Job Description
Overview
Western Digital (WDC) is seeking a strategic, results-driven, and influential Chief Procurement
Officer (CPO) to balance strategic and tactical execution of global, enterprise-wide strategic
sourcing business. In addition to the procurement function, the role will lead the global logistics
organization.
The Chief Procurement Officer will add value by reducing costs and through excellence in
procurement strategy development and implementation, supply-based management, supplier
relationship management, and transactional procurement processes.
This executive will develop long term sourcing strategies and actionable steps to improve
operational performance, while ensuring best purchasing value and competitive advantage
through the purchasing of capital equipment, direct and indirect materials, and services to
support businesses worldwide.
This leader will play a pivotal role as a strategic partner across all functions within the business
via the thoughtful analysis of suppliers, markets, and operations needs to support long-lasting,
agile supplier partnerships that enable business growth
Purchasing Organization
• Oversee and elevate the end-to-end procurement process including strategy, supplier
identification, sourcing execution, contract negotiation, delivery planning, procure-to-pay,
and ongoing performance management and improvement.
• Lead all categories within procurement structure: Both Product and Non-Product related.
• Act as the senior executive supplier contact point externally and internally. Responsible
for cross-business commodity coordination as required.
• Align Business Groups around the supplier strategy and supply base consolidation.
• Assess, develop and implement Purchasing outsourcing strategy.
Purchasing Performance Optimization
• Ensure the optimum Purchasing performance to achieve security of supply, quality, cost,
timing, environmental, safety, sustainability and technology requirements in line with
business objectives.• Ensure continuous delivery of double-digit annual purchasing savings through
aggressive cost innovation.
• Drive spend leverage for select direct material to realize significantly higher savings.
• Deliver committed Key Performance Indicators (e.g. savings and DPO).
• Prioritize data analytics to accelerate digitization of the procurement and supply chain
organizations to ensure stronger inventory management practices and provide accurate
forecasts to prevent shortages.
• Assess and improve current procurement center of excellence organization.
• Roll out global materials forecasts and drive material lead-time reduction programs.
• Manage and optimize supply base by rationalizing and implementing and managing
stringent procedures on supplier quality assurance.
Organizational Leadership
• Recruit, retain, and develop a global, culturally diverse team while driving a transition to
a new organizational model. Note, a large cohort of the procurement organization are in
Asia.
• Drive the implementation of Purchasing Contract Management, aligning processes,
master data management and negotiation time schedules.
• Improve knowledge management and contract templates.
• Continue enhancing the skill sets of the broad Purchasing organization, while coaching
and developing key individuals.
• Practice thoughtful succession planning and build a robust bench of future leaders.
Qualifications
Qualifications:
Global Procurement Leadership at Scale
• Has led a procurement function for a global division or enterprise with revenue of $10B+
and annual procurement spend of $5B+.
• Preference for individuals with prior CPO experience.
• Leverages people, process and technology to drive transformation. Has built/re-built
exceptional teams. Influential and able to manage stakeholders; can build a case for
change and gain buy-in from key stakeholders to ensure compliance.
Relevant Industry and Category Experience
• Experience with a vertically-integrated company with a portfolio of complex, highly
engineered products. Experience in a hardware technology company preferred.
• Comfortable leading direct and indirect procurement teams and sourcing relevant raw
materials to WDC. Ideally brings experience sourcing capital equipment.
Procurement Excellence:
• Deep understanding of procurement excellence: strategic sourcing, category strategy,
vendor economics, supplier management/innovation, and total cost of ownership in a
highly complex global organization.
• Experience relaying the value of a center-led procurement approach across an
organization and win the support of stakeholders.• Brings market intel and stays abreast of industry/functional/technology developments.
Has driven digital transformation by leveraging data analytics to drive improved visibility
and foresight into inventory and potential supply chain disruptions. Experience with
Procure-to-Pay platforms is desirable.
International Expertise
• Culturally dexterous with deep experience in U.S. and Asia markets with a track record
of managing global teams and suppliers.
Functional Leadership Responsibility:
• Strategy, Program Management and Operations
• Direct Materials
• Indirect Materials
• Logistics
• Digital Transformation
Critical Leadership Capabilities:
• Grows our Business – translates future possibilities into breakthrough strategies using
a balanced global view that leads the organization from inspiration to execution of
successful outcomes.
• Leads our People – creates an exceptional place to work that delivers excellence
through inspiring, coaching and engaging our people.
• Shapes the future – identifies what is next on the horizon, evaluates emerging
opportunities. evolves and reimagines more innovative ways to drive future success for
the business.