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

Job Description

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.

Qualifications

Qualifications

Required

* Extensive experience in supply chain, operations, strategy, or related domains-ideally in a fast-scaling tech, hardware, semiconductors, or cloud infrastructure environment.

* Experience partnering closely with Product, Engineering, Manufacturing, and Finance in a technology company.

* Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to create compelling narratives for senior executives.

* Strong analytical and modeling skills; comfort with large data sets and technology-forward planning ecosystems.

* Proven success leading cross-functional initiatives in matrixed organizations.

* Ability to influence without authority in…