Category Manager, Data Center Electrical Equipment

SB Energy; Redwood City (CA); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401(k) match

Paid time off

Parental leave

Disability coverage

FSA benefits

Wellness support

Hybrid office

Phone stipend

Device purchase plan

Job summary

SB Energy, a SoftBank Group company, is hiring a Category Manager, Electrical Equipment in the San Francisco Bay Area or other specified U.S. locations. You will own supplier relationships, commercial strategy, and long-range category planning to support AI factory and data center deployment.

You will collaborate with engineering, construction, and procurement teams to standardize equipment, improve reliability, and drive cost efficiency while mitigating risks across global supply chains.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of professional experience in related fields.
• 5+ years in category management, strategic sourcing, supplier management, procurement, or supply chain operations.
• Experience with electrical equipment categories and supplier capacity planning preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute sourcing strategies across electrical equipment categories (medium- and low-voltage switchgear, transformers, UPS, PDUs, busway, protection systems).
• Lead supplier selection, negotiations, contract execution, and long-term category planning.
• Monitor market trends, capacity, and risks to support strategic sourcing decisions.
• Build and manage relationships with key electrical equipment manufacturers and drive supplier performance.
• Coordinate with engineering, construction, and procurement to align sourcing with standards and project needs.
• Oversee technical evaluations, supplier submissions, and standardization initiatives.

Skills

Category management

Strategic sourcing

Supplier management

Contract management

Electrical equipment knowledge

Data center experience

Negotiation skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field

Job description

Do you want to work with high-caliber professionals in a dynamic and growing company? Are you entrepreneurial, hard-working, and collegial? Join us at SB Energy, a leading infrastructure company backed by SoftBank Group and Ares Infrastructure, pairing cutting-edge innovation with best-in-class execution. Our mission is to deliver reliable and secure data center and power infrastructure to strengthen America's future.

Founded in 2019, SB Energy is a SoftBank Group company headquartered in Redwood City, California. In 2026, SoftBank Group and OpenAI announced a $1 billion investment to support SB Energy as their leading development and execution partner for data center campuses, while Ares Infrastructure continues its long-standing support of the company's growth. SB Energy develops, builds, owns, and operates some of the largest and most technically advanced energy and data center infrastructure projects in the United States. Since its founding, the company has rapidly grown into a top-tier integrated platform with more than 3 gigawatts (GW) in operation and a multi-GW pipeline of energy and data center infrastructure nationwide.

SB Energy also leverages a strong culture of innovation to identify and integrate new technologies into its projects, including its AI-based digital platform, delivering energy infrastructure that is local, reliable, and matched to load. We are building the energy and infrastructure future—today.

Come join us in accelerating the energy and infrastructure transition!

Basic Function

SB Energy is seeking a strategic and technically capable Category Manager, Electrical Equipment to develop and execute sourcing strategies for mission-critical electrical infrastructure supporting next-generation AI factories and advanced data centers. Reporting to the Director, Electrical Infrastructure Supply Chain, this role will own supplier relationships, commercial strategy, category planning, and supply continuity across key electrical equipment categories.

Working closely with engineering, construction, commissioning, logistics, and project teams, the Category Manager will support equipment standardization, supplier selection, manufacturing readiness, and long-range capacity planning. This role will help secure reliable supply, improve supplier performance, manage commercial and operational risk, and support rapid infrastructure deployment.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute sourcing strategies across electrical equipment categories including:
  • Medium-voltage switchgear
  • Low-voltage switchgear
  • Transformers
  • UPS systems
  • STS / ATS
  • PDUs and RPPs
  • Busway systems
  • Protection and control systems
• Develop and execute sourcing strategies for mission-critical electrical infrastructure equipment supporting AI factory and advanced data center deployment programs.
• Lead supplier selection, commercial negotiations, contract execution, and long-term category planning to improve cost, supply continuity, and deployment scalability.
• Monitor market trends, manufacturing capacity, and supply chain risks to support strategic sourcing decisions.
• Build and manage strategic relationships with key electrical equipment manufacturers, driving supplier performance across quality, cost, delivery, and capacity.
• Partner with engineering, construction, commissioning, and procurement teams to align sourcing strategies with equipment standards, Basis of Design (BOD), and project requirements.
• Lead efforts for technical evaluations, supplier submittals, equipment validation, and standardization initiatives across electrical equipment.
• Coordinate manufacturing readiness, production schedules, capacity planning, logistics, and long-range supply planning to support project deployment.
• Identify and mitigate commercial and operational risks that could impact equipment availability, project schedules, or supplier performance.
• Manage supplier performance metrics, commercial commitments, and reporting related to delivery, lead times, manufacturing readiness, and capacity.
• Partner with finance, operations, and project controls to support forecasting, deployment planning, and procurement documentation.

Qualifications/Requirements

• At least 7+ years of professional experience
• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Business, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related field required
• 5+ years of experience in category management, strategic sourcing, supplier management, procurement, or supply chain operations within infrastructure, industrial, manufacturing, electrical equipment, or mission-critical environments
• Experience sourcing or managing categories such as switchgear , UPS , switchboards , busway , or related equipment preferred
• Strong commercial negotiation, supplier relationship management, and contract management skills
• Working knowledge of electrical equipment manufacturing, supplier capacity planning, lead-time management, and supply chain risk mitigation
• Strong analytical, communication, and stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence cross-functional teams and manage multiple priorities
• Experience supporting hyperscale data centers, utility-scale energy, industrial infrastructure, or other mission-critical facilities is strongly preferred
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally to supplier facilities, manufacturing sites, and project locations as required

Location: San Francisco Bay Area, San Diego, CA, Phoenix, AZ or Denver, CO. Hybrid.

Remote locations will be considered on a case by case basis.

Base Pay - $140,000 - $170,000

The pay range mentioned above is a guideline. We tailor each offer based on your unique skills, experience, location, and market benchmarks—while ensuring internal parity across our teams. The compensation range provided reflects base pay. Total rewards may also include performance-based bonuses, equity grants, and a market leading comprehensive health and wellness benefits package. Final details will be discussed during the later stages of the hiring process.

At SB Energy, we invest in our people and their families with benefits designed for flexibility, support, and peace of mind. Full-time employees enjoy:

• 100% Company-Paid Medical, Dental & Vision (for employees and dependents)
• 401(k) with Company Match
• Generous Paid Time Off + 11 Paid Holidays
• 12 Weeks Parental Leave
• Life, AD&D & Long-Term Disability Coverage
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) for Medical, Dependent Care, Transit & Parking (with company contributions)
• Mental, Physical & Social Wellness Support (with company contributions)
• Flexible Work Arrangements & Hybrid Office Setup Benefits
• Monthly Reimbursement for Phone, Internet & Data
• Optional Legal & Pet Insurance Plans
• Device Purchase Support

At SB Energy, the success of our projects is driven by a desire to see our projects benefit as many people as possible. We work to serve local communities through volunteering, fundraising, and much more. For example, we’re proud to support access and opportunity in engineering and clean energy through impactful mentorship programs and workforce training. When you join SB Energy, you can become a part of these efforts, collaborating with team members who share a vision of building a better future now!

SB Energy is built on a foundation of collaboration and inclusion. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sex, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, citizenship, or any other legally protected class.

To learn more about us, visit www.sbenergy.com.