Talent Program Manager

Job Description

The Program Manager for Early Career Programs (University Recruiting Team) will be a motivated and detail-oriented professional who plays a critical role in bringing our global early career strategy to life. Partnering closely with the Senior Manager of Global Programs, you’ll help execute and enhance our internship and early career initiatives—designing engaging experiences, managing operations, and ensuring programs are inclusive, impactful, and aligned with business priorities.

As an Early Career Talent Program Manager, you will own delivering and optimizing the full lifecycle of early career programs—bringing our global strategy to life through exceptional execution. You’ll manage onboarding, orientation, engagement activities, skill development, and offboarding, while continuously improving processes to create a seamless and impactful experience. In this role, you’ll collaborate with teams across Recruiting, Organizational Development & Learning, Talent Insights, Marketing & Communications, and business leaders to ensure every program is engaging, inclusive, and aligned with organizational goals.

Success in this role requires a balance of operational excellence, stakeholder partnership, and hands‑on execution.

• Execute and enhance global internship and early career program frameworks — bringing established strategies to life through exceptional delivery and continuous improvement.
• Deliver structured, inclusive, and scalable experiences for interns and early career hires, ensuring programs are engaging, impactful, and aligned with business priorities.
• Develop curricula focused on professional skills, leadership foundations, business acumen, and career readiness.
• Support and enhance rotational programs, ensuring consistency, clarity, and strong developmental outcomes.
• Ensure alignment of early career programs with business priorities and workforce planning needs.

• End‑to‑end execution of early career and internship programs, including onboarding, orientation, events, learning sessions, etc.
• Assist with program operations and logistics, including event planning, speaker coordination, vendor management, scheduling, & budgets.
• Serve as primary liaison between interns and managers, ensuring clear communication and support.
• Track program participants progress, engagement, and performance.
• Prepare and deliver presentations, program updates, and data‑driven insights.
• Partnering with OD & Learning to ensure early career hires receive the right skill development and building tools and resources to strengthen coaching and performance management.

• Partner with marketing to build a compelling early career program brand, promotional strategy, and on campus presence.
• Ensure consistent and effective communications with interns, early career hires, managers, speakers, and business leaders.
• Lead and facilitate live sessions, workshops, and events.
• Serve as an engaging and motivational presenter who can connect with a diverse early career audience.
• Create a high‑energy, inclusive environment that fosters belonging, growth, learning, connection and development.

Required:

• Minimum 5+ years of program management experience in early career, internship, university relations, or related talent programs.
• Proven experience designing and executing onboarding, learning programs, or large scale events.
• Strong program management skills, including planning, execution, stakeholder management, and measurement.
• Experience working cross‑functionally with recruiting, learning, communications, and business leaders.
• Comfort with public speaking, facilitation, and presenting to large groups and executives.
• Willingness and flexibility to travel as needed.

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…