Strategic Category Manager

Socket.dev; Town of Texas (WI); Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Socket.dev seeks a Strategic Category Manager – Capital Projects to lead global category strategies for HPC data center capital equipment and services. You will manage OFCI procurement, supplier relationships, and end-to-end sourcing across multiple sites worldwide.

In this hybrid role, you will collaborate with Engineering, Construction, Operations, Legal, and Finance, drive cost savings, and provide executive updates and dashboards to steer capital programs.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in strategic sourcing or category management.
• Experience supporting data center or mission-critical capital projects.
• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Business, or related field.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute global category strategies for capital equipment and services supporting HPC data center builds.
• Lead competitive sourcing events aligned with project schedules.
• Negotiate complex commercial agreements including MSAs and SOWs.
• Partner with Legal and Finance to manage risk and scalability.
• Provide executive updates and dashboards to stakeholders.

Skills

Strategic sourcing

Category management

Negotiation

Project management

Education

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

Tools

ERP systems

Procurement software

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.
• ERP and procurement system experience.
• Willingness to travel as needed.