Technical Global Categories Director

Equinix•Toronto, ON

22h•$177,000 - $265,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Equinix is the world’s digital infrastructure company®, shortening the path to connectivity to enable the innovations that enrich our work, life and planet. A place where bold ideas are welcomed, human connection is valued, and everyone has the opportunity to shape their future. A career at Equinix means being at the center of shaping what comes next and amplifying customer value through innovation and impact. You’ll work across teams, influence key decisions, and help shape the path forward. You’ll find belonging, purpose, and a team that welcomes you—because when you feel valued, you’re empowered to do your best work. At Equinix, we make the internet work faster, better, and more reliable. We hire hardworking people who thrive on solving hard problems and give them opportunities to hone new skills, try new approaches, and grow in new directions. Our culture is at the heart of our success, and it’s our authentic, humble, gritty people who craft The Magic of Equinix. They share a real passion for winning and put the customer at the center of everything they do. If you are looking to join a company that can offer long term career opportunities on a global scale backed by a positive and high-energy culture, then Equinix is the place for you. Under Global Leadership Leads global technical categories across Major Capital Equipment (MCE)—spanning electrical, mechanical, and critical infrastructure systems—with accountability for strategy, global supplier portfolio, capacity/pre‑buy, standardization, cost, on‑time delivery (OTD), and quality. Core scope includes: Electrical: MV/LV switchgear, transformers, PDUs/RPPs, busways, ATS/STS, grid/substation interfaces Mechanical: chillers, cooling towers, CRAH/CRAC units, pumps, heat exchangers, liquid cooling systems Critical Systems: generators, UPS, battery systems (BESS/VRLA/Li-ion), integrated power/cooling modules Strong interface with Integrated Products, Grid Solutions, Design Engineering, and Commissioning teams to deliver scalable, standardized, and resilient infrastructure. The Technical Global Categories Director (Mechanical, Electrical & Critical Systems) will own the end‑to‑end global category strategy and execution across technical disciplines. Build diversified supplier capacity, drive pre‑buy and fungibility strategies where feasible, and embed technical, safety, and commissioning rigor into supplier obligations. Deliver resilient supply, faster award‑to‑signature cycles, improved delivered quality, and measurable savings—while partnering cross-functionally to meet required on‑site dates (ROS).

Requirements

15+ years in data center or mission-critical infrastructure across electrical, mechanical, and critical systems
Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering (ME) or Electrical Engineering (EE) with end-to-end project lifecycle experience spanning design, construction, commissioning, and operations
Proven experience building global category strategies and managing multi-region supplier networks
Demonstrated success in capacity management, pre-buy programs, and supply risk mitigation
Strong knowledge of IEC, IEEE, ASHRAE, NFPA, and commissioning practices
Executive presence, strong commercial acumen, and data-driven decision making

Responsibilities

Define global category vision and playbooks across electrical, mechanical, and critical systems
Establish vendor tiering, regionalization strategies, and risk posture by category
Maintain multi‑vendor strategies and standardized equipment lists across regions (no sole sourcing) supported by capacity agreements
Align category strategies with campus, program, and weave planning globally
Develop structured product insertion framework including qualification checklist, site readiness criteria, commissioning validation, and lessons-learned feedback loop into global standards
Establish vendor manufacturing capability assessment and audit framework (capacity, quality systems, localization strategy, supply chain resilience) for for NPI approval and scaling
Structure global capacity agreements (RoFR, minimum commitments, flexible windows)
Lead pre‑buy strategies aligned to long-lead critical equipment
Account for engineering maturity (IFC vs preliminary design) to avoid rework or stranded inventory
Drive fungibility where feasible (e.g., CRAH/CRAC, UPS modules, PDUs, busways)
Clearly define non‑fungible systems (e.g., large chillers, transformers, generators) with inventory risk controls
Establish global technical standards and specification frameworks across categories
Embed safety requirements (e.g., electrical system studies (SCCS/Arc Flash,), DCOS points list adherence, mechanical safety, pressure systems compliance) into RFQs and contracts
Define clear demarcation/ownership matrices across OEMs, integrators, and GCs
Ensure alignment with IEC/IEEE/ASHRAE and regional regulatory requirements
Drive cross-functional alignment across Electrical and Mechanical disciplines with cross functional stakeholders (GOE, Eng Dev, GDC, Cx, Ops, Commercial) to productize new equipment into repeatable reference designs
Translate pilot/NPI learnings into standardized reference architectures (e.g., MV UPS, SST, CDU-integrated systems)
Ensure early design validation with commissioning and operations teams (maintainability, access, redundancy philosophy) through FOAK and standard company processes
Embed lessons learned from EMEA/APAC/AMER deployments into global specifications and templates
Ensure suppliers deliver commissioning-ready systems (FAT, IST, CTB/CTS evidence)
Embed traceability, testing coverage, and lifecycle quality requirements into contracts
Prevent late-stage commissioning risks through OEM receipt inspection and preservation controls
Drive consistent quality frameworks across electrical and mechanical scopes
Standardize global QMS and supplier requirements (ISO alignment, ITPs, FAT/FOAK rigor, traceability, and digital turnover documentation) across all regions and categories
Implement structured manufacturing quality audits covering factory capability (MCR), critical processes, sub-tier controls, and recurring surveillance
Track and govern vendor quality performance via KPIs (DPU, OTD-Q, FAT pass rates, field failures) with centralized dashboards tied to sourcing decisions
Establish closed-loop quality improvement linking field/commissioning data to RCA, design updates, and continuous refinement of specifications and manufacturing processes
Own global frameworks and commercial strategy across all technical categories, including driving cost reduction through quality improvement, standardization, and minimization of equipment SKUs to maximize utilization across reference designs
Standardize RFQ packages and technical/commercial evaluation methodologies
Drive total cost of ownership optimization through standardization, VE, quality issue reduction and scale leverage
Partner with Regional Procurement for local execution and supplier development
Monthly category QBRs and quarterly executive roll-ups (GOLT/GFR)
Track and report Capacity secured OTD to ROS
Award-to-signature cycle time
Savings performance
Supplier diversification
Delivered quality and defect rates