that improve speed, quality, and equity in hiring.
Document and socialize process improvements to ensure scalability and knowledge transfer across the TA team.
Demonstrate fluency across the modern recruiting technology stack, including ATS platforms, CRM tools, sourcing platforms, and productivity suites.
Actively incorporate AI-powered tools into daily recruiting workflows—including candidate sourcing and outreach personalization, resume screening, market research, job description drafting, and pipeline analytics.
Evaluate and pilot emerging TA technologies; provide structured feedback and recommendations to TA leadership on adoption and integration.
Mentor peers on effective and ethical use of AI and automation in recruiting workflows.
Stay current on developments in recruiting technology, generative AI, and people analytics as they apply to talent acquisition.

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
WD Savings 401(k) Plan
Eligibility for bonuses under WD’s Short Term Incentive Plan (“STI Plan”) or the Sales Incentive Plan (“SIP”)
Potential eligibility for annual Long-Term Incentive (LTI) program (restricted stock units (RSUs) or cash equivalents)