Procurement Manager - Data Center Market

Gray Construction; Lexington (KY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Gray Construction is seeking a Procurement Manager (Data Center Market) in Lexington, KY. This role leads equipment and material procurement for large-scale projects, coordinating with project teams, suppliers, and customers to meet schedules and budgets.

The ideal candidate has 3+ years in project or supply chain management, strong negotiation and budgeting skills, and familiarity with construction materials and procurement software such as Procore, CMIC, or Bluebeam.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 3 years in project management, supply chain, construction management, or logistics management.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• Knowledge of construction; familiarity with electrical, mechanical, plumbing, equipment, or process machinery is a plus.
• Strong negotiation skills with proven results.
• Commercial awareness with budgeting, cost management, and risk exposure.

Responsibilities

• Support project teams focusing on equipment and material procurement for large industrial construction projects.
• Review shop drawings and submittals to ensure scope compliance.
• Manage risk related to cost guarantees, warranty, and supply of purchases.
• Oversee purchase orders and supplier payments; review invoices as needed.
• Purchase and monitor delivery of materials/equipment ensuring optimum price, quality, and specifications.
• Read project schedules and convey key dates; forecast potential issues.
• Coordinate with sourcing teams to manage timelines and late deliveries.
• Issue change orders to suppliers as required by design and project management.
• Prepare reports (progress, schedules, status) for procurement leadership and project management.
• Lead weekly meetings between procurement, technical teams, project management, and customers.
• Establish and enforce best practices to ensure on-budget delivery; ensure policy compliance.
• Participate in continuous improvement of procurement processes and policies.

Skills

Project management

Supply chain management

Logistics management

Construction management

Negotiation

Analytical

Relationships

Mentoring

Communication

Organization

Problem-solving

Adaptability

High pressure

Technical proficiency

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Procore

CMIC

Bluebeam

Job description

Overview

Gray is seeking a Procurement Manager (Data Center Market) for the Lexington, KY Office.

The Procurement Manager is responsible for planning, sourcing, purchasing, and delivering equipment and materials required for large-scale construction projects. This role serves as the primary liaison between project teams, suppliers, sourcing specialists, and customers to ensure procurement activities align with project schedules, budgets, and technical requirements. The Procurement Manager oversees supplier performance, contract administration, risk mitigation, logistics coordination, and change management while ensuring compliance with company policies and procurement best practices. Through proactive planning, stakeholder collaboration, and continuous process improvement, this position helps drive schedule certainty, cost control, supply chain reliability, and successful project execution.

Responsibilities

Why Gray?

Gray is a fully integrateddesign-builderdelivering end-to-end solutions across construction, professional services, specialty equipment, and real estate. Since 1960, Gray has grown from a regional contractor to a nationally ranked industry leader, serving top domestic and international companies inthe following markets: Manufacturing, Food & Beverage, Data Centers, Advanced Technology, and Distribution. Our integrated approach allows us to deliver value at every phase of a project—from designing and buildingstate-of-the-artfacilities to fabricating custom process equipment and implementing advanced automation.

But what truly defines Gray is our people. Our success is driven by passionate, collaborative team members who take pride in their work, value strong relationships, and are committed to doing the right thing for our customersand one another. At Gray,you’llfind a culture built on teamwork, accountability, and the opportunity to make a meaningful impact.

“Personal growth precedes Gray’s growth.” – Stephen Gray, President & CEO, Gray, Inc.

A qualified candidate shall have:

• Experience: Minimum of 3 years in project management, supply chain management, construction management, or logistics management.
• Education: A bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of experience and education.
• Knowledge: Knowledge of construction and a plus if familiar with purchasing any of the following: Electrical/Switchgear, Mechanical/HVAC, Plumbing/Piping & Equipment, Boilers/Air Compressors, Industrial/Tanks/Pumps, Specialty Process Equipment, Instruments/Controls, or Construction Materials.
• Negotiation: Strong negotiation skills with proven results, while remaining fair.
• Analytical: Commercial awareness, with demonstrated budgeting, cost management experience & risk exposure.
• Relationships:Ability to maintain and grow both internal, external relationships and team management skills.
• Passion: A genuine enthusiasm for building relationships, collaborating across teams, and ongoing professional development.
• Mentoring: Leading & mentoring others so that they grow with the department.
• General Skills: Excellent communication, organizational, motivational, problem-solving skills with a disciplined approach to team participation.
• Adaptability: A desire to grow and adapt to the evolving needs of the department.
• High Pressure: Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines, Self-Disciplined & Motivated,
• Technical Proficiency: Proficiency with Microsoft Office and an ability to quickly adapt to new software such as Procore, CMIC, Bluebeam, and other company-specific tools. Proficiency in procurement software and tools.

This position will require being physically present in the Lexington office (hybrid and remote may be considered).

This position has some supervisory responsibilities.

If you are a high achiever striving to exceed expectations in a fast-paced innovative company, then Gray is the place for you.

Qualifications

What we expect…

Responsibilities are expected to be, but are not limited to, the following:

• Support project teams, focusing on equipment and material procurement, to fulfill Gray’s direct procurement responsibilities on large industrial construction projects
• Review shop drawings and submittals to ensure compliance with scope of work
• Manage risk relating to cost guarantees, warranty, and supply of purchases
• Oversee the compiling of purchase orders for internal approval and execution of supplier, sometimes following up by reviewing invoices and tracking payments
• Purchase and monitor the delivery of all needed materials/equipment for projects, ensuring optimum prices, quality, and conformance to specifications
• Read project schedules and interpret key dates, to provide updates and forecast potential issues
• Manage project timelines and mitigate late deliveries, supply chain issues, supplier performance, etc., in coordination with sourcing teams
• Issue change orders to suppliers as required by design and project management
• Prepare various reports (such as progress analysis, schedules, and status reports) to update procurement leadership and manage projects
• Setup and lead weekly meetings between procurement, technical teams, project management, and customers
• In coordination with senior management, establish and enforce best practices in procurement to ensure all equipment is purchased and delivered within budget and time constraints, while monitoring ongoing compliance with purchasing policies and procedures
• Participate in continuous improvement of procurement processes and policies to accommodate changing organizational needs and market conditions

Physical Demands & Work Environment

The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a team member to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this position, the team member is frequently required to stand, walk, sit, use hands, reach with hands or arms, and talk or hear. They may occasionally be required to climb or balance, stoop, kneel, or crouch. Normal office environment where noise level is moderate, and temperature/humidity is controlled. Overtime and some travel may be required.

EEO Disclaimer

Gray is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcomes everyone to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.

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