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™, 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.

Job Description

Strategically positioned within the organization of the CIO, AAO is missioned with accelerating Analytics solutions at scale across the Enterprise to rapidly capture business value. These solutions target key business metrics, such as, reducing manufacturing cost, improve capital efficiency, reduce time-to market to develop new products, improve planning, operational efficiency & logistics, and enhance customer experience.

AAO solutions are built using cutting edge Industrial 4.0 technologies and are delivered through a platform approach to enable rapid scaling. The solutions span AI/ML for improving manufacturing test, yield, quality & OEE, AI/ML & data analytics for sales, marketing, logistics & supply chain problems, Operations Research for capacity and scheduling optimization, Digital Twin for inventory and logistics optimization, and Product Telematics for managing customer fleet management solutions. Many of these solutions are first-of-a-kind that have discovery and rapid learning elements with the intent of taking solution to scale.

We are seeking a PhD Data Scientist to revolutionize the possibilities within Western Digital’s complex supply chain. In this role, you will collaborate with key stakeholders in Supply Chain, Procurement, and Logistics to develop cutting-edge analytics solutions that drive significant impact on both the top and bottom lines of the company. With access to an exceptional talent pool in AAO, you will have the opportunity to fundamentally transform how Western Digital operates as a leader in the data storage industry.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Supply Chain Network Design & Optimization: Develop and optimize supply chain network models to enhance the efficiency, resiliency, and cost-effectiveness.
• Inventory Strategy & Optimization: Apply advanced mathematical optimization techniques to multi-echelon inventory systems. Focus on safety stock estimation, inventory placement, and service level optimization to meet business goals.
• Scenario Planning & Simulations: Conduct scenario planning and simulations to evaluate the impact of different strategies and disruptions on the supply chain.
• Geospatial Analysis: Utilize geospatial analysis to optimize supply chain routes and locations.
• Risk Management: Perform risk analysis using methods such as Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) to identify and mitigate potential supply chain risks such as stockout and overstock.
• Data Analysis: Acquire, cleanse, and transform large and complex datasets and analyze to extract actionable insights and support optimization models.
• Collaboration with Cross-Functional Teams: Work closely with Supply Chain, Logistics, and Procurement teams to identify business challenges and develop data-driven solutions.
• Continuous Learning & Innovation: Stay up-to-date with the latest trends and technologies in supply chain management, optimization techniques and data science. Contribute to the continuous improvement of processes, tools, and methodologies.

Qualifications

• PhD in a field such as Operations Research, Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, Supply Chain Management, or a related discipline. Recent graduates and post-doc students are invited to apply.
• Research experience in solving complex supply chain problems with mathematical modeling & optimization, scenario planning and simulations.
• Ability to handle large and complex datasets, with proficiency in SQL, Hadoop, Spark, and NoSQL databases.
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python, R, or similar for data analysis and model development.
• Prior experience or aptitude to learn Machine Learning, Deep Learning, and Generative AI techniques.
• Ability to quickly learn and apply new tools and technologies, particularly in data visualization (e.g., Power BI, Spotfire) and cloud platforms (e.g., Oracle Cloud, AWS, GCP).
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams and present complex data-driven insights to non-technical stakeholders.
• Critical thinking and an appetite to solve complex real-world problems.

Additional Information

Western Digital is committed to providing equal opportunities to all applicants and employees and will not discriminate 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 Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law poster.

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 jobs.accommodations@wdc.com 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.

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Compensation & Benefits Details

• An employee’s pay position within the salary range may be based on several factors including but not limited to (1) relevant education; qualifications; certifications; and experience; (2) skills, ability, knowledge of the job; (3) performance, contribution and results; (4) geographic location; (5) shift; (6) internal and external equity; and (7) business and organizational needs.
• The salary range is what we believe to be the range of possible compensation for this role at the time of this posting.  We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and this range is only applicable for jobs to be performed in California, Colorado, New York or remote jobs that can be performed in California, Colorado and New York.  This range may be modified in the future.
• You will be eligible to participate in Western Digital’s Short-Term Incentive (STI) Plan, which provides incentive awards based on Company and individual performance.  Depending on your role and your performance, you may be eligible to participate in our annual Long-Term Incentive (LTI) program, which consists of restricted stock units (RSUs) or cash equivalents, pursuant to the terms of the LTI plan. Please note that not all roles are eligible to participate in the LTI program, and not all roles are eligible for equity under the LTI plan. RSU awards are also available to eligible new hires, subject to Western Digital’s Standard Terms and Conditions for Restricted Stock Unit Awards.
• We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid vacation time; paid sick leave; medical/dental/vision insurance; life, accident and disability insurance; tax-advantaged flexible spending and health savings accounts; employee assistance program; other voluntary benefit programs such as supplemental life and AD&D, legal plan, pet insurance, critical illness, accident and hospital indemnity; tuition reimbursement; transit; the Applause Program, employee stock purchase plan, and the Western Digital Savings 401(k) Plan.
• Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole discretion, consistent with the law.