Data Center OFE Strategic Sourcing Lead (Mechanical)

Anthropic; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 365,000 - 1,245,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working hours

Generous vacation and parental leave

Collaborative office environment

Job summary

Anthropic is seeking a Strategic Sourcing Lead in San Francisco, CA to manage procurement strategies for critical data center equipment like generators and chillers. This role requires 7+ years in supply chain management and familiarity with data center infrastructure.

The successful candidate will negotiate commercial agreements, audit procurement schedules for efficiency, and ensure excellent vendor relationships. The position offers competitive compensation, flexible working hours, and generous benefits.

Qualifications

• 7+ years experience in supply chain management, sourcing, and procurement.
• Developed processes for managing data center electrical/mechanical equipment.
• Familiar with data center equipment like generators, UPS, and chillers.

Responsibilities

• Drive commercial negotiations for electrical and mechanical infrastructure.
• Audit partner procurement schedules for cost efficiency.
• Monitor global supply chain volatility and execute contingency plans.

Skills

Supply chain management

Negotiation

Vendor relationship management

Data center equipment knowledge

Inventory strategy development

Education

Bachelor's degree in electrical/mechanical engineering, construction management, or supply chain

Job description

About Anthropic

Anthropic’s mission is to create reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems. We want AI to be safe and beneficial for our users and for society as a whole. Our team is a quickly growing group of committed researchers, engineers, policy experts, and business leaders working together to build beneficial AI systems.

About the role

We are hiring a Strategic Sourcing lead to drive development and execution of procurement strategies to help scale Anthropic's Data Center electrical and mechanical Owner Furnished Equipment (OFE) footprint. In this role, you will own end-to-end sourcing strategies for critical electrical and mechanical infrastructure such as generators, switchgear, UPS systems, chillers, and cooling equipment. You will partner closely with engineering, demand planning, construction, and third parties to drive equipment availability, establish vendor relationships, and negotiate commercial agreements. As a sourcing lead focused on key Data Center equipment, you will play a critical role in helping Anthropic to achieve its ambitious scaling goals.

Key responsibilities

• Drive commercial negotiations and Master Purchase Agreements for critical electrical and mechanical infrastructure such as generators, medium- and low-voltage switchgear, transformers, UPS systems, chillers, cooling towers, CRAHs, and pumps.
• Audit partner procurement schedules, ensure optimal allocation, and drive cost efficiency of supply in constrained markets.
• Implement frameworks for ensuring third-party data center partners and general contractors adhere to commercial equipment terms and technical specifications.
• Develop global inventory strategy including warehousing, third-party logistics, buffer stock, and distribution models to accelerate time to market and improve availability.
• Proactively monitor global supply chain volatility (e.g., lead times for transformers, generators, and switchgear) and execute contingency plans to avoid critical project delays.
• Translate construction and capacity roadmaps into equipment forecasts and procurement pipelines.
• Partner with Finance to optimize inventory and capital deployment strategy.
• Establish efficient return, repair, and replacement workflows with OEMs to restore failed equipment quickly.
• Negotiate warranty, startup/commissioning support, and spare parts terms, and track vendor performance.

Minimum qualifications

• Have 7+ years experience in supply chain management, sourcing, and procurement.
• Have a track record of developing processes for forecasting, planning, and managing data center electrical and mechanical equipment for build-out and/or operations.
• Are familiar with data center electrical and mechanical equipment (e.g., generators, switchgear, transformers, UPS, batteries, chillers, cooling towers, CRAHs/CRACs, pumps, CDUs).
• Possess a bachelor's degree in a relevant domain (e.g., electrical/mechanical engineering, construction management, supply chain) or equivalent practical experience.

Preferred qualifications

• 10+ years experience in supply chain management, sourcing, and procurement.
• 5+ years experience in data center or critical environment infrastructure.
• Experience working with general contractors, MEP integrators, OEMs, and equipment distributors.
• Experience working on data center construction programs.
• Familiarity with liquid cooling equipment (CDUs, dry coolers, manifolds) and battery energy storage systems.
• Leadership and influencing skills.

Compensation

The annual compensation range for this role is $365,000 – $1,245,000 USD.

Logistics

• Minimum education: Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education, training, and/or experience.
• Required field of study: A field relevant to the role as demonstrated through coursework, training, or professional experience.
• Minimum years of experience: Years of experience required will correlate with the internal job level requirements for the position.
• Location-based hybrid policy: Currently, we expect all staff to be in one of our offices at least 25% of the time. However, some roles may require more time in our offices.
• Visa sponsorship: We sponsor visas and will make every reasonable effort to obtain a visa if you are offered a position.

Benefits

We offer competitive compensation, flexible working hours, generous vacation and parental leave, and a collaborative office environment.