Senior Director, Head of WD Capital

Western Digital Corp.; California; On-site; USD 300,000 - 600,000; Full time

Job summary

Western Digital is seeking a Senior Director to lead WD Capital, the company’s corporate venture capital arm. You will own the strategy and execution, manage the portfolio, and build a pipeline of early‑stage, strategically relevant companies.

You will lead the full investment lifecycle from sourcing to exits and report to executive leadership. You will work with Legal, Finance, Strategy, and Business leaders to ensure disciplined execution and alignment with corporate objectives.

Qualifications

• Minimum 12+ years in venture capital or corporate VC, leading programs or funds.
• Proven track record sourcing, evaluating, negotiating and closing early‑stage tech investments.
• Experience with portfolio management, board/observer duties, and exits.
• Strong financial modeling, valuation and deal-structuring skills.
• Executive presence with communication to senior leadership or boards.

Responsibilities

• Own WD Capital portfolio end-to-end, monitor performance and drive exits.
• Build a thesis-driven pipeline aligned to WD's priorities.
• Develop and evolve investment theses with business leaders and strategy teams.
• Lead sourcing, due diligence, valuation, structuring, negotiation, and closing.
• Present recommendations to Investment Committee and executives.
• Cultivate venture ecosystem relationships to sustain deal flow.
• Define WD Capital's strategy, governance, and operating processes.
• Translate market and tech trends into actionable insights.
• Collaborate with Legal, Finance, Strategy, and Business units.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Deal leadership

Ownership & autonomy

Relationship building

Analytical rigor

Education

Bachelor's degree in a technical discipline

MBA or MS/PhD preferred

Job 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.

Western Digital is seeking a Senior Director to lead and own WD Capital, the company's corporate venture capital (CVC) arm. This individual will serve as the primary owner of WD Capital's strategy and execution: managing and adding value to the existing investment portfolio, building a thesis-driven pipeline of early-stage, strategically relevant companies, and leading the full investment lifecycle across sourcing, diligence, structuring, negotiation, closing, and ongoing portfolio governance. The role requires a rare combination of venture investing experience, technical depth, and the credibility to operate as a trusted partner to business and technical leaders, as well as the executive team.

• Portfolio Ownership & Management: Own the existing WD Capital portfolio end-to-end; monitor performance, support portfolio companies, manage board/observer seats, evaluate follow-on investment decisions, and drive exit and liquidity outcomes.
• Pipeline Development: Build and continuously refresh a thesis-driven pipeline of early-stage companies aligned to Western Digital's strategic and technology priorities.
• Investment Thesis Development: Partner with business leaders, CTO’s office, and Corporate Strategy to develop, test, and evolve investment theses that create strategic value for Western Digital.
• Deal Leadership (Soup-to-Nuts): Personally lead sourcing, screening, due diligence, valuation, deal structuring, negotiation, and closing for all new investment opportunities.
• Executive & Investment Committee Engagement: Prepare and present investment recommendations, portfolio reviews, and market insights to the Investment Committee and executive leadership.
• Ecosystem & Relationship Building: Cultivate a strong network across the venture ecosystem (investors, institutional VCs, founders, and accelerators) to ensure strong deal flow and syndicate access.
• Program Strategy & Governance: Define and evolve WD Capital's investment strategy, governance framework, and operating processes; establish WD Capital as a best-in-class CVC program.
• Market & Technology Intelligence: Track startup, technology, and competitive landscape trends relevant to Western Digital's markets and translate them into actionable investment and strategic insights.
• Cross-Functional Partnership: Work closely with Legal, Finance, Corporate Strategy, and Business leadership to align investments with corporate objectives and ensure disciplined execution.
• Bachelor's degree in a technical discipline required (e.g., Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Computer Science, or related field).
• 12+ years of relevant experience spanning venture capital and/or corporate venture capital, with direct experience having led or built a corporate venture capital program or fund.
• Prior experience working within an institutional venture capital fund (e.g., as an investor progressing through Associate, Principal, or Partner-track roles).
• Demonstrated track record independently sourcing, evaluating, negotiating, and closing early-stage technology investments from start to finish.
• Experience managing a portfolio of venture investments, including board/observer responsibilities and follow-on/exit decision-making.
• Strong financial modeling, valuation, and deal structuring skills, with sound judgment on risk and strategic fit.
• Deep familiarity with technology sectors relevant to Western Digital (storage, semiconductors, data infrastructure, AI/ML infrastructure, or adjacent deep tech domains).
• Executive presence and strong written/verbal communication skills, with experience presenting to senior leadership, investment committees, or boards.
• Established network and credibility within the venture capital and startup ecosystem.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree - MBA, or MS/PhD in a technical field.
• Prior board director or board observer experience with venture-backed companies.
• Experience building or scaling a CVC function within a large technology or industrial company.
• Familiarity with Western Digital's core markets: storage, flash/NAND, data infrastructure, and related ecosystems.

Core Competencies

• Strategic thinking: connects emerging technology and startup landscape to corporate strategy.
• Deal leadership: drives complex, multi-stakeholder transactions to closure with rigor and speed.
• Ownership & autonomy: operates as the accountable owner of the CVC function.
• Relationship building: builds trust with founders, co-investors, and internal executive stakeholders.
• Analytical rigor: sound judgment on valuation, risk, and strategic fit.

Travel

Moderate travel required (estimated 20–30%) for portfolio company engagement, sourcing, and industry events.

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 [e-mail] 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.