Lead (IC), Infrastructure & Networking Procurement

About the role

Own and scale procurement for the infrastructure and networking hardware that enables Groq's compute deployments. This role will build sourcing strategies, improve supply resilience, and execute day-to-day purchasing across networking, storage, management/admin, rack-specific software, control nodes, cooling infrastructure, and everything required to make a site deployment-ready, excluding the accelerator platform itself and the data center lease/colo agreement. Partner closely with Engineering and Finance to create repeatable procurement frameworks that support reliable, efficient deployment at scale.

Role structure

• Reports to Head of FinOps
• Senior individual contributor; no direct reports
• Expect roughly 70% hands-on execution and 30% strategy and framework-building through the first 12–18 months
• This is a build-it-yourself role, not a role that directs a team doing the work
• Remote, US

Responsibilities

• Own procurement for networking infrastructure, including network hardware, optics, cabling, and related bill of materials
• Lead sourcing and purchasing for storage racks, networking racks, management/admin racks, control nodes, and supporting infrastructure hardware needed at a given data center
• Partner with Legal to negotiate and execute the agreements the category runs on — MSAs, SOWs, purchase and warranty terms, NDAs, and amendments
• Own procurement for busway, PDUs, liquid cooling hardware, CDUs, in-rack and in-row cooling, and structured cabling installation, and other critical site-specific infrastructure components needed to deploy compute and supporting hardware
• Critical facility power equipment — switchgear, transformers, generators, UPS/BESS — is delivered through the colocation or powered-shell operator; you will manage that scope through the operator rather than buying it directly
• Own day-to-day procurement execution in Zip and NetSuite, including purchase requests, PO creation and management, approvals, order tracking, and ensuring purchasing data and workflows remain accurate and up to date
• Work with Direct Procurement team to develop and implement a spares strategy across networking and data center infrastructure, including defining spare levels with Engineering, establishing stocking locations and replenishment policies, and ensuring critical components are available to support deployments and ongoing operations
• Own inbound logistics for the category — freight, customs, import/export and tariff exposure, and delivery sequencing so material lands on site in the order the deployment plan needs it
• Partner with Engineering to standardize site kits and establish repeatable deployment BOMs that improve procurement efficiency and execution
• Develop sourcing strategies for constrained components, including lead-time management, allocation planning, supplier diversification, and multi-sourcing
• Serve as the primary procurement business partner to Networking Engineering, translating technical requirements into executable sourcing and purchasing strategies, and act as the procurement counterpart to Data Center Strategy on infrastructure BOM requirements for new sites
• Translate the capacity plan into a purchasing plan. Own a recurring forecasting cadence with Finance and Engineering that converts site sequencing into POs, lead-time commitments, and cash timing
• Identify supply, cost, and lead-time risks early and drive mitigation plans with suppliers and internal stakeholders
• Build the frameworks, and improve the processes, supplier strategies, and operating mechanisms, that let this category scale — while staying hands-on in day-to-day execution

Required qualifications

• Deep experience in direct procurement, strategic sourcing, supply chain, or a related function supporting technically complex hardware or infrastructure
• Deep category experience sourcing networking, data center, or compute infrastructure hardware
• Strong understanding of supplier management, lead times, allocation, multi-sourcing, and supply continuity for constrained components
• Experience managing CapEx purchasing and executing against complex infrastructure or hardware deployment plans
• Able to translate engineering requirements and BOMs into clear sourcing strategies and procurement actions
• Able to build scalable frameworks and long-term sourcing strategies while remaining highly engaged in day-to-day execution
• IC role today with a path to building the team
• Strong cross-functional partner who can work effectively with Engineering, Operations, Finance, and other technical stakeholders
• Commercially rigorous, with strong judgment around cost, supplier risk, lead time, and sourcing tradeoffs
• High degree of ownership and accountability, with the ability to drive procurement work from ambiguous requirements through execution
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced environment where deployment needs, supply conditions, and priorities can change quickly
• Clear and concise communicator who can influence decisions with both technical and business stakeholders

Preferred experience

• Experience in data centers, networking infrastructure, hardware, semiconductors, cloud infrastructure, or another capital-intensive technical environment

Compensation

Groq is committed to providing competitive compensation through our Total Cash philosophy, which incorporates potential bonus value directly into base pay. The total cash salary ranges for this position, which is inclusive of the potential bonus value, is dependent by level:

• Sr./Lead(IC): $127,500-$172,500
• Staff/Manager(IC): $154,300-$208,700

Individual placement within these ranges is determined by your geographic location, experience, skills, and alignment with internal compensation standards. These ranges are specific to candidates located in the United States. Compensation for international candidates will vary based on local market dynamics. Beyond cash compensation, Groq also offers a Long-Term Incentive (LTI) Program and a robust suite of employee benefits.