Senior Director, Corporate Development

Western Digital is entering a new chapter. Following our spin-off of SanDisk, we are stepping into our future as an independent deep-tech company, one built on decades of engineering breakthroughs and pointed squarely at the biggest technological frontiers of our time. We are a company of physicists, materials scientists, AI researchers, and engineers. We work at the frontier of magnetics, photonics, nanofabrication, and machine learning - disciplines most people never encounter, solving problems most people don't know exist. Our teams hold one of the largest intellectual property banks in Silicon Valley, and our labs are staffed with hundreds of PhDs who've spent their careers pushing what's physically possible. Most folks know us as a data storage company, powering data centers, hyperscale clouds, and AI systems that define the modern economy. HDD is the backbone of the AI economy and the most scalable, cost-efficient way to store the world's data - and we're building its future. But it's only part of the story. In the past, our technology has helped put a man on the moon and captured the first-ever picture of a black hole. The next generation of what we are building will shape robotics, quantum computing, space systems, personalized medicine, autonomous vehicles, and more. We are entering the most ambitious phase of our company's history. As AI reshapes every industry and every workload, the world needs more data infrastructure, better materials science, and deeper engineering talent than ever before. That's what we do. That's what we've always done. And we're just getting started. Western Digital's Strategy & Corporate Development team is the connective tissue bridging Western Digital's technology to the markets it will serve. We turn deep-tech capability into commercial impact, strengthening our position in the core HDD business, setting the company's long-term strategy, and executing the partnerships, investments, and acquisitions that shape what we build next. If you want to work on problems that matter at the intersection of deep technology, business strategy, and real-world impact, we would love to talk. Key Responsibilities M&A Lifecycle Ownership Own the full M&A lifecycle end-to-end: target identification, due diligence, valuation, structuring, negotiation, and close across both the core HDD business and new ventures spanning a wide spectrum of deep tech opportunities including but not limited to 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 appropriate acquisitions, divestitures, and strategic partnerships and 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 that are aligned with WD’s strategic priorities. Assess emerging technologies and business models in storage, data infrastructure, AI, and deep-tech related to New Ventures for potential minority investment or strategic partnership. Executive Communication Deliver investment recommendations and executive briefings to the Executive Leadership Team (C-suite) and Board of Directors to translate 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 key stakeholders across the business (Engineering, Product, Finance, Commercial, Legal, HR) to coordinate on key deal activities and integration planning with long-range strategic plans and integration planning. 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, etc. Proven M&A execution and deal track record with full-cycle transaction ownership, including deep experience with 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 think through and execute 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 working with or for 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 ind