Managing VC Director @ Western Digital in San Francisco, CA

Western Digital Corp.; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Western Digital is seeking a Managing Director of Corporate Venture Capital to shape and execute its venture strategy, driving investments that accelerate growth in core and adjacent markets. This key role demands deep venture capital expertise and the ability to translate innovation into business value.

Candidates should possess a Bachelor's degree, preferably an MBA, and 12+ years of related experience. Responsibilities include leading investment processes, managing a portfolio of strategic investments, and representing Western Digital at industry events.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in venture capital, corporate VC, private equity, or corporate development.
• Proven track record in managing early- and growth-stage technology investments.

Responsibilities

• Lead the execution of Western Digital’s corporate venture strategy.
• Source and assess high-potential startups through engagement with founders and VCs.
• Manage a portfolio of strategic investments, monitoring performance.

Skills

Venture capital expertise

Financial modeling

Negotiation skills

Strategic thinking

Interpersonal communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree

MBA or advanced technical degree

Job description

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 that—our 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™.

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.

Job Description

As a key leader within Western Digital’s Corporate Development & Strategic Planning organization, the Managing Director of Corporate Venture Capital will shape and execute the company’s venture strategy in alignment with its long-term innovation roadmap. This high‑impact role serves as a strategic interface between external innovation and internal priorities, driving investments that accelerate growth and technological leadership in core and adjacent markets.

This role requires deep venture capital expertise, fluency in technology trends—particularly in compute, storage, infrastructure, and networking—and the ability to translate innovation into business value. The ideal candidate will lead end‑to‑end investment processes, including detailed financial modeling and deal structuring, while also cultivating strong ties with the global startup ecosystem and key internal stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Lead the execution of Western Digital’s corporate venture strategy, aligned with enterprise innovation goals and long‑term business priorities.
• Collaborate with Corporate Development, Strategic Planning, and Technology teams to define thematic focus areas and develop targeted investment theses.
• Track and analyze emerging trends across compute, storage, infrastructure, and networking to guide investment decisions.

Venture Investment & Execution

• Source and assess high‑potential startups in strategic domains through deep engagement with founders, VCs, and internal experts.
• Lead investment diligence, including product/tech validation, competitive analysis, market sizing, and financial modeling.
• Build detailed venture deal models including cap table analysis, dilution scenarios, exit outcomes, and scenario planning.
• Lead and orchestrate a complete deal round for select targets.
• Drive deal execution—term sheet development, negotiation, and close—in collaboration with legal, finance, and tax teams.
• Identify and support proof‑of‑concept pilots, go‑to‑market opportunities, and technology integrations with portfolio companies.

Portfolio Strategy & Management

• Manage a portfolio of strategic investments, monitoring performance and facilitating strategic engagement between portfolio companies and business units.
• Evaluate and report on financial and strategic outcomes, portfolio impact, and alignment with corporate priorities.
• Provide board‑level guidance or observer oversight to ensure portfolio companies are well‑positioned for growth.

Ecosystem & Stakeholder Engagement

• Maintain strong relationships with leading venture capital firms, accelerators, entrepreneurs, and corporate innovation networks.
• Represent Western Digital at industry conferences, venture summits, and ecosystem forums to identify opportunities and enhance visibility.
• Serve as a trusted advisor and internal evangelist for venture‑driven innovation across R&D, product, and go‑to‑market teams.

Organizational Leadership

• Champion a culture of innovation, investment excellence, and cross‑functional collaboration.
• Establish and continuously improve frameworks, tools, and governance processes for CVC operations.
• Provide strategic guidance to senior leadership on market disruptions, competitive threats, and whitespace opportunities.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required; MBA or advanced technical degree (e.g., CS, EE) strongly preferred.
• 12+ years of experience in venture capital, corporate VC, private equity, investment banking, corporate development.
• Proven track record in sourcing, structuring, and managing early‑ and growth‑stage technology investments.
• Experience working in or with startups and emerging technologies in compute, storage, infrastructure, or networking sectors.

Skills & Capabilities

• Deep understanding of venture capital financial models, cap table dynamics, and dilution mechanics across financing rounds.
• Strong command of investment evaluation frameworks, exit analysis, and scenario modeling.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to synthesize technical trends and translate them into business value and investment rationale.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to influence across a matrixed, global organization.
• Highly organized and able to prioritize multiple initiatives in a fast‑paced, execution‑oriented environment.

Additional Information

Western Digital 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.