Western Digital Technologies

Principal AI Program Manager

Western Digital Technologies • $130K — $180K *
San Jose, CA 95123In-Person
Enterprise Technology
Less than 5 years of experience
Today
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Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 0-10 years in program management, technology strategy, or management consulting.
  • 0-3 years managing AI/ML or advanced analytics programs.
  • Strong understanding of the AI/ML lifecycle from data preparation to monitoring.
  • Excellent communication skills for engaging executive leadership.
  • Experience with AI governance or responsible AI frameworks.
  • Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

  • Run the CoE's operating cadence including status reporting and workstreams.
  • Own and track the enterprise AI portfolio: initiatives, risks, and value.
  • Build and maintain processes for AI investment decision-making.
  • Develop AI roadmap aligned with enterprise strategy.
  • Co-develop transformation strategy and translate into initiatives.
  • Ensure accountability to milestones and stage gates for delivery.
  • Drive end-to-end delivery across technical and business teams.

Benefits

  • Paid vacation and sick leave.
  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
  • Life, accident, and disability insurance.
  • Tuition reimbursement and employee assistance programs.
  • Comprehensive voluntary benefits, including pet insurance and legal plans.
  • Employee stock purchase plan and a 401(k) plan with company matching.
Full Job Description
Job Description

This role is the operational backbone of the Enterprise AI Center of Excellence (AI CoE), housed within the Office of the CIO. You will drive the day-to-day coordination, governance, and delivery of AI initiatives across the enterprise - translating between technical teams, business stakeholders, and executive leadership while helping mature the CoE as a durable capability.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

CoE Operations & Governance
  • Run the CoE's operating cadence - workstreams, deliverables, status reporting, and steering committee rhythms
  • Own the enterprise AI portfolio view: initiative tracking, dependencies, risks, and projected value
  • Build and maintain intake, prioritization, and stage-gate processes for AI investment decisions
  • Develop the AI roadmap with the CoE Program Lead, aligned to enterprise strategy
  • Co-develop the transformation strategy with Head of AI COE and translate objectives into discrete initiatives
  • Develop and maintain integrated roadmap
  • Ensure accountability to committed milestones and stage gates

Delivery & Stakeholder Engagement
  • Drive end-to-end delivery across data engineering, data science, app dev, infrastructure, security, and business teams
  • Partner with business units to identify use cases, build business cases, and define success metrics
  • Track and report ROI across the portfolio to the CIO and C-suite

Responsible AI & Enablement
  • Embed responsible AI guardrails (bias, transparency, privacy, compliance) in partnership with Legal, Risk, and InfoSec
  • Build out CoE enablement assets - playbooks, AI literacy programs, and shared tooling standards
  • Drive adoption through change management, communications, and training


Qualifications

Required
  • 0- 10+ years in program management, technology strategy, or management consulting
  • 0- 3+ years managing AI/ML or advanced analytics programs
  • Strong grasp of the AI/ML lifecycle - data prep through MLOps and monitoring
  • Executive communication skills; able to make technical topics actionable for senior leaders
  • Experience with AI governance or responsible AI frameworks
  • Bachelor's degree in a relevant field or equivalent experience

Preferred
  • Experience in a CoE, CIO/CTO office, or enterprise PMO
  • Familiarity with generative AI platforms (LLMs, copilots, AI agents) at enterprise scale
  • Management consulting background (Big 4, MBB, or boutique advisory)
  • PgMP, PMP, SAFe, or equivalent certification
  • Cloud AI/ML platform experience (SageMaker, Azure AI, Vertex AI)


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.

Notice To Candidates: Please be aware that WD and its subsidiaries will never request payment as a condition for applying for a position or receiving an offer of employment. Should you encounter any such requests, please report it immediately to WD Ethics Helpline or email [redacted].

About Western Digital Technologies

Western Technology Investment is a venture capital firm that specializes in offering acquisition financing to revenue-generating firms. The firm provides debt and lease financing to venture capital backed technology companies.

Western Digital Technologies Careers

Join the innovative world of Western Digital Technologies, a leader in data storage solutions, where we are committed to empowering our global team of professionals. This is an unparalleled opportunity to advance your career with a company at the forefront of technological innovation and digital storage.

Work You’ll Do

At Western Digital Technologies, you will be part of a dynamic team that drives data innovation across various industries. Our commitment to excellence and leadership in the technology sector provides a unique platform for professionals to influence the future of digital storage and management solutions.

Explore Job Opportunities and Growth

Western Digital Technologies offers a variety of job opportunities that cater to a range of skills and experiences. Whether you’re looking for an entry-level position or a more senior role, our company is eager to support your professional growth through challenging projects and continuous learning opportunities.

Internship Programs

Kickstart your career with Western Digital Technologies through our internship programs. These positions are designed to give you hands-on experience and insights into our day-to-day operations, preparing you for a full-time role in our company. Interns at Western Digital Technologies gain invaluable industry knowledge, networking opportunities, and professional skills under the guidance of experienced mentors.

Benefits and Culture

We pride ourselves on a culture that fosters diversity, innovation, and leadership. Western Digital Technologies is dedicated to providing employees with a supportive work environment where everyone is encouraged to be their best. Our benefits package is comprehensive, including health, dental, and vision insurance, employee wellness programs, and significant career development opportunities.

Join Our Team

We are continuously hiring creative, curious, and motivated individuals who are ready to drive innovation in the technology space. Explore open positions that match your skills and interests on our careers page. At Western Digital Technologies, we value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Professional Development and Training

Advance your career with Western Digital Technologies through our professional development programs. We offer a range of training and development options, including leadership training, skills enhancement workshops, and diversity training sessions to help you grow as a leader and innovator in our industry.

Stay Connected

Keep up to date with the latest career tips, industry insights, and company news by subscribing to our careers blog. Personalize your experience by signing up for job alert emails tailored to your career preferences and be the first to know about new openings and exciting opportunities at Western Digital Technologies.

Apply Now

Ready to take the next step in your career? Submit your resume, prepare for your interview, and join a team that’s redefining the future of technology. At Western Digital Technologies, your future is waiting.

SEARCH WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES JOBS

Join us at Western Digital Technologies, where your career growth is integrated with innovation and leadership, empowering you to reach new heights in the technology industry.
Learn more about Western Digital Technologies
Size
65,600 employees
Market Cap
$9.9 billion
Industry
Enterprise Technology
Net Income
$167 million
Founded
1970
5 Year Trend
-0.3%
Revenue
$16.3 billion
NASDAQ
WDC
* Ladders Estimates

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