Data Center Liquid Cooling: Strategic Sourcing Lead

MAS HVAC, Inc; Dayton (MN); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, vision, and dental

401k matching

Paid time off

Job summary

Gradian, a Maple Grove, MN-based engineering-led thermal solutions provider, seeks a Senior Strategic Category Lead for Data Center Liquid Cooling. You will develop multi-year category strategies, build market intelligence, and manage strategic supplier relationships to drive cost, quality, and supply continuity.

Collaborate with Engineering, Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, and Finance to align sourcing with product roadmaps and long-term growth.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Operations, or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in strategic sourcing or related discipline.
• Experience sourcing engineered components or complex manufactured products.
• Experience in data center infrastructure, liquid cooling, HVAC, or thermal management preferred.
• Proven experience leading supplier selection, negotiations, and cost-reduction initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute multi-year category strategies for data center liquid cooling components.
• Build market intelligence on supplier capabilities, costs, risks, and capacity.
• Manage strategic supplier landscape, including segmentation and relationships.
• Lead supplier negotiations to optimize total cost of ownership, lead times, and continuity.
• Collaborate with Engineering and Product Development to influence cost and sourcing early in lifecycle.
• Execute cost-reduction and value-creation roadmaps (VAVE, localization, supplier development).
• Identify and mitigate supplier and category risks (capacity, single-source, lead times).
• Establish supplier performance expectations and drive continuous improvement.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Category management

Negotiation

Total cost management

Market analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Project management

Communication

Relationship management

Adaptability

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Engineering, Operations

Job description

Gradian, a Maple Grove, MN-based engineering-led thermal solutions provider, seeks a Senior Strategic Category Lead for Data Center Liquid Cooling. You will develop multi-year category strategies, build market intelligence, and manage strategic supplier relationships to drive cost, quality, and supply continuity.

Collaborate with Engineering, Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, and Finance to align sourcing with product roadmaps and long-term growth.