Senior Director, Corporate Development

About the role

Western Digital is entering a new chapter as an independent deep-tech company, built on decades of engineering breakthroughs in magnetics, photonics, nanofabrication, and machine learning. The Strategy & Corporate Development team bridges Western Digital’s technology to the markets it will serve, turning deep-tech capability into commercial impact through partnerships, investments, and acquisitions.

Responsibilities

• M&A Lifecycle Ownership: Own the full M&A lifecycle end-to-end—target identification, due diligence, valuation, structuring, negotiation, and close—across the core HDD business and new ventures spanning deep-tech opportunities including photonics, magnetics, and nano-fabrication.
• Lead complex transaction execution including mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, spin-outs/ins, creative capital structures, divestitures, and vertical integration aligned to Western Digital’s strategic priorities.
• Develop rigorous valuation frameworks, financial models, and deal structures.
• Deal Pipeline and Portfolio Optimization: Build and maintain a proprietary deal pipeline across data storage, AI/cloud adjacencies, and deep-tech by engaging with bankers, investors, startups, and operators to source high-quality opportunities aligned with Western Digital’s strategic direction.
• Optimize the corporate portfolio through acquisitions, divestitures, and strategic partnerships; evaluate build-vs-buy-vs-partner decisions for new capability development, technology acquisition, vertical integration, and market entry.
• Corporate Venture & Strategic Investments: Support corporate venture investment strategy by building relationships with VCs, accelerators, and ecosystem partners to source and invest in high-potential technology companies and startups aligned with WD’s strategic priorities.
• Assess emerging technologies and business models in storage, data infrastructure, AI, and deep-tech for potential minority investment or strategic partnership.
• Executive Communication: Deliver investment recommendations and executive briefings to the Executive Leadership Team and Board of Directors, translating complex deal opportunities into clear, actionable investment priorities.
• Synthesize market intelligence, competitive analysis, and financial modeling into compelling investment theses and strategic recommendations.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Engineering, Product, Finance, Commercial, Legal, and HR to coordinate key deal activities and integration planning with long-range strategic plans.

Qualifications

• Minimum 8–10 years in M&A, investment banking, private equity, corporate development, venture capital, or corporate ventures.
• Industry experience in a highly technical field required (e.g., storage, semiconductor, infrastructure, aerospace/defense, biopharma, telecom).
• Proven M&A execution and deal track record with full-cycle transaction ownership, including financial modeling, due diligence, negotiation, and post-merger activity.
• Exceptional financial modeling capability with the ability to independently build sophisticated valuation and deal models from scratch.
• Strong strategic thinking with the ability to design creative deal structures and economics to onboard new partners and acquisition targets and align on value creation.
• Proven cross-functional deal management experience across Legal, Finance, Product, Engineering, and business unit stakeholders.
• Track record of building and leveraging relationships across bankers, investors, advisors, operators, and internal stakeholders.
• Experienced in presenting to and influencing C-suite and Board-level executives.

Preferred Qualifications

• AI-adjacent experience (data, storage, software, memory subsystems) and/or prior experience with hyperscale cloud providers, semiconductor companies, or large OEMs.
• Direct venture investing experience in deep-tech with a track record of sourcing, structuring, and managing minority investments.
• Active external network (bankers, VCs, advisors) to support independent deal flow.
• Experience with cross-border M&A and international transaction structuring.
• Familiarity with various corporate venture capital models and strategic investment portfolio management.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, or a related technical field.
• MBA from a top-tier business school preferred.

Location

• San Jose, California (must be willing to relocate).
• Flexibility for remote work within established company policies.
• 15–25% travel including domestic and international travel to meet with targets, advisors, investors, partners, and industry events.