Director, Early Talent Recruiting and Programs

Summary

Join Western Digital as the Global University Partnership & Recruiting Director and lead the development and execution of a strategic approach to university recruiting and partnerships. You will design and implement initiatives to strengthen relationships with academic institutions, enhance employer brand presence, and attract top emerging talent. This role requires developing a comprehensive university hiring strategy, overseeing early-career and internship programs, collaborating with HR and business leaders on workforce planning, and leading employer branding initiatives. Success in this position demands strong leadership, communication, and analytical skills, along with extensive experience in talent acquisition and university recruiting. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of building successful university partnerships and early-career hiring programs within a multinational corporate setting.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or a related field
• 10+ years of experience in talent acquisition, university recruiting, employer branding, or workforce strategy, preferably within a multinational matrixed corporate setting
• Skilled in recruiting, managing and leading a team of direct and matrixed recruiters, as well as University Recruitment Program Leads, to drive to talent acquisition success
• Proven track-record in developing and managing university partnerships and early-career hiring programs
• Strong understanding of campus recruitment best practices, workforce planning, and candidate engagement strategies
• Experience working with HR technologies, applicant tracking system (ATS), and recruitment marketing platforms
• Excellent communication, relationship management, and stakeholder engagement skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities to assess hiring trends and optimize recruitment strategies

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a comprehensive University Hiring & Partnership Strategy aligned with business stakeholders, workforce planning needs and enterprise goals
• Define KPIs to measure the success of university hiring programs and partnerships
• Stay ahead of industry trends in campus recruiting, internship programs, early-career hiring and UR marketing to refine and communicate strategies accordingly across the enterprise
• Identify and establish strategic partnerships with top universities, colleges, technical schools, and industry organizations
• Develop a long-term relationship with external stakeholders eg career services, faculty, student organizations, and research centers to strengthen then company’s presence on campus
• Organize and participate in career fairs, networking events, and guest lecture opportunities to engage with student and faculty
• Drive Collaboration with universities and internal stakeholders on research projects, curriculum development, and sponsorships to enhance employer branding
• Design and oversee structured internships, co-op, and graduate hiring programs to build a strong early-career talent pipeline
• Work with hiring managers to identify entry-level roles, rotational programs, and apprenticeship opportunities within the organization
• Develop standardized assessment and selection processes for interns and recent graduates
• Ensure a high-quality candidate experience from application through onboarding and full-time conversion
• Collaborate with HR and business leaders to forecast entry-level hiring needs and align university recruiting efforts with business objectives
• Develop campus recruiting materials, career development content, and employer branding campaigns to attract top students and graduates
• Leverage data analytics to assess university hiring trends, candidate conversion rates, and overall recruitment effectiveness
• Implement tool and technologies to streamline campus recruitment, interview scheduling, and candidate engagement
• Lead initiatives to strengthen the company’s employer brand on university campuses and social media platforms
• Develop digital and in-person engagement strategies, including virtual career events, hackathons, case competitions, and industry mentorship programs
• Ensure consistent messaging and brand alignment across all student outreach efforts

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with global university partnerships and international recruitment
• Knowledge of labor market trends, skills development programs, and emerging workforce needs
• Global Technology / Semiconductor Company Experience

Benefits

• 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
• The Western Digital Savings 401(k) Plan
• Short-Term Incentive (STI) Plan
• Long-Term Incentive (LTI) program
• Restricted stock units (RSUs) or cash equivalents