Supply Chain Program Manager

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, 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 [email protected] 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 1/6/2027(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.
• 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.

Notice To Candidates: Please be aware that WD and its subsidiaries will never request payment as a condition for applying for a position or receiving an offer of employment. Should you encounter any such requests, please report it immediately to WD Ethics Helpline or email [email protected].

Compensation: 164000 to 218700 (USD) (YEARLY)