Senior Direct Procurement Manager, Compute

Groq•Dallas, NY

5d•$127,500 - $208,700•Hybrid

About The Position

Groq is hiring a Senior Direct Procurement Manager to own end-to-end procurement for compute hardware supporting its AI infrastructure deployments. The category includes GPUs, LPXs and other AI accelerators and platforms, compute servers and nodes, CPUs, memory, and related components. The role develops sourcing strategies, secures supply allocation, strengthens supply resilience, and executes purchasing against deployment capacity plans, partnering closely with Engineering, Finance, Legal, Data Center Strategy, Operations, and suppliers. The position translates site sequencing and capacity targets into purchasing plans, purchase orders, delivery commitments, and cash timing. It leads commercial negotiations and agreements with accelerator vendors, OEMs, ODMs, VARs, and system integrators; manages market intelligence, constrained-component sourcing, inbound logistics, spares, warranty and RMA processes; and maintains day-to-day procurement workflows in Zip and NetSuite. The manager will help standardize compute configurations and deployment bills of materials while building scalable procurement frameworks and remaining hands-on in execution. This is currently an individual-contributor role, with a path to building a team. The role must be based in the Dallas, San Francisco, or New York City area. Remote work is available while Groq establishes a local office, after which the position is expected to transition to onsite. The stated U.S. total cash salary ranges are $127,500–$172,500 for Sr./Lead (IC) and $154,300–$208,700 for Staff/Manager (IC), inclusive of potential bonus value. Placement depends on location, experience, skills, and internal compensation standards. International compensation varies by local market. Groq also offers a Long-Term Incentive Program and employee benefits. Candidates must meet applicable export-control eligibility requirements.

Requirements

Deep experience in direct procurement, strategic sourcing, commodity management, or supply chain supporting technically complex compute hardware.
Direct category experience sourcing GPUs or other AI accelerators and compute servers, with a strong understanding of the accelerator market, silicon vendors, and OEM/ODM supplier landscape.
Strong understanding of supplier management, lead times, allocation, multi-sourcing, and supply continuity for constrained components, including semiconductor supply-chain dynamics.
Track record negotiating large, multi-million-dollar supply and allocation agreements with silicon vendors, OEMs, or ODMs.
Experience managing CapEx purchasing and executing complex hardware deployment plans.
Ability to translate engineering requirements, qualification cycles, and BOMs into sourcing strategies and procurement actions.
Ability to build scalable frameworks and long-term sourcing strategies while remaining engaged in day-to-day execution.
Strong cross-functional partnership skills with Engineering, Operations, Finance, and other technical stakeholders.
Commercial rigor and sound judgment regarding cost, supplier risk, lead time, and sourcing tradeoffs.
High ownership and accountability, including the ability to drive procurement work from ambiguous requirements through execution.
Comfort operating in a fast-paced environment where deployment needs, supply conditions, and priorities can change quickly.
Clear and concise communication skills and ability to influence technical and business stakeholders.
Must be based in the Dallas, San Francisco, or New York City area.
Must meet applicable export-control eligibility requirements for access to controlled technology and information, or otherwise be eligible for an applicable export license.

Nice To Haves

Experience working with a systems integrator or channel partner.
Familiarity with networking, storage, and data center infrastructure.
Experience at a hyperscaler, cloud or AI infrastructure company, semiconductor company, OEM/ODM, or another capital-intensive technical environment.

Responsibilities

Own procurement for compute hardware, including GPUs, LPXs and other AI accelerators and platforms, compute servers and nodes, CPUs, memory, and related components and bills of materials.
Lead commercial strategy and negotiations with accelerator vendors, OEMs, ODMs, and system integrators, including pricing, allocation commitments, delivery schedules, and roadmap access.
Partner with Legal to negotiate and execute MSAs, supply and allocation agreements, SOWs, purchase and warranty terms, NDAs, and amendments.
Develop sourcing strategies for constrained compute components, including lead-time management, allocation planning, supplier diversification, and multi-sourcing across silicon vendors and system builders.
Track compute-market pricing, lead times, product generations, and custom silicon, and use market intelligence to inform sourcing decisions that protect cost, schedule, and unit economics.
Translate capacity plans into purchasing plans through a recurring forecasting cadence with Finance and Engineering, converting site sequencing and capacity targets into POs, lead-time commitments, and cash timing.
Serve as the primary procurement business partner to Hardware and Systems Engineering, translating technical requirements, qualification cycles, and roadmaps into sourcing and purchasing strategies; act as the procurement counterpart to Data Center Strategy on compute requirements for new sites.
Partner with Engineering to standardize compute configurations and create repeatable deployment BOMs.
Own daily procurement execution in Zip and NetSuite, including purchase requests, PO creation and management, approvals, order tracking, and accurate purchasing data and workflows.
Manage inbound logistics for the category, including freight, customs, import/export controls, tariff exposure, and delivery sequencing.
Work with the Direct Procurement team to develop and implement a compute-hardware spares strategy, defining spare levels with Engineering, stocking locations and replenishment policies, and supplier RMA and warranty processes.
Manage relationships with VARs and OEMs supporting procurement across compute and infrastructure categories, aligning orders with customer commitments, data center availability, and cash needs.
Identify supply, cost, and lead-time risks early and drive mitigation plans with suppliers and internal stakeholders.
Develop frameworks and improve processes, supplier strategies, and operating mechanisms so the category can scale while maintaining hands-on involvement in day-to-day execution.