Supply Chain & Procurement Lead, GPU Infrastructure

Parasail•San Mateo, CA

About The Position

Parasail builds inference infrastructure for open-weight AI models. Behind one API, we bring together distributed GPU capacity and optimize how workloads run across it, helping customers access reliable, high-performance inference without managing the underlying infrastructure. We’re building the team that sources, deploys, and operates the hardware behind that platform. You’ll own the supplier relationships, purchasing, and supply planning that support Parasail’s GPU infrastructure—from identifying hardware needs and securing supply through delivery, replacements, and lifecycle management. This is an early role with responsibility for both strategy and execution. You’ll negotiate with vendors, manage purchasing and delivery commitments, resolve shortages, and build visibility into equipment availability and cost. Working closely with engineering, finance, and our Data Center Deployment & Operations TPM, you’ll ensure purchasing decisions support real deployment needs. Initially, you’ll work directly with suppliers, hardware manufacturers, distributors, and logistics partners to get things done. As Parasail grows, you’ll build the processes, systems, and team needed to support a larger infrastructure footprint.

Requirements

Experience owning hardware procurement, supply chain, or materials planning in cloud infrastructure, data centers, electronics, or another complex hardware environment.
Direct responsibility for supplier relationships, commercial negotiations, purchasing decisions, and delivery commitments.
Experience managing supply against changing demand, including shortages, long lead times, configuration changes, and excess inventory.
An understanding of server and infrastructure hardware sufficient to work effectively with engineering on specifications and purchasing tradeoffs.
Strong analytical skills and experience building planning tools, procurement workflows, or inventory reporting.
A track record of resolving problems across suppliers, logistics providers, finance, and technical teams.
Comfort handling detailed execution while building a more scalable operating process.
Clear communication about costs, commitments, risks, and decisions.

Nice To Haves

Sourcing GPUs, servers, networking equipment, or integrated rack systems.
Working with OEMs, ODMs, contract manufacturers, and hardware distributors.
Supporting GPU infrastructure deployments or introducing new hardware platforms.
Coordinating international shipments with logistics and trade-compliance specialists.
Managing hardware warranties, returns, spare-parts planning, and lifecycle transitions.
Building or leading a procurement, supply planning, or hardware operations team.

Responsibilities

Own supplier relationships. Evaluate and manage hardware manufacturers, distributors, integrators, and logistics partners. Establish clear expectations for pricing, availability, quality, delivery, and support.
Lead sourcing and purchasing. Run vendor evaluations and requests for quotes, negotiate commercial terms, and manage purchases for GPUs, servers, networking equipment, racks, spares, and supporting hardware.
Build the supply plan. Translate capacity requirements and deployment schedules into purchasing plans. Account for equipment already available, supplier lead times, configuration changes, and budget constraints.
Drive delivery commitments. Track orders from placement through manufacturing, shipment, and receipt. Resolve delays and discrepancies, and develop alternatives when supply puts a deployment at risk.
Partner on technical decisions. Work with engineering to confirm specifications, evaluate substitutions, and understand how hardware choices affect cost, availability, compatibility, and deployment timing.
Manage inventory and lifecycle. Maintain visibility into equipment that is ordered, in transit, in storage, deployed, or awaiting repair. Coordinate spares, warranties, returns, replacements, and end-of-life disposition with operations.
Balance cost and availability. Evaluate total acquisition costs, payment terms, inventory exposure, and the cost of delayed capacity. Present clear purchasing recommendations to finance and leadership.
Build procurement systems and controls. Establish practical workflows for purchase approvals, order tracking, inventory reconciliation, and invoice discrepancies. Automate repetitive work and keep records reliable as volume grows.
Keep supply and deployment aligned. Provide dependable equipment milestones to the deployment TPM. Surface shortages, supplier risks, and decisions early, with recovery options and accountable owners.
Build the function. Define supplier performance measures, improve purchasing and planning practices, and help hire and develop the team as demand grows.