Senior Director, Finance - Data Center at Western Digital in San Jose, CA, United States

Job description

• The Senior Director, Finance - Data Center Segment serves as the principal finance executive for Western Digital's largest and most strategically critical business unit. This role drives the financial strategy, planning, forecasting, and performance management for a multi-billion-dollar Data Center product portfolio spanning enterprise HDD, nearline storage, and next-generation capacity storage solutions serving the world's leading hyperscale cloud providers, enterprise OEMs, and channel partners.
• This leader operates at the intersection of finance, strategy, and commercial execution -translating complex market dynamics, customer demand signals, and product transitions into actionable financial insights that support executive decision-making at the highest levels of the organization. The Senior Director serves as a trusted advisor to Business Unit leadership and a critical partner to Corporate Finance, ensuring that segment performance is aligned with company-wide profitability objectives and long-range strategic goals.
• Beyond financial stewardship, this role carries a significant leadership mandate - building, developing, and supporting a finance organization while establishing clear expectations, accountability, analytical rigor, and continuous improvement across all finance functions supporting the Data Center business.

Responsibilities

• Financial Planning & Forecasting
• Own the end-to-end planning process - AOP, quarterly forecasts, monthly outlooks, and long-range plans
• Drive revenue and gross margin forecasting across all DC customer segments with a strong emphasis on accuracy and process discipline
• Partner with Sales, Business Planning, and Pricing to align forecasts with customer commitments, market share targets, and pricing strategy
• Translate macro trends - cloud CapEx cycles, AI infrastructure buildout, hyperscale demand - into quantified financial impact for executive planning
• Business Performance Management
• Lead monthly business reviews with senior and C-suite leadership, delivering concise, insight-driven financial presentations
• Develop and maintain KPIs and dashboards covering revenue, gross margin, ASP trends, volume mix, and product profitability
• Identify performance gaps early and drive corrective action recommendations with cross-functional partners
• Build risk and opportunity frameworks that provide leadership with balanced, scenario-based financial outlooks
• Strategic Finance & Business Partnership
• Serve as a strategic thought partner to the DC General Manager on all major business decisions
• Support product roadmap investments, customer deal economics, and market expansion opportunities with rigorous financial analysis and business case development
• Evaluate large customer agreements, pricing concessions, and supply commitments against margin thresholds and company objectives
• Provide financial framing for executive reviews, board presentations, and long-range planning sessions
• People & Organizational Leadership
• Lead and develop a finance organization through clear expectations, regular feedback, and meaningful development opportunities
• Champion adoption of modern finance tools - AI-driven forecasting, Power BI, and automation - to elevate team productivity and analytical impact
• Build a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement
• Attract and develop finance talent and support the development of the next generation of finance leaders

Requirements

• Education
• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, or related field (required)
• MBA or advanced degree in Finance or Business (preferred)
• CPA, CFA, or equivalent professional certification is a plus
• Experience
• Progressive finance leadership experience with demonstrated growth in scope, complexity, and responsibility
• Significant experience in technology, hardware, semiconductor, storage, or manufacturing industries - with direct HDD, SSD, or data storage experience considered valuable
• Proven track record of owning revenue and gross margin for a large-scale, multi-product, multi-customer business
• Experience leading finance for a business segment with direct accountability for P&L outcomes
• Demonstrated success building and leading effective finance teams
• Experience partnering with hyperscale, cloud, or enterprise technology customers on complex commercial engagements preferred
• Technical Skills
• Advanced financial modeling capabilities - scenario analysis, sensitivity modeling, DCF, and multi-variable forecasting
• Strong data analytics skills with proficiency in Excel, Power BI, Tableau, or equivalent analytical tools
• Familiarity with ERP and planning systems (SAP, Oracle, Anaplan, or equivalent)
• Working knowledge of AI-driven forecasting tools and modern FP&A technologies preferred
• Solid understanding of cost accounting, standard costing, and manufacturing economics
• Leadership & Interpersonal Skills
• Executive communication and presentation skills - ability to distill complex financial information into clear, concise, and actionable recommendations for senior leaders
• Strong business acumen - ability to connect financial data to business strategy and operational execution
• Demonstrated ability to influence senior leaders and drive business outcomes without direct authority
• Relationship-building and interpersonal effectiveness - ability to establish trust and maintain productive relationships across functions and organizational levels
• Sound judgment and prioritization - ability to assess competing priorities, make informed recommendations, and drive issues toward resolution
• Collaborative approach - ability to work across functions and create alignment around shared objectives
• Adaptability - ability to operate effectively in a dynamic business environment with evolving priorities

Skills

Required

• Strong business acumen
• Sound judgment and prioritization
• Collaborative approach
• Adaptability
• Advanced financial modeling
• AI-driven forecasting tools

Benefits

• An employee’s pay position within the salary range may be based on several factors including but not limited to (1) relevant education; qualifications; certifications; and experience; (2) skills, ability, knowledge of the job; (3) performance, contribution and results; (4) geographic location; (5) shift; (6) internal and external equity; and (7) business and organizational needs.
• The salary range is what we believe to be the range of possible compensation for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and this range is only applicable for jobs to be performed in California, Colorado, New York or remote jobs that can be performed in California, Colorado and New York. This range may be modified in the future.
• If your position is non-exempt, you are eligible for overtime pay pursuant to company policy and applicable laws. You may also be eligible for shift differential pay, depending on the shift to which you are assigned.
• You will be eligible to be considered for bonuses under either WD’s Short Term Incentive Plan (“STI Plan”) or the Sales Incentive Plan (“SIP”) which provides incentive awards based on Company and individual performance, depending on your role and your performance. You may be eligible to participate in our annual Long-Term Incentive (LTI) program, which consists of restricted stock units (RSUs) or cash equivalents, pursuant to the terms of the LTI plan. Please note that not all roles are eligible to participate in the LTI program, and not all roles are eligible for equity under the LTI plan. RSU awards are also available to eligible new hires, subject to WD's Standard Terms and Conditions for Restricted Stock Unit Awards.
• 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 WD Savings 401(k) Plan.
• Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole discretion, consistent with the law.