Director, Category Management – Data Center Electrical Infrastructure

About the role

The Director, Category Management – Data Center Electrical Infrastructure leads the global end-to-end category strategy, strategic sourcing, and supplier development for mission-critical power distribution systems. In this senior role, you will manage a massive annual spend across High Voltage (HV), Medium Voltage (MV), and Low Voltage (LV) electrical equipment—including utility substations, transformers, switchgear, Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS), backup diesel generators, and busway systems.

Given current industry-wide constraints on long-lead electrical equipment, you will act as the primary commercial and strategic authority, securing multi-year manufacturing capacity, aligning utility and engineering roadmaps, and establishing resilient, cost-optimized supply chains to fuel rapid, hyper-scale data center expansion.

What you'll do

• Category Strategy & Execution: Develop and execute multi-year global category strategies for HV, MV, and LV electrical commodities, balancing total cost of ownership (TCO) with critical path deployment schedules.
• Supplier Relationship & Development: Manage executive-level relationships with Tier-1 electrical equipment OEMs and global manufacturers (e.g., switchgear, transformer, and generator suppliers). Drive capacity allocation, manufacturing footprint expansion, and performance scorecards.
• Capacity Reservation & Long-Lead Management: Negotiate multi-year capacity reservation agreements, master supply agreements (MSAs), and framework orders to mitigate severe industry lead-time bottlenecks for critical items like step-down transformers and GIS/AIS switchgear.
• Cross-Functional Alignment: Partner closely with Data Center Electrical Engineering, Site Selection, Energy Strategy, and Construction teams to ensure electrical topologies align with future grid requirements, high-density AI demands, and modular power designs.
• Risk Management & Supply Resiliency: Mitigate single-point-of-failure risks across Tier-1 and Tier-2 components (e.g., electrical steel, copper windings, semiconductor chips for controls, diesel engine blocks). Develop dual-sourcing and localized manufacturing strategies.
• Market Intelligence & Regulatory Compliance: Monitor global market trends, commodity price volatility (copper, electrical steel), utility interconnection trends, and evolving electrical codes/safety standards (e.g., IEEE, IEC, NFPA) to inform leadership decisions.

What you'll bring

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, or a related technical discipline. Master’s degree or MBA preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive strategic sourcing, supply chain management, or commercial operations experience, with at least 5 years specifically dedicated to data center electrical infrastructure, heavy industrial power systems, or electrical utility equipment.
• Deep technical and commercial fluency in data center electrical distribution architectures, including HV substations, MV switchgear, backup generation (diesel/gas rotary), UPS topologies, and power distribution units (PDUs).
• Proven track record of negotiating complex, high-stakes commercial agreements, long-lead capacity holds, and global volume purchase terms with Tier-1 electrical OEMs.
• Strong cross-functional leadership, negotiation, and executive communication skills. Ability to influence internal engineering standards and external executive leadership alike.

Compensation and Benefits

• Competitive Salary: $185,000 - $200,000 (commensurate with experience) + bonus + sign-on equity grant.

• Long-Term Growth: Eligible to participate in Riot’s equity incentive programs and share in the success you help build.

• 401(k) Retirement Plan: Incudes a generous company match.

• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Multiple medical plan options, including 100% company-paid plans.

• Wellness & Lifestyle Perks: Enjoy free gym memberships, pet insurance, childcare discounts, and more to support your life both in and out of work.

Riot is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.