Director, Software Dev Engineering (Apps)

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™, SanDisk® 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.

Role Overview

We are seeking a highly experienced and visionary Director of Software Engineering to lead software development initiatives across HDD Operations AI enablement, manufacturing systems, and data-driven process optimization. The ideal candidate brings a strong background in factory automation, cloud-scale data platforms, embedded systems & firmware, along with proven leadership in managing cross-functional engineering teams. This role is pivotal in driving innovation, ensuring quality, and accelerating digital transformation within the HDD industry.

Key Responsibilities

• Leadership & Strategy
  • Define and execute the software engineering strategy across HDD product lines, manufacturing automation, and digital platforms/Digital Twins.
  • Build and lead high-performing engineering teams across embedded software, process automation, data engineering, and AI/ML applications overlaid on various legacy systems.
  • Collaborate with hardware, reliability, process engineering, and product teams to deliver integrated solutions.
• Product & Technology Development
  • Drive adoption of Digital Twin, predictive analytics, Gen-AI & TinyML in HDD design, testing, and manufacturing.
  • Guide architecture decisions for AI-driven manufacturing execution systems, automation frameworks, and factory optimization tools.
• Data & Infrastructure
  • Lead development of high-scale data pipelines for HDD telemetry, reliability monitoring, and yield optimization.
  • Oversee software platforms that integrate IoT, edge computing, and cloud services for end-to-end visibility.
  • Ensure system scalability, reliability, and cybersecurity compliance.
• People & Process Excellence
  • Mentor and grow engineering managers and technical leads, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and accountability.
  • Implement Agile/SAFe methodologies for efficient delivery and continuous improvement.
  • Manage budgets, resource allocation, and be involved in strategic vendor partnerships.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s in computer science, Electrical Engineering, or related field
• 17+ years of software engineering experience, with at least 7 years in leadership roles.
• Proven expertise in software development and delivery at enterprise scale.
• Strong background in manufacturing automation, data engineering, or cloud-based platforms.
• Demonstrated success in building and leading cross-functional, geographically distributed teams.

Preferred Technical Stack & Tools

Data & Analytics

• Data Pipelines: Python, Spark, Kafka, Flink
• Databases: SQL (PostgreSQL, MySQL), NoSQL (MongoDB, Cassandra), Time-series DBs (InfluxDB), Oracle
• Cloud Platforms: AWS, Azure, GCP
• AI/ML: TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit-learn, TinyML for embedded predictive modeling
• LLM: AWS Bedrock, oLLama, Anthropic Claude
• Search engines: Apache Lucene, Apache SOLR, ElasticSearch
• Big data: Apache Hadoop, Apache Kafka, RabbitMQ

Firmware & Embedded Systems

• C, C++, Rust (low-level systems programming)
• RTOS, ARM Cortex, DSPs, FPGA-based systems

Programming languages and frameworks

• OOPS: Java, JEE, Spring Boot, Spring Data, Spring JPA
• Scripting languages: Javascript, NodeJS, CSS
• Deployment tools: Docker, Podman
• Cloud: AWS, GCP
• UI frameworks: ReactJS
• Mobile frameworks: Flutter, Dart

Enterprise & Collaboration

• DevOps: Git, Jenkins, Docker, Kubernetes
• Agile/SAFe project management tools (Jira, Confluence)
• Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) from Scrum Alliance – Certification ID - 001388773
• Cybersecurity & compliance standards (ISO, NIST, TCG Opal, FIPS for storage security)

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 conditions, breastfeeding or related medical conditions), gender (including a person’s gender identity, gender expression, and gender-related appearance and behavior, whether or not stereotypically associated with the person’s assigned sex at birth), age, national origin, sexual orientation, medical condition, marital status (including domestic partnership status), physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, protected medical and family care leave, Civil Air Patrol status, military and veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. We also prohibit harassment of any individual on any of the characteristics listed above. Our non-discrimination policy applies to all aspects of employment. We comply with the laws and regulations set forth in the "Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal” poster. Our pay transparency policy is available here.

Western Digital thrives on the power and potential of diversity. As a global company, we believe the most effective way to embrace the diversity of our customers and communities is to mirror it from within. We believe the fusion of various perspectives results in the best outcomes for our employees, our company, our customers, and the world around us. We are committed to an inclusive environment where every individual can thrive through a sense of belonging, respect and contribution.

Western Digital is committed to offering opportunities to applicants with disabilities and ensuring all candidates can successfully navigate our careers website and our hiring process. Please contact us at [email protected] to advise us of your accommodation request. In your email, please include a description of the specific accommodation you are requesting as well as the job title and requisition number of the position for which you are applying.

Based on our experience, we anticipate that the application deadline will be 12/30/25 (3 months from posting), although we reserve the right to close the application process sooner if we hire an applicant for this position before the application deadline. If we are not able to hire someone from this role before the application deadline, we will update this posting with a new anticipated application