Senior Director, Strategy

Strategic Leadership Opportunity At Western Digital

At Western Digital, our vision is to power global innovation and push the boundaries of technology to make what you thought was once impossible, possible. At our core, Western Digital is a company of problem solvers. People achieve extraordinary things given the right technology. For decades, we've been doing just thatour technology helped people put a man on the moon and capture the first-ever picture of a black hole. We offer an expansive portfolio of technologies, HDDs, and platforms for business, creative professionals, and consumers alike under our Western Digital, WD, WD_BLACK, and SanDisk Professional brands. We are a key partner to some of the largest and highest-growth organizations in the world. From enabling systems to make cities safer and more connected, to powering the data centers behind many of the world's biggest companies and hyperscale cloud providers, to meeting the massive and ever-growing data storage needs of the AI era, Western Digital is fueling a brighter, smarter future. Today's exceptional challenges require your unique skills. Together, we can build the future of data storage.

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.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Opportunity Identification & Assessment

• Identify and evaluate high-value strategic opportunities in storage adjacencies (software, platforms, services, new business models).
• Assess market opportunities in Software-Defined Storage (SDS), storage management platforms, data orchestration, and tiered storage solutions.
• Evaluate emerging business models (Storage-as-a-Service, consumption-based pricing, platform partnerships).
• Develop frameworks for assessing build vs. buy vs. partner decisions for software and platform opportunities.
• Identify white space opportunities where Western Digital's capabilities create unique competitive advantages, analyzing the strategic fit and value creation potential relative to the core hardware business.

Market & Customer Strategy

Software & Platform Strategy

Partnership & Ecosystem Development

Business Model Innovation

Strategic Analysis & Executive Communication

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Qualifications

Experience : 12+ years in management consulting, corporate strategy, or business development with a focus on technology platforms and ecosystems. 5+ years 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.

Core Competencies :

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.

Preferred Qualifications

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.

Performance Metrics

Quality and impact of strategic recommendations on adjacency investment decisions Identification of high-value strategic opportunities that lead to partnership or investment decisions Rigor and clarity of business cases and strategic analyses for adjacency opportunities Effectiveness in influencing executive strategy and resource allocation for new initiatives Stakeholder satisfaction across executive leadership and cross-functional partners Contribution to partnership pipeline and deal flow in storage adjacencies Quality of strategic thought leadership on storage industry evolution and business model innovation

Location

San