Senior Director, Finance - Data Center

Western Digital · San Jose, CA, United States

  • Senior
  • Full-time
  • Posted 2026-09-17
  • Confirmed live on 25 September 2026

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Job description

Job Description
The Senior Director, Finance - Data Center Segment serves as the principal finance executive for Western Digital's largest and most strategically critical business unit. This role drives the financial strategy, planning, forecasting, and performance management for a multi-billion-dollar Data Center product portfolio spanning enterprise HDD, nearline storage, and next-generation capacity storage solutions serving the world's leading hyperscale cloud providers, enterprise OEMs, and channel partners.
This leader operates at the intersection of finance, strategy, and commercial execution -translating complex market dynamics, customer demand signals, and product transitions into actionable financial insights that support executive decision-making at the highest levels of the organization. The Senior Director serves as a trusted advisor to Business Unit leadership and a critical partner to Corporate Finance, ensuring that segment performance is aligned with company-wide profitability objectives and long-range strategic goals.
Beyond financial stewardship, this role carries a significant leadership mandate - building, developing, and supporting a finance organization while establishing clear expectations, accountability, analytical rigor, and continuous improvement across all finance functions supporting the Data Center business.
Key Responsibilities
Financial Planning & Forecasting

• Own the end-to-end planning process - AOP, quarterly forecasts, monthly outlooks, and long-range plans

• Drive revenue and gross margin forecasting across all DC customer segments with a strong emphasis on accuracy and process discipline

• Partner with Sales, Business Planning, and Pricing to align forecasts with customer commitments, market share targets, and pricing strategy

• Translate macro trends - cloud CapEx cycles, AI infrastructure buildout, hyperscale demand - into quantified financial impact for executive planning
Business Performance Management

• Lead monthly business reviews with senior and C-suite leadership, delivering concise, insight-driven financial presentations

• Develop and maintain KPIs and dashboards covering revenue, gross margin, ASP trends, volume mix, and product profitability

• Identify performance gaps early and drive corrective action recommendations with cross-functional partners

• Build risk and opportunity frameworks that provide leadership with balanced, scenario-based financial outlooks
Strategic Finance & Business Partnership

• Serve as a strategic thought partner to the DC General Manager on all major business decisions

• Support product roadmap investments, customer deal economics, and market expansion opportunities with rigorous financial analysis and business case development

• Evaluate large customer agreements, pricing concessions, and supply commitments against margin thresholds and company objectives

• Provide financial framing for executive reviews, board presentations, and long-range planning sessions
People & Organizational Leadership

• Lead and develop a finance organization through clear expectations, regular feedback, and meaningful development opportunities

• Champion adoption of modern finance tools - AI-driven forecasting, Power BI, and automation - to elevate team productivity and analytical impact

• Build a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement

• Attract and develop finance talent and support the development of the next generation of finance leaders

Qualifications
Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, or related field (required)

• MBA or advanced degree in Finance or Business (preferred)

• CPA, CFA, or equivalent professional certification is a plus
Experience

• Progressive finance leadership experience with demonstrated growth in scope, complexity, and responsibility

• Significant experience in technology, hardware, semiconductor, storage, or manufacturing industries - with direct HDD, SSD, or data storage experience considered valuable

• Proven track record of owning revenue and gross margin for a large-scale, multi-product, multi-customer business

• Experience leading finance for a business segment with direct accountability for P&L outcomes

• Demonstrated success building and leading effective finance teams

• Experience partnering with hyperscale, cloud, or enterprise technology customers on complex commercial engagements preferred
Technical Skills

• Advanced financial modeling capabilities - scenario analysis, sensitivity modeling, DCF, and multi-variable forecasting

• Strong data analytics skills with proficiency in Excel, Power BI, Tableau, or equivalent analytical tools

• Familiarity with ERP and planning systems (SAP, Oracle, Anaplan, or equivalent)

• Working knowledge of AI-driven forecasting tools and modern FP&A technologies preferred

• Solid understanding of cost accounting, standard costing, and manufacturing economics
Leadership & Interp

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