Procurement Lead – Data Center

Position Summary

The Procurement Lead - Data Center is responsible for endtoend sourcing purchasing and supplier management for all data center-related goods and services. This role ensures costeffective procurement optimized supplier performance and ontime delivery of missioncritical infrastructure including servers networking gear power and cooling equipment construction services and facility operations materials. The position partners closely with Data Center Operations Engineering Finance and Legal to support capacity expansion and operational continuity.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Sourcing & Planning

• Develop and execute sourcing strategies for data center infrastructure equipment and services.
• Forecast material and service demand based on capacity planning and construction roadmaps.
• Conduct market analysis to understand supply trends risks and opportunities.

Supplier Management

• Identify evaluate and onboard vendors capable of supporting high-volume high-availability data center environments.
• Manage supplier performance through KPIs quarterly business reviews and SLA compliance.
• Negotiate commercial terms contracts and pricing to optimize cost and mitigate risk.

Procurement Execution

• Oversee purchase order lifecycle from requisition to delivery.
• Ensure materials and services meet technical specifications and compliance requirements.
• Manage logistics lead times and inventory levels for critical infrastructure.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Construction Facilities IT Engineering and Operations to align procurement with project timelines.
• Collaborate with Finance on budgeting cost tracking and spend optimization.
• Work with Legal on contract development risk mitigation and vendor agreements.

Risk & Compliance

• Evaluate supply chain risks and develop mitigation strategies including alternative vendor options.
• Ensure compliance with corporate procurement policies data center standards and regulatory requirements.
• Monitor global supply chain disruptions impacting data center equipment and materials.

Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in Supply Chain Business Engineering or related field.
• 5 years of procurement or supply chain experience in data centers or high-tech infrastructure.
• Strong negotiation contract management and vendor management skills.
• Experience with data center hardware facilities equipment construction sourcing or critical infrastructure.
• Proficiency with procurement systems (e.g. SAP Coupa Oracle).

Preferred

• Experience in hyperscale cloud colocation or large-scale mission-critical environments.
• Knowledge of power cooling electrical and mechanical systems.
• Certifications: CPSM PMP CSCP or equivalent.

Key Competencies

• Strategic thinking and long-term planning
• Strong analytical and financial acumen
• Problem-solving and risk assessment
• Relationship building and stakeholder management
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Cost & Budget Management

• Cost Savings: Achieve annual cost reduction targets.
• Cost Avoidance: Document and deliver 100% in avoided spend.
• Budget Adherence: Maintain 95% variance vs. forecasted spend.

Supplier Performance

• On Time Delivery: 95% of equipment/materials delivered by required dates.
• Supplier Quality: 90% compliance with specifications and SLAs.
• Supplier Risk: Maintain active mitigation plans for all critical suppliers.

Procurement Efficiency

• PO Cycle Time: Complete requisition-to-approval within 3 days.
• Sourcing Cycle Time: Conclude RFI/RFP processes within 30 days.
• Lead Time Optimization: Reduce lead times for critical infrastructure by 10%

Project & Stakeholder Alignment

• Project Support: 100% of data center builds and expansions receive materials by milestone deadlines.
• Stakeholder Satisfaction: Achieve 9/10 rating from Engineering Construction Facilities & Ops.
• Forecast Accuracy: Provide procurement inputs enabling 85% demand accuracy.

Compliance & Governance

• Policy Compliance: 100% adherence to procurement and audit requirements.
• Contract Management: 0% lapse in contract renewals for strategic suppliers.
• SLA Compliance: 95% vendor adherence to service-level commitments.

Inventory & Logistics

• Inventory Accuracy: Maintain 98% accuracy for critical spares.
• Stock-Out Prevention: 0 stock-outs for mission-critical components.
• Logistics Efficiency: Reduce freight/logistics cost by 10 % YoY.