Associate, Corporate Strategy Analyst

Western Digital; San Jose (CA); Hybrid; USD 152,000 - 202,000; Full time

Job summary

Western Digital's Strategy & Corporate Development team leads projects spanning core HDD data storage and New Ventures, shaping long-term corporate strategy. The Associate will own strategy projects end-to-end, delivering market sizing, competitive analysis, and GTM assessments for executives.

The role requires 3–6 years in consulting or related roles, strong financial modeling, and excellent communication. Flexible remote options exist within company policy; travel 10–20% internationally.

Qualifications

• 3–6 years experience in consulting, corporate strategy, investment banking, or a research-intensive analytical role.
• Ability to own and lead complex strategic projects end-to-end with problem structuring and final recommendations.
• Strong financial and analytical acumen including models, scenario analysis, and business case development; comfortable with quantitative frameworks.
• Experience conducting primary and secondary research to inform strategic recommendations.

Responsibilities

• Own and lead strategic projects end-to-end across core HDD/data storage and New Ventures.
• Lead market sizing, competitive landscaping, and GTM assessments with cross-functional stakeholders.
• Develop executive-ready deliverables and clear narratives for senior leadership (C-suite/Board).
• Build and maintain financial and analytical models to support strategic recommendations.

Skills

Excel

PowerPoint

Financial modeling

Cross-functional collaboration

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Education

MBA or equivalent work experience

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, Economics, or Finance

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

• Job Type (exemption status): Exempt position - Please see related compensation & benefits details below
• Salary Range: 151,700.00-202,200.00
• Business Function: Corporate Strategy

Company Description

Western Digital is entering a new chapter. Following our spin-off of SanDisk, we are stepping into our future as an independent deep-tech company, one built on decades of engineering breakthroughs and pointed squarely at the biggest technological frontiers of our time.

We are a company of physicists, materials scientists, AI researchers, and engineers. We work at the frontier of magnetics, photonics, nanofabrication, and machine learning - disciplines most people never encounter, solving problems most people don't know exist. Our teams hold one of the largest intellectual property banks in Silicon Valley, and our labs are staffed with hundreds of PhDs who've spent their careers pushing what's physically possible.

Most folks know us as a data storage company, powering data centers, hyperscale clouds, and AI systems that define the modern economy. HDD is the backbone of the AI economy and the most scalable, cost-efficient way to store the world's data - and we're building its future. But it's only part of the story. In the past, our technology has helped put a man on the moon and captured the first-ever picture of a black hole. The next generation of what we are building will shape robotics, quantum computing, space systems, personalized medicine, autonomous vehicles, and more. We are entering the most ambitious phase of our company's history. As AI reshapes every industry and every workload, the world needs more data infrastructure, better materials science, and deeper engineering talent than ever before. That's what we do. That's what we've always done. And we're just getting started.

Western Digital's Strategy & Corporate Development team is the connective tissue bridging Western Digital's technology to the markets it will serve. We turn deep-tech capability into commercial impact, strengthening our position in the core HDD business, setting the company's long-term strategy, and executing the partnerships, investments, and acquisitions that shape what we build next.

If you want to work on problems that matter at the intersection of deep technology, business strategy, and real-world impact, we would love to talk.

Join us. Let's build what comes next.

Job Description

Strategic Projects Ownership

• Associate will independently own and lead strategic projects that span both core business in data storage as well as New Ventures which covers new business opportunities related to technologies in photonics, magnetics, and nano-fabrication.
• Independently lead and own project outputs end-to-end including market sizing, competitive landscaping, end customer and segment analysis, GTM frameworks, build-buy-partner assessments, and more; serve as a credible thought partner to executives and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Track timelines, synthesize cross-functional inputs, and deliver against tight deadlines with minimal supervision while escalating appropriately on critical decisions.

Research & Analysis

• Conduct primary and secondary research: market sizing, competitive landscaping, customer and partner dynamics, technology trend tracking, and peer benchmarking.
• Synthesize insights from diverse sources into clear analytical conclusions that inform strategic recommendations.
• Develop executive-quality deliverables: structured slide decks, one-pagers, briefing notes, and read-outs for executive leadership (C-suite and Board) audiences.
• Translate complex analysis into clear, compelling narratives suitable for senior leadership consumption.

Financial & Analytical Modeling

• Build and maintain supporting financial and analytical models including market sizing, scenario analysis, business case development, and GTM economics.
• Develop quantitative frameworks that underpin strategic recommendations with rigor and defensibility.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with cross-functional stakeholders to align on strategic priorities, gather inputs, and drive recommendations through to decisions.
• Build trusted relationships with commercial, product, and finance stakeholders and drive alignment independently.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 3–6 years experience overall with minimum 2 spent in consulting, corporate strategy, investment banking, or a research-intensive analytical role; progressive career trajectory with increasing scope, ownership, and complexity of work over time.
• Demonstrated ability to own and lead complex strategic projects end-to-end with C-suite output quality, from problem structuring through to final recommendation.
• Strong financial and analytical acumen including models, scenario analysis, and business case development; comfortable with quantitative frameworks.
• Experience conducting primary research (expert interviews, customer conversations, channel checks) and secondary research (industry reports, analyst research, public filings) to inform strategic recommendations.
• Strong cross-functional collaborator who can build trusted relationships with commercial, product, and finance stakeholders; drives alignment independently.
• Experience working with senior leaders and delivering executive-level deliverables independently.
• Solid Excel and PowerPoint skills; data visualization a plus.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience supporting or embedded in commercial, GTM, or sales organizations preferred

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience in deep technology, data storage, semiconductor, or enterprise infrastructure.
• Experience with competitive intelligence or market research tools (e.g., PitchBook, Bloomberg, Gartner).

Education

• MBA or equivalent work experience preferred.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, Economics, Finance, or a related analytical field.

Location

• San Jose, California (must be willing to relocate)
• Flexibility for remote work within established company policies.
• 10-20% travel including domestic and international travel to meet with targets, advisors, investors, partners, and industry events.

What Makes This Role Unique

This is a high-impact analytical role at the center of Western Digital's corporate strategy function, offering direct exposure to the Executive Leadership Team on the company's most important strategic questions. The Associate will independently drive strategic projects championed by senior executives on a wide range of topics and business areas that cover core business (HDD, data storage, infrastructure, AI/cloud) and New Ventures. The role offers a rare opportunity to build deep expertise in AI infrastructure, data storage, and new deep technologies while operating with the autonomy and rigor of a top-tier corporate strategy function.

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, color, ancestry, religion (including religious dress and grooming standards), sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, breastfeeding or related medical conditions), gender (including a person’s gender identity, gender expression, and gender-related appearance and behavior, whether or not stereotypically associated with the person’s assigned sex at birth), age, national origin, sexual orientation, medical condition, marital status (including domestic partnership status), physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, protected medical and family care leave, Civil Air Patrol status, military and veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. We also prohibit harassment of any individual on any of the characteristics listed above. Our non-discrimination policy applies to all aspects of employment. We comply with the laws and regulations set forth in the "Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal ” poster. Our pay transparency policy is available HERE

WD thrives on the power and potential of diversity. As a global company, we believe the most effective way to embrace the diversity of our customers and communities is to mirror it from within. We believe the fusion of various perspectives results in the best outcomes for our employees, our company, our customers, and the world around us. We are committed to an inclusive environment where every individual can thrive through a sense of belonging, respect and contribution.

WD is committed to offering opportunities to applicants with disabilities and ensuring all candidates can successfully navigate our careers website and our hiring process. Please contact us at [emailprotected] to advise us of your accommodation request. In your email, please include a description of the specific accommodation you are requesting as well as the job title and requisition number of the position for which you are applying.

Based on our experience, we anticipate that the application deadline will be 10/06/2026(3 months from posting), although we reserve the right to close the application process sooner if we hire an applicant for this position before the application deadline. If we are not able to hire someone from this role before the application deadline, we will update this posting with a new anticipated application deadline.

Compensation & Benefits Details

• 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.
• Thesalaryrange is what we believe to be the range of possible compensation