Procurement Manager – Data Center Cooling & Critical Infrastructure

Stealth AI Startup; Hyderabad; On-site; INR 1,800,000 - 3,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Stealth AI Infrastructure Startup is seeking a Procurement Manager to own the end-to-end procurement lifecycle for data center cooling and critical infrastructure. You will identify suppliers, evaluate technical and commercial aspects, negotiate terms, and coordinate delivery with engineering and manufacturing teams.

The role requires 5–10 years of procurement/strategic sourcing experience in data centers or industrial environments, with a focus on reliability, lead times, and risk management.

Qualifications

• 5–10 years of procurement/strategic sourcing experience.
• Experience in data center cooling, HVAC or industrial equipment.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute procurement strategies for data center cooling components.
• Manage supplier onboarding, negotiations and performance reviews.
• Raise and track purchase orders, expediting, and delivery schedules.

Skills

Procurement experience

Supplier negotiation

Cross-functional collaboration

Job description

Job Role : Procurement Manager – Data Center Cooling & Critical Infrastructure

Experience: 5–10 Years

Company: Stealth AI Infrastructure Startup

About the Company

We are a stealth-mode technology company building next-generation infrastructure for AI Data Centers and high-density computing environments.

Our engineering and manufacturing teams are developing advanced liquid cooling and thermal-management systems designed for the rapidly increasing power densities of modern AI infrastructure.

We are looking for a Procurement Manager who can build and manage a high-performance procurement ecosystem for critical cooling infrastructure, working closely with engineering, manufacturing, quality, project management and suppliers.

About the Role

As Procurement Manager, you will own the procurement lifecycle for our Data Center Cooling and Liquid Cooling systems — from supplier identification and technical-commercial evaluation through negotiation, purchase orders, expediting, quality coordination and delivery.

The ideal candidate will have hands‑on procurement experience in Data Centers, Critical Infrastructure, HVAC, Precision Cooling, Liquid Cooling, MEP, Industrial Equipment or similar environments.

You should understand that procurement for mission‑critical infrastructure is not simply about achieving the lowest price — it requires balancing cost, quality, technical specifications, reliability, lead time and supply‑chain risk.

Key Responsibilities :

• Develop and execute procurement strategies for data center cooling and critical infrastructure components.
• Identify, evaluate and onboard qualified domestic and international suppliers.
• Develop a reliable supplier ecosystem for critical and long‑lead components.
• Build alternate suppliers and dual‑source strategies for critical components.
• Negotiate pricing, payment terms, warranties, lead times and commercial conditions.
• Drive cost optimization without compromising technical specifications or reliability.

Data Center Cooling Procurement

Manage procurement across components such as:

• Coolant Distribution Units (CDUs)
• Pumps and pump skids
• Valves and actuators
• Manifolds and distribution assemblies
• Stainless steel / copper / specialized piping
• Hoses, connectors and fittings
• Sensors and instrumentation
• Flow meters and control components
• Cooling towers / chillers / dry coolers
• CRAH / CRAC-related equipment
• Liquid cooling skids
• Filtration and water‑treatment systems
• Electrical and control panels
• Industrial fabrication and machined components
• Sheet metal and structural assemblies
• Seals, gaskets and other critical consumables
• Develop and maintain a qualified supplier database.
• Conduct supplier evaluation based on capability, capacity, quality, cost and delivery performance.
• Manage supplier negotiations and commercial agreements.
• Establish supplier SLAs and performance metrics.
• Conduct periodic supplier performance reviews.
• Work with suppliers to improve quality, lead times and cost.
• Develop local manufacturing and fabrication partners where appropriate.

Engineering & Technical Coordination

• Work closely with Design Engineering, Thermal Engineering, Manufacturing and Quality teams.
• Understand engineering BOMs, technical specifications, drawings and material requirements.
• Participate in technical-commercial evaluations of suppliers.
• Coordinate prototype and first‑article procurement.
• Support engineering teams in identifying alternate materials, components and suppliers.
• Ensure procurement decisions remain aligned with approved engineering specifications.

Purchase & Delivery Management

• Raise and manage purchase orders and procurement schedules.
• Track material requirements against project timelines.
• Drive supplier expediting for critical and long‑lead items.
• Monitor manufacturing progress and expected delivery dates.
• Coordinate with Quality for inspection and acceptance.
• Ensure timely delivery to manufacturing sites and project locations.
• Maintain procurement trackers, supplier schedules and delivery dashboards.

Cost & Commercial Management

• Prepare cost comparisons and should‑cost analyses.
• Negotiate annual and project‑based pricing.
• Identify opportunities for volume discounts and strategic sourcing.
• Track procurement savings and cost avoidance.
• Manage payment terms, credit periods and commercial risks.
• Support budgeting and cost estimation for new cooling systems and projects.

Quality & Compliance

• Work with Quality teams to establish supplier qualification processes.
• Ensure suppliers meet required technical and quality standards.
• Coordinate supplier audits where required.
• Support incoming inspection, NCR resolution and corrective actions.
• Ensure traceability and documentation for critical components.

What We're Looking For

Must‑Have Experience

• 5–10 years of procurement / strategic sourcing experience.
• Experience in Data Centers, Data Center Cooling, HVAC, Precision Cooling, Liquid Cooling, MEP, Critical Infrastructure or Industrial Equipment.
• Experience procuring engineered / mission‑critical equipment and components.
• Strong supplier development and negotiation experience.
• Experience working with engineering drawings, BOMs and technical specifications.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing and supply‑chain processes.
• Experience managing multiple suppliers and projects simultaneously.