Vice President Talent

Job Description

The Role

Reporting to Chief Human Resources Officer (Designate) for the HDD Business, the VP Talent, Development and Inclusion Officer will lead the design and implementation of innovative and transformational talent management, learning & development and inclusion strategies, programs and tools for the global, 40,000 person organization.

Core responsibilities will include:

Overall Function and Talent Specific Deliverables:

• Establish a high-performance Talent, Development and Inclusion function to meet Western Digital’s current and future business needs
• Partner closely with internal and external stakeholders to ensure the TD&I strategy enables us to effectively attract, develop, engage and retain talent, and drives alignment to the company’s mission, vision, and values
• Build and refine a talent management strategy, architecture and roadmap – including but not limited to a succession planning framework, talent development architecture, L&D curriculum, and workforce planning structure. Certain tools and frameworks will be deployed by the TD&I team and others will require you to partner with the HRBPs and Leader Support team for an effective delivery and client engagement.
• Optimize organizational performance by creating and implementing programs that strengthen the knowledge, skills and abilities of our team members. Provide the tools and resources to ensure that they are successful in their current roles, prepare them for their future roles and ensure that we are ready to meet the challenges of our evolving workforce
• Create development pathways that support internal mobility and succession planning. Ensure annual senior succession plans prepared for the Board of Directors
• Partner with Total Rewards team to drive organization-wide quarterly performance management process, including goal setting and team member feedback sessions
• Work closely with HR Business partners and other key stakeholders to co-design talent programs and processes that are clearly defined, understood, and adopted. Ensure appropriate HR (and business) education prior to the launch of new initiatives.

L&D Specific Deliverables:

• Implement learning programs using various modalities such as workshops, online courses, seminars, coaching and mentoring.
• Design and implement company-wide L&D programs as a comprehensive learning ecosystem, aligned with company goals and employee development needs. Partner with individuals from Operations and Engineering functions to understand the Tech Academy and the technical leadership framework, and ensure linkage to company-wide leadership learning models. Additionally, partner with leaders from the Operations/manufacturing teams to determine specific HR-related learning and development needs for the Direct Labor population, with effective cross-organizational delivery.
• Partner with Talent Acquisition team to design onboarding and cultural orientation programs that effectively communicate our values and heritage
• Establish measurable goals and KPIs to track the effectiveness and impact of the L&D programs
• Leverage capabilities of LMS, AI and other technologies to optimize program delivery

DE&I:

• Partner across HR and with senior leaders on an organization-wide DE&I strategy, with tailored objectives to truly drive a more inclusive workforce
• Embed DE&I principles and leading practices across all talent programs
• Lead efforts for employee resource groups, to ensure strong executive and employee involvement and associated impact
• Partner with TA and other functions to ensure DE&I objectives have meaningful focus and outcomes
• Manage outside vendors and consultants that support key initiatives

Candidate Profile

The following will be vital components of experience for the successful candidate:

• Independent critical thinker and contributory member of the HR Leadership Team
• High strategic orientation and business acumen; well-developed team building, coaching, and influencing skills
• In-depth understanding of, and experience with the skills and core competencies across talent & inclusion, including engagement, development, performance management, succession planning, and organizational design.
• Experience engaging, developing and motivating a talent management team to be high performing and a valuable partner to the rest of the HR function and the business.
• Skilled in design thinking and iterative ways of working
• Demonstrated success building enterprise-wide learning programs that drive cultural transformation
• Strong understanding of adult learning principles and emerging L&D technologies
• Excellent facilitation skills with ability to engage audiences from front-line to executive level
• Proven track-record of building and sustaining excellent relationships at multiple levels in the workplace and with various external constituencies.

Qualifications

• Masters degree preferred/Bachelors degree required in Human Resources or related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience. 12+ years relevant experience, including demonstrated experience leading talent management function, preferably in global, highly distributed company.
• Experience with succession/talent management, change management, organization/leadership development, performance management
• Certified in organization development tools such as: personality indicators, 360 feedback tools, career assessments and coaching a plus
• Excellent strategic, consulting and process thinking abilities. Ability to simplify complex issues and take a pragmatic approach to organizational deliverables. Ability to architect and implement large change and operate easily between concept and operation.
• Experience leading teams and vendors in the program design and implementation of employee development, talent analytics, performance management, succession planning, and career development.
• Persuasive communicator with strong leadership presence, and interpersonal and team-building skills
• A track record of success in managing programs/processes to develop leaders
• Proven ability to form strategic partnerships with senior business leaders
• A demonstrated commitment to superior customer service and operational excellence
• Willingness to "roll up the sleeves" to get the job done
• Exhibits innovation and creativity in addressing future challenges
• Strong teamwork orientation and mentor who models high performance skills and outcomes
• Operate with integrity and have a track record of developing trust-based relationships
• Proven ability to utilize metrics necessary to assess the ROI, impact and effectiveness of leadership and organization development change initiatives
• Strong interpersonal skills, judgment, and a high ability to collaborate with and influence at all levels.
• Knowledge of labor laws, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion best practices.
• Strong leadership skills with proven experience developing diverse teams and individuals.