Sr. Manager, Capital Equipment Procurement

Department: DC Operations | Location: Remote-US | Travel Requirements: Up to 25% travel required (US/Canada, international) | Salary Range: $160,000 – $175,000

About the role

We are seeking an experienced Sr. Manager of Supply Chain (Capital Equipment Procurement & RFP) to build, lead, and scale our end-to-end RFP and procurement process for the critical capital equipment that powers, distributes, and cools our AI Factory and data center deployments. This role owns sourcing strategy, RFP development and management, supplier evaluation, contracting, and procurement execution for power and electrical equipment (transformers, switchgear, generators, UPS systems, busway, PDUs), cooling equipment (chillers, CRAH/CRAC units, pumps, controls, and liquid cooling systems), and other critical infrastructure for the data center, including owner-furnished, contractor-installed (OFCI) equipment packages. You will establish structure, balance speed with risk, and create scalable RFP and procurement processes that support rapid growth without compromising reliability, cost discipline, or execution confidence. You will partner closely with engineering, quality, construction, and operations teams to translate rapid deployment schedules into executable procurement plans for power, electrical, and cooling equipment.

Responsibilities

• Procurement leadership & strategy: Build and scale the capital equipment procurement function in a high-growth startup, owning end-to-end RFP and procurement strategy planning, sourcing, bid management, contracting, and delivery for power, electrical, and cooling equipment as a hands-on leader engaging directly with suppliers, manufacturers, and logistics partners.
• Sourcing & supplier selection: Own the full RFI/RFQ/RFP lifecycle for capital equipment, from bid evaluation through negotiation and contracting, defining sourcing strategies for long-lead and constrained systems (transformers, switchgear, generators, UPS, chillers) and leading supplier selection for power, electrical, and cooling OEMs.
• Supplier performance & governance: Establish and lead Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) with key suppliers to drive accountability on delivery, quality, cost, and capacity, backed by supplier governance tools like scorecards, escalation paths, and performance improvement plans.
• Planning & ERP/MRP systems: Establish material planning and forecasting processes aligned to deployment schedules, and lead ERP/MRP implementation and maturation in partnership with Finance, Operations, and IT standardizing demand/supply planning, BOM accuracy, lead times, and inventory policies.
• Logistics & delivery execution: Own end-to-end logistics for capital equipment (freight, international shipping, customs, site-level coordination), coordinate OFCI commissioning and closeout documentation for smooth handover to construction/operations, and support rapid schedule changes and executive escalations.
• Risk, cost & performance analytics: Identify and mitigate supply chain risks (capacity, geopolitics, single-source dependencies, schedule volatility), drive cost initiatives like should-cost analysis and TCO optimization, and build dashboards/KPIs tracking supplier performance, OTIF delivery, and risk partnering with Quality on audits and corrective actions.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Operations, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 10+ years of supply chain leadership experience supporting complex capital equipment, infrastructure, or data center environments.
• 10+ years of experience in purchasing, procurement, sourcing, supply chain, or capital equipment procurement, manufacturing procurement, or a related commercial role.

Skills

• Supply chain leadership & sourcing: Proven track record scaling supply chain operations in startup/high-growth environments, with strong global sourcing, supplier negotiation, and RFP/bid management experience for capital equipment, including establishing supplier QBRs and performance management cadences.
• Data center equipment & constrained supply management: Deep expertise in data center power, electrical, and cooling equipment supply chains (transformers, switchgear, generators, UPS, chillers), with hands-on experience managing long-lead components, constrained supply environments, and aggressive delivery timelines.
• Systems, analytics & executive communication: Experience leading or contributing to ERP/MRP implementations across planning, procurement, and inventory workflows, paired with strong analytical skills, comfort with ambiguity/incomplete data, and the ability to clearly translate supply chain risk into business impact for executive leadership.

Benefits

• Career Growth: Build a rewarding career in one of the world's fastest-growing industries.
• Industry Leadership: Help power the infrastructure behind AI and high-performance computing.
• Entrepreneurial Culture: Your ideas matter - we empower employees to help shape our future.
• Comprehensive Rewards: Competitive pay plus meaningful, lasting impact on the work you do.

About the company

At 5C, we believe great people build great companies. We're more than a workplace - we're a team of builders, innovators, and problem-solvers united by a shared purpose: creating infrastructure that powers the technologies transforming our world. Your voice matters here, and we encourage fresh ideas at every level.