Vice President, Product Management

Western Digital • San Jose, CA

2d • $284,000 - $378,700 • Onsite

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. WD seeks a visionary and commercially decisive Vice President of Product Management to lead the full lifecycle of our product portfolio — from strategic roadmap through market delivery and commercial execution. This is a high-impact enterprise leadership role that sits at the intersection of technology, business strategy, and customer outcomes. The VP of Product Management will own the integrated product strategy across Roadmap & Product Marketing driving alignment across R&D, Sales, Finance, and Operations to deliver profitable, market-leading storage solutions. This leader will shape how WD competes, grows, and wins in cloud, enterprise, and emerging segments. Reporting to the Chief Product Officer (CPO), this role is a critical member of the product leadership team and is expected to be part of the succession plan for the current CPO.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required; MBA, MS, or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Business, or related field strongly preferred
• 15+ years of progressive leadership experience in product management, commercial strategy, or storage technology — with at least 3 years at the VP level or above
• Proven experience leading Sr Directors and managing multi-functional organizations with enterprise-wide accountability
• Demonstrated track record of owning full product lifecycle — from roadmap definition through commercial execution, pricing, and customer delivery
• Deep experience in demand planning and supply allocation in a hardware or technology company
• Strong business acumen with demonstrated ability to build and defend business cases, manage P&L drivers, and deliver revenue and margin results
• Experience leading LTA negotiations with Tier 1 customers in enterprise or cloud markets
• Exceptional executive communication skills — equally compelling in a boardroom, acustomer briefing, and a media interview
• Willingness to travel internationally (25–30%), including Asia-Pacific regions

Nice To Haves

• Experience in HDD, SSD, NAND, or storage controller product management
• Deep familiarity with cloud hyperscaler procurement dynamics and supply chain structures (AWS, Google, Microsoft, Meta)
• Board or advisory experience with technology companies or academic institutions
• Track record of driving significant revenue growth or margin improvement through product strategy and commercial execution
• Experience leading organizations through a post-merger, post-split, or major business transformation

Responsibilities

• Define and own the multi-year product roadmap strategy across HDD, SSD, and emerging storage platforms aligned to market segment needs
• Drive strategic technology roadmaps and investment decisions for advanced storage solutions spanning cloud, enterprise, and consumer markets
• Lead cross-functional alignment between R&D, Product, and Business units on technology direction and portfolio prioritization
• Evaluate product architecture decisions and technology integration strategies, guiding teams on advanced storage technology implementation and risk mitigation
• Establish product portfolio governance — balancing innovation investment, time-to- market, and customer commitments
• Advise leadership on technology partnerships, acquisitions, and innovative investments that expand or strengthen the product portfolio
• Drive critical product design reviews and technology assessments to ensure roadmap integrity and execution quality
• Lead the product marketing function to build compelling, differentiated value propositions for each market segment
• Partner with Sales and the Chief Sales & Marketing Officer to develop go-to-market strategies for advanced storage technologies
• Drive competitive positioning frameworks and customer-facing technical narratives that enable Sales to win
• Lead strategic engagements with key customers to co-develop product roadmaps and validate market requirements
• Champion WD's innovation story externally — at industry conferences, analyst briefings, media engagements, and customer forums
• Build segment-specific messaging across cloud, enterprise, consumer, and emerging verticals
• Lead demand planning processes in close partnership with Sales, Finance, and Operations to build accurate, forward-looking demand signals
• Establish monthly and quarterly demand review cadences aligned to the S&OP process
• Drive forecast accuracy improvement as a measurable organizational capability
• Own supply allocation decision frameworks that balance customer commitments, revenue optimization, and strategic account prioritization
• Partner with Global Operations and Manufacturing on supply constraint scenarios and allocation trade-offs
• Serve as the executive decision-maker for escalated allocation conflicts across business units and geographies
• Lead the strategy, negotiation framework, and governance for Long-Term Agreements with strategic customers
• Partner with Sales, Legal, and Finance to structure LTAs that deliver volume commitments, pricing stability, and supply security
• Ensure LTA portfolio is actively managed — tracking performance, renegotiation timelines, and risk exposure
• Serve as the primary product and commercial interface to Sales, Finance, Legal, and Operations at the ELT level
• Partner with Manufacturing and Operations teams to understand cost structures and production scalability that inform product and pricing decisions
• Collaborate with Finance and Strategy teams on technology investment ROI analysis, business case development, and portfolio trade-offs
• Develop and maintain strong executive relationships with key customers, analysts, and industry partners
• Lead a multi-functional organization spanning Product Roadmap, Product Marketing & Product Introduction — each led by a Sr Director reporting directly to this role
• Managing and developing Sr. Director/Director-level leaders, setting direction, building organizational health, and holding them accountable for results across their respective domains
• Owning enterprise-wide product decisions that cross business units, geographies, and customer segments
• Representing the product organization at the ELT level, in board-level discussions, with strategic customers, and in external forums
• Setting the organizational culture and talent strategy for a large, globally distributed product management team

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
• Short Term Incentive Plan (“STI Plan”)
• Sales Incentive Plan (“SIP”)
• Long-Term Incentive (LTI) program, which consists of restricted stock units (RSUs) or cash equivalents

What This Job Offers

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