Senior Director, Strategy

Western Digital • San Jose, CA

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

Western Digital is seeking a strategic leader to identify and evaluate new business opportunities in storage adjacencies, software platforms, and emerging business models. This role will focus on strategic opportunities beyond our core hardware business, including software-defined storage, tiered storage solutions, platform partnerships, and innovative business models to serve hyperscalers, neoclouds, sovereign clouds, and OEM partners. The Senior Director will serve as the company's strategic thought leader on how Western Digital can expand its value proposition and capture new revenue streams in the evolving data storage ecosystem.
This is a pure strategy and business development role requiring deep expertise in cloud infrastructure, software platforms, and emerging storage business models. The ideal candidate will bring a management consulting background with experience advising technology companies on platform strategy, ecosystem development, and business model innovation. This role reports to the VP of Corporate Strategy.

Requirements

• Experience: in management consulting, corporate strategy, or business development with a focus on technology platforms and ecosystems. experience at a top-tier management consulting firm strongly preferred.
• Expertise: Proven track record developing platform strategies, ecosystem frameworks, and business model innovations for technology companies. Deep experience with cloud infrastructure, neo clouds, data storage, or enterprise infrastructure markets is strongly preferred.
• Skills: Exceptional strategic thinking, deep expertise in platform strategy, two-sided markets, and ecosystem dynamics. Outstanding analytical/financial modeling skills, including business case development.
• Strategic Vision: Ability to identify emerging trends and non-obvious opportunities.
• Technical & Market Knowledge: Strong technical understanding of emerging trends in AI infrastructure and edge computing alongside cloud architectures and data storage requirements across hyperscale, neo cloud , sovereign and enterprise segments.
• Platform Thinking: Deep expertise in platform strategy, two-sided markets, and ecosystem dynamics (network effects).
• Ecosystem Orchestration: Skill in designing and managing complex multi-party relationships.
• Communication & Influence: Proven ability to craft compelling strategic narratives and translate technical/market complexity into clear, actionable executive recommendations. Ability to drive alignment across organizational boundaries and influence C-suite decisions.
• Education: MBA from a top-tier business school is required. Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, or a related analytical field is required.

Nice To Haves

• Direct consulting experience advising storage, cloud infrastructure, or enterprise software companies.
• Experience with platform strategy projects including marketplace development, ecosystem strategy, or API strategies.
• Background in business development or corporate development with experience structuring strategic partnerships.
• Prior experience working with or for hyperscale cloud providers (AWS, Azure, GCP) or large OEMs.
• Knowledge of sovereign cloud initiatives in Europe, Asia-Pacific, or Middle East regions.
• Experience with M&A due diligence or strategic investment evaluation in software or platforms.
• Familiarity with open-source software models and community-driven platform development.
• International business experience, including understanding of regional market dynamics and partnership models.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Opportunity Identification & Assessment
• Market & Customer Strategy
• Software & Platform Strategy
• Partnership & Ecosystem Development
• Business Model Innovation
• Strategic Analysis & Executive Communication
• Cross-Functional Collaboration

Benefits

• 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 Western Digital Savings 401(k) Plan.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director