Category Manager Austin

TAR; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

TAR in Austin is seeking a Category Manager to own one or more sourcing categories end-to-end, guiding internal demand, supplier selection, and contract execution for large-scale solar and energy storage projects.

You will develop category strategies to balance cost, lead times, quality, and compliance, while building strong vendor relationships and leading RFx activities to drive competitive bids and favorable terms.

Qualifications

• 5 - 15 years of supply chain experience, including direct responsibility for category decisions.
• Demonstrated competence in negotiation, from shaping the approach through final execution.
• Experience constructing and running RFx processes.
• At least moderate comfort with contracting and commercial terms.
• Experience working with P2P and contract management software.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Own one or more sourcing categories end to end, building a working map of internal demand, supply markets, and the trade and domestic-content rules that shape vendor selection.
• Develop short and long term category strategies that balance cost, lead time, quality, and compliance against an aggressive construction schedule.
• Build direct vendor relationships as TAR’s owner-side counterpart, from first qualification through long-term performance management.
• Run sourcing events from RFx, building bid packages, evaluating results, negotiating with selected vendor(s), and taking responsibility for contract drafting and execution.
• Handle one-off procurement requirements to support needs of engineering and construction teams.
• Contribute to process improvements and software implementation for the supply chain team, including P2P and contract management tooling.
• Guide procurement specialists on sourcing approach, negotiation, and category practice as the team grows.

Skills

Negotiation

RFx processes

Contracting & terms understanding

Strong verbal and writtencommunication

Tools

P2P software

Contract management software

Job description

TAR’s mission is to power intelligence for the world. We are building the world’s first off-grid power plant for data centers powered by renewable technologies.

We firmly believe AI should be built in the US for the benefit of all people. For that, power must be fast, clean and scalable. We are singularly focused on delivering GW-scale power faster than anyone has ever done, by rethinking every layer of the stack.

We vertically integrate to solve every bottleneck, from racking systems to power electronics to dispatch algorithms to on-site construction.

Leave your mark on the future of civilization-scale energy infrastructure.

Company

TAR is both a hardware and software company, we are building out massive, critical, physical infrastructure. TAR is working directly with one of the largest compute providers to scale and deploy 5GWs by 2028.

• High ownership. High Agency. Own project end-to-end. Great people don’t need to be managed.
• Speed. We achieve great things on incredible timelines. We push ourselves to go faster.
• First principles. No ego. No hierarchy. Challenge every assumption.
• Passion. Solving the energy problem is one of the largest challenges that faces the world now and in the future.

About the role

As Category Manager, you own one or more sourcing categories outright: supply markets, vendor relationships, procurement activities negotiation, and short and long term category strategy. Your decisions set cost and schedule for a project of over a GW of solar complemented by BESS, West Texas targeting commercial operation before the end of 2027, and for the even larger campuses that follow. This is a mid to senior seat based in Austin; we scope ownership to experience.

Responsibilities

• Own one or more sourcing categories end to end, building a working map of internal demand, supply markets, and the trade and domestic-content rules that shape vendor selection.
• Develop short and long term category strategies that balance cost, lead time, quality, and compliance against an aggressive construction schedule.
• Build direct vendor relationships as TAR’s owner-side counterpart, from first qualification through long-term performance management.
• Run sourcing events from RFx, building bid packages, evaluating results, negotiating with selected vendor(s), and taking responsibility for contract drafting and execution.
• Handle one-off procurement requirements to support needs of engineering and construction teams.
• Contribute to process improvements and software implementation for the supply chain team, including P2P and contract management tooling.
• Guide procurement specialists on sourcing approach, negotiation, and category practice as the team grows.

Qualifications

• 5 - 15 years of supply chain experience, including direct responsibility for category decisions.
• Demonstrated competence in negotiation, from shaping the approach through final execution.
• Experience constructing and running RFx processes.
• At least moderate comfort with contracting and commercial terms.
• Experience working with P2P and contract management software.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.

Nice to have

• Experience managing MV/HV equipment (transformers, inverters, switchgear, breakers).
• Proficiency with AI tools in day-to-day work.
• Prior experience implementing software packages and developing database structures for a team.