Director, Supply Chain - Demand and Supply Planning

Company Description

At Western Digital, our vision is to power global innovation and push the boundaries of technology to make what you thought was once impossible, possible.

At our core, Western Digital is a company of problem solvers. People achieve extraordinary things given the right technology. For decades, we’ve been doing just that. Our technology helped people put a man on the moon.

We are a key partner to some of the largest and highest growth organizations in the world. From energizing the most competitive gaming platforms, to enabling systems to make cities safer and cars smarter and more connected, to powering the data centers behind many of the world’s biggest companies and public cloud, Western Digital is fueling a brighter, smarter future.

Binge-watch any shows, use social media or shop online lately? You’ll find Western Digital supporting the storage infrastructure behind many of these platforms. And, that flash memory card that captures and preserves your most precious moments? That’s us, too.

We offer an expansive portfolio of technologies, storage devices and platforms for business and consumers alike. Our data-centric solutions are comprised of the Western Digital®, G-Technology™, San Disk® and WD® brands.

Today’s exceptional challenges require your unique skills. It’s You & Western Digital. Together, we’re the next BIG thing in data.

The Director of Demand and Supply Planning will lead creation of the operations demand signal and inventory management for our Hard Disk Drive (HDD) product portfolio. This role is responsible for ensuring that customer demand signals are accurately captured and translated into executable manufacturing and component supply plans across a complex, multi-tier global supply chain.

The Director will play a critical role in aligning demand signals with wafer starts, component procurement, and factory builds, ensuring optimal service levels while balancing cost, inventory, and capacity utilization. This position requires understanding of HDD manufacturing cycles, component dependencies (e.g., media, heads, actuators, PCBs), and the dynamics of data center, OEM, and channel markets.

• Lead the end-to-end global HDD demand planning process, integrating sales, marketing, and customer forecasts into a consolidated global view.

• Analyze demand patterns across data center, cloud, OEM, and consumer channels.

• Develop advanced statistical forecasting models that incorporate shipment history, product transitions, and customer order behavior.

• Partner with Sales, Product Management, and Finance to align demand signals with market trends, capacity plans, and corporate targets.

• Partner with BU, Sales and Customer Operations teams for supply allocation during constrained environments.

• Manage the execution of constrained supply across customers and lead allocation decisions during demand surges or component shortages.

• Collaborate with Operations, Engineering, and Procurement to mitigate supply risks and ensure delivery continuity.

• Drive the Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) process, integrating supply, demand, and financial perspectives into a single operating plan.

• Define and manage global inventory policies, safety stocks, and buffer strategies to achieve service level targets with minimal working capital.

• Lead initiatives to reduce excess and obsolete (E&O) inventory, especially during product transitions and end-of-life cycles.

• Collaborate with factory operations to optimize production loading, capacity utilization, and lead times.

• Build and lead a high-performing global planning team located across regional sites.

• Partner with IT and data analytics teams to enhance planning tools.

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Industrial Engineering, Business Administration, or a related technical field.

• Master’s degree in Supply Chain/Industrial Engineering preferred.

• 7–10 years of experience in supply chain planning within HDD, storage devices, or semiconductor/electronics manufacturing .

• Strong understanding of…