Strategic Category Manager

Applied Digital; Dallas (TX); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Applied Digital is seeking a Strategic Category Manager – Capital Projects to lead global sourcing for HPC data center builds, owning OFCI equipment procurement and supplier relationships.

You will partner with Engineering, Construction, Operations and Finance to drive value, manage long-lead items, negotiate MSAs/SOWs, and deliver cost savings across multiple active and pipeline sites.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Business, or related field.
• 7+ years of experience in strategic sourcing or category management.
• Experience supporting data center or mission-critical capital projects.
• Proven ability to manage long-lead capital equipment.
• Strong negotiation and project management skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute global category strategies for capital equipment and services supporting HPC data center builds.
• Conduct market intelligence, supply base analysis, and capacity assessments.
• Lead competitive sourcing events aligned with project schedules.
• Manage procurement of critical OFCI equipment across multiple concurrent projects.
• Coordinate purchase orders, manufacturing milestones, logistics, and site delivery.
• Track long-lead items and proactively mitigate risks.
• Establish and manage strategic supplier relationships.
• Negotiate complex commercial agreements including MSAs and SOWs.
• Partner with Legal and Finance to manage risk and scalability.
• Provide executive updates and reporting.

Skills

Strategic sourcing

Category management

Negotiation

Project management

Supplier relationship management

Budgeting & forecasting

Executive communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Business, or related field

Job description

Strategic Category Manager – Capital Projects (HPC Data Centers)

Location: Flexible / Hybrid (Travel Required)

Position Summary

The Global Category Manager – Capital Projects is responsible for developing and executing global category strategies that support the successful delivery of high-performance computing (HPC) and hyperscale data center projects. This role leads strategic sourcing, supplier relationship management, contract negotiation, and end-to-end procurement execution for critical Owner-Furnished, Contractor-Installed (OFCI) equipment across multiple active and pipeline data center sites.

Key Responsibilities

Category Strategy & Strategic Sourcing

• Develop and execute global category strategies for capital equipment and services supporting HPC data center builds.
• Conduct market intelligence, supply base analysis, and capacity assessments.
• Lead competitive sourcing events aligned with project schedules.
• Manage procurement of critical OFCI equipment across multiple concurrent projects.
• Coordinate purchase orders, manufacturing milestones, logistics, and site delivery.
• Track long-lead items and proactively mitigate risks.
• Establish and manage strategic supplier relationships.
• Negotiate complex commercial agreements including MSAs and SOWs.
• Partner with Legal and Finance to manage risk and scalability.

Value Delivery & Stakeholder Engagement

• Drive cost savings and value creation initiatives.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and capital spend tracking.
• Ensure compliance with procurement policies
• Serve as procurement partner to Engineering, Construction, Operations, and Finance.
• Provide executive-level updates and reporting.
• Prepare dashboards and decision-support materials.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Business, or related field.
• 7+ years of experience in strategic sourcing or category management.
• Experience supporting data center or mission-critical capital projects.
• Proven ability to manage long-lead capital equipment.
• Strong negotiation and project management skills.

Preferred Skills

• Experience in hyperscale or HPC data center environments.
• Understanding of electrical and mechanical infrastructure.
• Strong analytical and executive communication skills.