Senior Strategic Category Lead (51570)

Mas Hvac, Inc.; Dayton (MN); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, vision, and dental plans

Disability insurance

Group term life insurance

HSA/FSA/Dependent Care plans

PTO and holidays

401k matching

Safety shoe allowance

Education assistance

Job summary

Gradian, an engineering-led thermal solutions partner, is seeking a Senior Strategic Category Lead for Data Center Liquid Cooling to develop and execute category strategies, build market knowledge, and drive long-term value across cost, quality, and supply chain resiliency.

You will partner with Engineering, Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, and Finance to align supplier strategies with product roadmaps and growth, lead supplier negotiations, and mitigate risks in a fast-growing environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in a related field.
• 5+ years in Strategic Sourcing, Procurement, or Category Management.
• Experience sourcing engineered components or complex manufactured products in data center or cooling domains.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute multi-year category strategies for data center liquid cooling components.
• Build market intelligence on supplier capabilities, cost drivers, and risks.
• Develop and manage strategic supplier landscape, including segmentation and long-term relationships.
• Lead supplier negotiations to optimize total cost of ownership, lead times, and terms.
• Collaborate with Engineering and Product Development to influence cost and manufacturability.
• Execute cost-reduction and value creation roadmaps (VAVE, localization, supplier development).
• Identify and mitigate risks such as capacity constraints and single-source exposure.
• Establish supplier performance metrics and drive continuous improvement.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Category management

Negotiation

Market analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Project management

Communication

Relationship management

Adaptability

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business/Supply Chain/Engineering

Job description

Job Details: Level: Experienced, Job Location: Dayton Office - Dayton, MN 55369, Position Type: Full Time, Education Level: 4 Year Degree, Salary Range: $120,000.00 - $150,000.00 Salary/year, Job Shift: First, Job Category: Supply Chain, Gradian is an engineering-led, full-line thermal solutions partner serving data center and other mission-critical, commercial, and industrial markets. Headquartered in Maple Grove, MN, with additional facilities across North America, we design and manufacture liquid cooling systems, air handling equipment, heat rejection units, and modular, factory-assembled thermal management solutions. Gradian was founded through the unification of four complementary, established brands: MAS HVAC, Daedex, DeepCoolAI, and EcoChillers. Together, we act as a single-source provider, deploying cooling technologies as scalable systems optimized for efficiency, spatial constraints, and overall performance. With a vertically integrated engineering and manufacturing model, we pair rapid design turnaround with precision fabrication, so customers can move faster on complex projects where reliability, timeline, and quality all matter.

Why work here

At Gradian, you'll work alongside others who get genuinely fired up by complex problems, see your work go from first sketch to job site in weeks, not years, and know that while we're developing the technologies critical for AI infrastructure to scale, our culture remains people-first by design.

It is core to our identity that we operate as one team — driving to win together, energizing others, and building lasting relationships that make the work fun and rewarding.

Position Summary

The Senior Strategic Category Lead - Data Center Liquid Cooling is responsible for developing and executing category strategies for critical components supporting Gradian's growing liquid cooling business. This strategic individual contributor will build deep market and supplier knowledge, develop strategic supplier relationships, and drive long-term value across cost, quality, technology, capacity, and supply chain resiliency. The role will partner closely with Engineering, Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, and Finance to align category and supplier strategies with business objectives, product roadmaps, and long-term growth requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute multi-year category strategies for assigned data center liquid cooling components that align with business objectives and support long-term growth.
• Build market intelligence across supplier capabilities, technology trends, manufacturing processes, capacity, cost drivers, and supply chain risks.
• Develop and manage the strategic supplier landscape, including supplier segmentation, sourcing strategies, supplier selection, and long-term supplier relationships.
• Lead supplier negotiations and commercial strategies to optimize total cost of ownership, capacity, lead times, commercial terms, and supply continuity.
• Partner with Engineering and Product Development to influence product cost, manufacturability, sourcing decisions, and supplier selection early in the product lifecycle.
• Develop and execute cost reduction and value creation roadmaps through VAVE, competitive sourcing, localization, supplier development, and other total-cost initiatives.
• Identify and mitigate category and supplier risks, including capacity constraints, single-source exposure, geographic concentration, long lead times, and business continuity.
• Establish supplier performance expectations and drive continuous improvement across quality, cost, delivery, technology, capacity, and responsiveness.

Qualifications & Requirements

Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Operations, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in Strategic Sourcing, Procurement, Supply Chain, Category Management, Supplier Management, Operations, or a related discipline.
• Experience developing and executing category strategies and managing strategic supplier relationships.
• Experience sourcing engineered components or complex manufactured products. Experience within data center infrastructure, liquid cooling, HVAC, thermal management, industrial equipment, electronics, or fluid-handling applications is preferred.
• Demonstrated experience leading supplier selection, negotiations, commercial agreements, and cost-reduction initiatives.

Skills

• Strong strategic thinking and category management capabilities.
• Strong commercial negotiation and total cost management skills.
• Ability to analyze market dynamics, supplier capabilities, manufacturing processes, and product cost drivers.
• Ability to work effectively with Engineering and other cross-functional teams to influence sourcing and supplier decisions.
• Strong analytical, fact-based problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Strong project management, communication, and relationship-management skills.
• Ability to build and maintain effective relationships with strategic suppliers and internal stakeholders.
• Ability to adapt to rapidly changing business requirements and thrive in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.

Benefits

• Medical, vision, and dental plans
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance
• Group term life insurance coverage
• HSA, FSA, and Dependent Care plans available
• 8 paid holidays, 4 floating holidays, and generous PTO policy
• 401k matching
• Annual safety shoe allowance
• Education assistance program

EEO Statement

Gradian is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, political affiliation, or any other legally protected status.

Employment decisions at Gradian are based on merit, qualifications, and business needs. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind and actively promote a culture of fairness, equity, and opportunity.

We also provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and for sincerely held religious beliefs, practices, or observances, in accordance with applicable laws.