Job DescriptionWe are seeking a Director, Strategic Communications to serve as the communications lead for the Chief Product Officer and Product organization. This role partners closely with executive leadership to shape strategic narratives, drive organizational alignment, and serve as a trusted communications advisor to the Product leadership team. The position helps connect business priorities, product innovation, and employee engagement through integrated communications strategies.
The ideal candidate is an experienced communications leader, trusted advisor, and exceptional storyteller who can translate complex business and technical concepts into clear, relevant, and engaging communications. This individual will work across functions to support executive visibility, organizational communications, thought leadership, employee engagement, and key business initiatives that advance WD's product and technology strategy.
As a member of the Strategic Communications team, this role will collaborate closely with executive leaders, Chiefs of Staff, communications colleagues, and cross-functional partners to deliver integrated communications strategies that inform, inspire, and drive business impact.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities Executive Communications and Strategic Counsel
- Serve as the primary communications advisor to the Chief Product Officer, providing strategic counsel and executive communications support.
- Develop and execute integrated communications strategies, plans, and roadmaps that support Product priorities, executive visibility, employee engagement, and business objectives.
- Partner with Product leadership to shape narratives around technology leadership, product innovation, customer value, and business priorities, while proactively developing messaging and communications plans that support key initiatives and milestones.
- Build trusted relationships with executives and leaders across the Product organization and broader enterprise.
Executive Content and Thought Leadership
- Develop executive content and messaging, including presentations, speeches, briefing materials, leadership communications, and multimedia content.
- Lead preparation of executive briefings for customer meetings, industry events, analyst engagements, media opportunities, Board of Directors presentations, and investor-related activities.
- Develop thought leadership content for internal and external channels, including articles, social content, executive profiles, and digital communications.
- Leverage storytelling, visual communications, multimedia, and emerging communications approaches to create compelling content across channels.
- Ensure consistency of messaging across executive, organizational, and enterprise communications.
Organizational Communications and Employee Engagement
- Lead communications strategies that support organizational priorities, business transformation, change management, employee engagement, and key organizational milestones.
- Oversee Product organization intranet and digital content, ensuring information remains current, relevant, and aligned with business priorities.
- Drive alignment between Product communications and enterprise communications strategies.
- Partner with HR, Communications, and Product leadership to support employee engagement and organizational effectiveness initiatives.
Cross-Functional Leadership and Partnership
- Partner with Public Relations, Analyst Relations, Marketing, Investor Relations, Human Resources, and Chief of Staff teams to support executive visibility and ensure coordinated communications strategies and execution.
- Partner across the Executive and Strategic Communications team to advance enterprise priorities and maintain consistency in leadership communications.
- Influence stakeholders across multiple functions and levels of the organization to drive alignment and successful execution of communications programs.
Measurement and Continuous Improvement
- Assess the effectiveness of communications strategies and programs through engagement metrics, stakeholder feedback, channel performance, and business outcomes.
- Monitor communications trends, emerging technologies, and industry best practices to continuously improve communications effectiveness.
- Leverage AI-enabled tools and modern communications technologies to enhance content development, planning, measurement, and team productivity.
QualificationsRequired:- 10+ years of communications experience, including significant executive communications experience supporting Vice President-level leaders or above.
- Experience supporting highly technical leaders, product organizations, engineering teams, or technology-focused businesses.
- Demonstrated success advising senior executives and translating complex technical and business concepts into clear, audience-focused communications.
- Exceptional writing, storytelling, and executive content development skills, with the ability to translate complex business and technical concepts into clear, compelling narratives.
- Strong executive presence, business acumen, and stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence across all levels of an organization.
- Strong project management and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- Proficiency in PowerPoint and experience leveraging modern communication technologies, including AI-enabled tools, to enhance content development and team effectiveness.
- Experience in technology, semiconductor, infrastructure, cloud, storage, or other complex B2B industries preferred.
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.
- If your position is non-exempt, you are eligible for overtime pay pursuant to company policy and applicable laws. You may also be eligible for shift differential pay, depending on the shift to which you are assigned.
- You will be eligible to be considered for bonuses under either WD's Short Term Incentive Plan ("STI Plan") or the Sales Incentive Plan ("SIP") 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 WD'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 WD 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.
