Sourcing Manager III

Aston Carter•Fremont, CA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Sourcing Manager III leads strategic sourcing and vendor management for data center equipment, with a strong focus on robotics and automation technologies. This role combines complex commercial negotiations, advanced supply chain management, and deep technology insight to secure cost-effective, reliable, and innovative solutions for large-scale data center operations. You will shape vendor strategy, drive cost and risk transparency, and collaborate broadly across engineering, operations, and supply chain teams to ensure supply assurance and strong commercial outcomes.

Requirements

Minimum of 5 years of Sourcing Management or Supply Chain Management experience in commercial sourcing roles.
Proven experience in strategic sourcing and complex negotiations, including RFIs, RFQs, award decisions, and closure of MPAs, MSAs, and SOWs with strong control over terms and conditions.
Demonstrated ability to develop and use supplier performance metrics and scorecards, including quarterly business review metrics, should-cost models, and cost and risk reporting.
Proficiency in robotics and automation technologies and a strong understanding of how supply chain processes integrate with robotics and automation systems.
Experience improving supply chain and supplier performance using cost models and objective performance measures, particularly within semiconductor or memory commodities.
Extensive experience in contracts and contract negotiations, including contract strategy development and execution with a focus on agreement closure.
At least 5 years of material or production planning experience.
At least 5 years of experience working with broad enterprise systems such as SAP, Oracle, and custom applications.
At least 5 years of working knowledge of SQL and/or BI tools (such as Tableau, Power BI, or Looker) to build and maintain detailed supplier scorecards.
Ability to analyze complex data, perform market and cost analysis, and translate insights into negotiation strategies and supplier improvement plans.
Demonstrated ability to guide cross-functional teams and stakeholders to deliver results through strong communication, influence, and collaboration skills.
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree (or foreign equivalent) in Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Analytics, Robotics and Automation, or a related field.
2 years of experience negotiating software licensing models for robotics and AI solutions, including per-robot, per-site, usage-based, and support/maintenance terms.
2 years of experience defining contract and supplier requirements for AI systems, including model performance metrics and test/validation requirements.

Nice To Haves

Advanced depth in supply chain operations, including forecasting, supplier qualification, allocation management, materials management, reliability, and quality assurance.
Robotics and AI commercial expertise, including understanding of software licensing models and AI supplier requirements such as telemetry, validation, rollback, and incident response.
Preferred MS or MBA degree, particularly with a focus on supply chain, operations, engineering, or related disciplines.
Specific experience in automation and robotics within warehouse or logistics environments.
Strong understanding of complex, global supply chain operations and processes supporting large-scale data center or high-technology environments.
Ability to operate in a fast-paced, high-impact role with accountability for vendor strategy, cost optimization, and supply assurance for critical data center equipment.
Comfort working with cross-functional stakeholders across engineering, operations, finance, and legal to align sourcing strategies with technical and business objectives.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute a comprehensive vendor strategy for data center equipment, with emphasis on robotics and automation technologies.
Build, nurture, and manage strategic vendor relationships through effective relationship management, including the implementation of performance metrics and supplier scorecards.
Conduct regular business reviews with suppliers to assess performance, drive collaboration, and ensure alignment with commercial and technical requirements.
Maintain current knowledge of technology and industry trends in data center equipment, robotics, and automation, and perform market analysis to inform sourcing decisions.
Lead supplier proposal processes, including RFIs and RFQs, and drive data-based award decisions that balance cost, risk, quality, and technology roadmaps.
Develop and execute negotiation strategies, including acceptable terms and conditions, and lead negotiation teams through to contract closure.
Negotiate complex contracts such as Master Purchase Agreements, Master Service Agreements, and Statements of Work, demonstrating strong control of key commercial and legal terms.
Own market and actual cost data for data center equipment and develop should-cost models to support cost transparency, benchmarking, and negotiation leverage.
Resolve commercial and technical queries arising from the quote and negotiation process in partnership with engineering, quality, and operations stakeholders.
Ensure key business and supply chain metrics are achieved across the end-to-end lifecycle, from manufacturing through to data center operation.
Collaborate extensively with cross-functional teams, including Manufacturing Quality, Strategic Engineering and Design, Global Site Sourcing, Data Center Facility Operations, Data Center Construction, and Connectivity to align sourcing strategies with technical and operational needs.
Define, track, and drive core business metrics and risk indicators for continuous improvement in supplier performance and supply chain resilience.
Provide metrics and insights for quarterly business reviews to assess supply chain health, supplier performance, and forward-looking risk.
Drive critical operations related to assurance of supply and capacity by partnering closely with the Demand/Supply team to support accurate forecasting, materials management, qualification, reliability, and allocation decisions.
Use SAP, Oracle, and other enterprise systems to manage sourcing, materials, and supplier data and to integrate supply chain processes with robotics and automation solutions.
Leverage SQL and BI tools to build and maintain supplier scorecards, including metrics such as quality, on-time-in-full delivery, lead times, defect rates, downtime impact, and cost.
Support and, where relevant, lead negotiations for robotics and AI software licensing models, including per-robot, per-site, usage-based, and support/maintenance terms.
Define and refine contract and supplier requirements for AI-enabled systems, including model performance metrics, testing and validation expectations, telemetry, rollback, and incident response requirements.
Guide cross-functional teams with data-driven insights and analytics to improve supply chain performance and deliver measurable results.