# Director, Data Center Equipment Category Manager at Lambda

Lambda is hiring a Director, Data Center Equipment Category Manager for a remote role open to applicants in United States. It pays $224k-$350k a year and Level rates it Little AI ●○○○; you can [apply on Lambda](https://jobsbylevel.com/go/b5bdb340-2fdb-4820-936b-80ab6d049443?utm_medium=ai-agent).

AI Level 1, AI centrality 32 out of 100. Remote (San Jose Office (Zanker)).

## Details

- Company: [Lambda](https://jobsbylevel.com/companies/lambda)
- AI level: AI Level 1 (score 32 out of 100)
- Location: Remote (San Jose Office (Zanker))
- Salary: $224k-$350k
- Posted: November 3, 2026
- Apply: https://jobsbylevel.com/go/b5bdb340-2fdb-4820-936b-80ab6d049443?utm_medium=ai-agent
- Free CV review for this job: https://jobsbylevel.com/cv-review?job=director-data-center-equipment-category-manager-at-lambda-074926

## Description

Lambda, The Superintelligence Cloud, is a leader in AI cloud infrastructure serving tens of thousands of customers. Our customers range from AI researchers to enterprises and hyperscalers. Lambda's mission is to make compute as ubiquitous as electricity and give everyone the power of superintelligence. One person, one GPU. If you'd like to build the world's best AI cloud, join us. What You'll Do Lead and develop a team of category managers across electrical, mechanical, and modular equipment, while personally owning Lambda's most critical categories, sourcing events, and negotiations Own the multi-year category strategy for Lambda's datacenter infrastructure equipment — transformers, MV/LV switchgear, generators, UPS, busway, power distribution, chillers, CDUs, air handling and liquid cooling systems, and prefabricated and modular power and cooling solutions Secure supply in a constrained market — reserve manufacturing slots, negotiate capacity commitments and framework agreements, and align supplier capacity with Lambda's multi-site demand forecast Lead end-to-end sourcing events (RFI, RFP, RFQ) from specification through supplier selection, award, and contract execution Serve as Lambda's lead negotiator on the highest-value equipment agreements — master supply agreements, pricing, lead times, warranties, liquidated damages, and performance guarantees — partnering with Legal and Finance on terms Partner with Design, Engineering, Construction, and Development to standardize specifications and basis-of-design across sites, driving volume aggregation and repeatable buys Sequence equipment awards and deliveries against live construction schedules to protect the critical path, and manage expediting, factory witness testing, logistics, and storage Own the owner-furnished vs. contractor-furnished equipment strategy, including installation, warranty, and commissioning interfaces with general contractors and EPCs Deliver systematic cost reduction through should-cost and total-cost-of-ownership models, design-to-cost, value engineering, and index-based pricing for commodities like copper and steel Build strategic partnerships with OEMs, integrators, and manufacturer representatives, and qualify new and second-source suppliers to reduce concentration risk Own supplier performance management — quality, on-time delivery, and safety — through scorecards, factory audits, and executive business reviews Identify and mitigate supply chain risks — lead time volatility, tariffs, commodity pricing, single-source exposure, and geopolitical disruption — and maintain contingency plans Set standards for category governance, contract templates, and spend and supplier data that scale with Lambda's growth Deliver executive-level briefings on category strategy, market conditions, supply risk, and savings performance You Have 10+ years in strategic sourcing, procurement, or category management, with at least 5 years focused on datacenter, mission-critical, energy, or heavy industrial electrical and mechanical equipment Hold a Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Business, Finance, or a related field, or have equivalent experience Have 5+ years of people leadership managing category managers or sourcing professionals, while staying hands-on in sourcing strategy and negotiations yourself Have owned multi-year category strategies for high-spend, supply-constrained equipment categories with material cost and continuity-of-supply impact Know the datacenter equipment supply base — major OEMs, integrators, and their manufacturing capacity, lead times, and pricing dynamics Are recognized as a lead negotiator — you have personally closed large master supply agreements and capacity commitments, not directed someone else to Have sequenced long-lead equipment against a live construction schedule and worked shoulder to shoulder with design, engineering, and construction teams Have set process, policy, or governance standards that an organization

The description is cut here. Read the full offer: https://jobsbylevel.com/jobs/director-data-center-equipment-category-manager-at-lambda-074926

Source: https://jobsbylevel.com/jobs/director-data-center-equipment-category-manager-at-lambda-074926

## Cite this page

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