Supply Chain Program Manager

Company Description

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.

Job Description

As a Supply Chain Program Manager in the Supply Chain Center of Excellence, you will work alongside some of the most experienced and accomplished minds across Western Digital's Supply Chain functions, while engaging with the newest and most cutting-edge ideas in the field. Your role is to bring the two together, combining proven expertise with emerging thinking so that they work in harmony and deliver results.

You will be awarded opportunities across the full spectrum of Supply Chain functions, engaging with established leaders in Logistics, Direct Procurement, Indirect Procurement, Planning, Risk and Resiliency, Operations and beyond. Rather than relying on authority, you will build consensus through influence and persuasion, grounded in both hard facts and qualitative insight. Success depends on strong dependency management, stakeholder alignment and clear communication across functions that may have other priorities.

How we Operate

These are the behaviors expected every day. They map to the WD Leadership Expectations and define the standard that this position role models for the wider team.

Own the outcome, not the tracker. The plan is an instrument. The measure is whether the ramp landed on time, at cost and at quality.

Champion clear decisions. Most Program delay is undecided, not unknown. Frame the choice, name the decider, get it made and record it.

Manage the seams. Functions are usually competent inside their own boundary. Programs fail between them, which is where the Program Manager works.

Escalate early with a recommendation. Raise it when there is still room to act, and bring the option you would choose.

Be direct and transparent about status. Green that turns red without warning destroys credibility permanently. Report what is, not what is hoped.

Influence without direct line authority. Nobody on the Program reports to you. Credibility, preparation and reliability are the only levers — build them deliberately.

Close the loop. A Program that ends without lessons captured has spent the organization’s learning and kept none of it

Key Responsibilities

Strong Program Management Skills

Integrated planning and governance. Own the master plan, milestones, dependencies, owners, RAID log and steering committee cadence across all workstreams, with an independent view of status.

Scope, schedule and budget control. Protect the baseline, manage change through a disciplined process, and keep the program on time and on budget.

Risk and decision management. Surface risks early, frame decisions with options and a recommendation, and record outcomes so they are not relitigated.

Run the Program cadence at the right rhythm for the phase

Maintain a single source of truth for Program status

Define and enforce entry and exit criteria at each gate

Program Portfolio Leadership and Team Development

Own a portfolio of supply chain Programs, including major ramps and transitions of high complexity

Lead, coach and develop the Program Managers running them, building advanced proficiency across the Program management toolkit

Set the Program management standard for the function: plans, cadence, gates, reporting and post-Program review

Frame executive decisions, manage complex risk and drive cross-functional alignment without authority

Stakeholder Alignment

Cross-functional alignment. Bring together Legal, Direct Materials, Indirect Procurement, Logistics, Sales, Finance and IT, each with different contract types, risk tolerances and priorities.

Balancing competing priorities. Reconcile Legal’s risk posture, Procurement’s efficiency goals and the business’s need for speed into decisions all parties can support.

Composure with difficult stakeholders. Remain calm, respectful and fact-based when challenged; depersonalize conflict and keep the focus on outcomes.

Earned trust and sponsorship. Involve skeptics early, give them a real voice in design, and use executive sponsors and escalation paths deliberately.

Cross-Functional Dependency Management

Map dependencies across Sourcing, Engineering, Quality, Operations, Planning and suppliers

Track dependency status and drive owners to their commitments

Resolve cross-functional conflicts at the working level where possible

Escalate blocked dependencies with the decision required clearly stated

Risk and Decision Management

Maintain a live Program risk register with owners, mitigations and trigger points

Run scenario analysis on the risks that could move the Program

Frame decisions clearly: the choice, the options, the trade-offs, the recommendation, the decider

Track decisions and their rationale so they are not relitigated

Delivery and Adoption Discipline

Fit to standard. Champion out-of-the-box capability and challenge customization that adds cost and risk without clear value.

Testing and cutover. Lead system integration and user acceptance testing, data migration validation and a well-rehearsed go-live.

Adoption and value. Drive training, change champions and adoption metrics such as contract cycle time, and confirm the business case is realized.

Measure adoption and sustainment, and reinforce new behaviors until they become the way Western Digital works

Change management

Lead organizational change that turns new processes, tools and ways of working into lasting habits across the enterprise

Build a compelling case for change and inspire stakeholders at every level, from executive sponsors to frontline teams

Design adoption roadmaps with clear communication, training and engagement plans that bring people along, not just systems

Identify and empower change champions who carry new practices into their own functions and regions

Anticipate resistance early and turn skeptics into advocates through listening, evidence and quick wins

Executive Communication and Decision Framing

Report Program status honestly, concisely and consistently

Frame executive decisions with the choice, options, trade-offs and a recommendation

Run executive forums that produce decisions rather than updates

Manage expectations early rather than explaining misses afterwards

Executive communication. Deliver concise, candid status that lets sponsors act quickly and with confidence.

Governance.  Run a structured governance process to include daily, weekly, biweekly, monthly core team and steering Committee meetings

Collateral development. Create update templates and work individually and with team members to create executive communication collateral

Program Analytics and Reporting

Build and maintain readiness and status dashboards

Use data rather than narrative to drive Program conversations

Track leading indicators, not just milestone completion

Adopt tooling, automation, and AI that reduce reporting effort

Post-Program Learning

Run honest post-Program reviews covering what worked and what did not

Convert lessons into process change with the relevant process owner

Share learning across the Program community

Improve templates, gates and standards based on what was learned

Business Process Transformation

Champion innovation by challenging how work is done today and envisioning how it should be done tomorrow

Identify opportunities to simplify, standardize and digitize end-to-end business processes across supply chain functions

Oversee transformation projects from concept through delivery, ensuring they meet scope, schedule and value commitments

Partner with IT and business owners to align process redesign with enabling systems, data and AI capabilities

Measure the impact of each transformation and feed the lessons into the next wave of improvement

What would success look like

Big bets that land. Bold programs and transformations delivered on time, on budget and at the quality customers expect.

Problems solved before they surface. Risks and gaps spotted early and closed well ahead of the moment they could hurt the business.

A supply chain ready for what's next. Capacity, capability and technology in place before demand arrives, not after.

Change without chaos. New processes, tools and transitions rolled out smoothly, with no disruption to customers and no value left on the table.

A voice leaders trust. Reporting so candid and reliable that there are never surprises, and status always reflects reality.

Decisions made in the room. Choices framed so clearly that leaders can act on the spot and keep momentum high.

A legacy that compounds. Every lesson turned into a lasting standard, so each program makes the next one faster, smarter and better.

Qualifications

Required

Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, Engineering, Business or a related field

10+ years of experience in supply chain, operations or program management, including leading product ramps, technology transitions or supplier readiness in a high-tech, semiconductor or electronics manufacturing environment

A track record of leading process improvement or transformation work with measurable results

Hands-on familiarity with AI and automation, including generative AI tools, and the curiosity to apply them to real supply chain problems

Organizational change management experience

Experience leading and developing Program Managers or cross-functional teams

Demonstrated ability to frame executive decisions and influence senior stakeholders without direct authority

Strong working knowledge of supplier capacity, qualification, engineering change and end-of-life management

Proficiency with program analytics and dashboarding tools

Preferred

Master's degree or MBA

PMP, PgMP or ASCM (APICS) certification

Experience in data storage or hard disk drive supply chains

Delivering AI and machine learning use cases, such as predictive supplier risk, demand sensing and generative AI assistants

Experience with control towers, digital twins and supplier risk platforms

Setting up or maturing a Program Management Office, which ties to the next-generation PMO in the opening

Leading scenario planning, tabletop exercises or business continuity programs

A background in consulting, transformation offices or a center of excellence

Familiarity with sustainability, ESG and trade-compliance requirements

Working with global teams and Asia-based supplier networks

Change management certification (e.g., Prosci) or a record of leading large-scale adoption programs

Programs are where every part of the supply chain organization has to work as one. This role holds limited authority and all of the accountability, which makes credibility the entire currency of the role. Earn it by being prepared, being honest about status, and forcing the decisions nobody else wants to call.

In summary, the Program Manager is encouraged to bring innovation and creativity to every challenge, and fresh thinking about where the supply chain should go next will always be welcome. You will not be starting from a blank page: Western Digital is already pursuing a number of cutting-edge initiatives, and you will have the opportunity to shape, accelerate and expand them.

Additional Information

WD is committed to providing equal opportunities to all applicants and employees and will not discriminate against any applicant or employee based on their race, co