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

Role Summary

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

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Technology Enablement

• 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.

Chief of Staff Responsibilities

• 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

Executive Communication & Storytelling

• 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.

Cross-Functional Program & Portfolio Management

• 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.

Operational Excellence in a Scaling Tech Environment

• 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.