Category Manager, Electrical Equipment - Data Center Supply Chain

Do you want to work with high-caliber professionals in a dynamic and growing company? Are you entrepreneurial, hard-working, and collegial? Join us at SB Energy, a leading infrastructure company backed by SoftBank Group and Ares Infrastructure, pairing cutting-edge innovation with best-in-class execution. Our mission is to deliver reliable and secure data center and power infrastructure to strengthen America's future. Founded in 2019, SB Energy is a SoftBank Group company headquartered in Redwood City, California. In 2026, SoftBank Group and OpenAI announced a $1 billion investment to support SB Energy as their leading development and execution partner for data center campuses, while Ares Infrastructure continues its long-standing support of the company's growth. SB Energy develops, builds, owns, and operates some of the largest and most technically advanced energy and data center infrastructure projects in the United States. Since its founding, the company has rapidly grown into a top-tier integrated platform with more than 3 gigawatts (GW) in operation and a multi-GW pipeline of energy and data center infrastructure nationwide. SB Energy also leverages a strong culture of innovation to identify and integrate new technologies into its projects, including its AI-based digital platform, delivering energy infrastructure that is local, reliable, and matched to load. We are building the energy and infrastructure future—today. Come join us in accelerating the energy and infrastructure transition! Basic Function SB Energy is seeking a strategic and technically capable Category Manager, Electrical Equipment to develop and execute sourcing strategies for mission-critical electrical infrastructure supporting next-generation AI factories and advanced data centers. Reporting to the Director, Electrical Infrastructure Supply Chain, this role will own supplier relationships, commercial strategy, category planning, and supply continuity across key electrical equipment categories.   Working closely with engineering, construction, commissioning, logistics, and project teams, the Category Manager will support equipment standardization, supplier selection, manufacturing readiness, and long-range capacity planning. This role will help secure reliable supply, improve supplier performance, manage commercial and operational risk, and support rapid infrastructure deployment.   Responsibilities Develop and execute sourcing strategies across electrical equipment categories including:    Medium-voltage switchgear   Low-voltage switchgear   Transformers   UPS systems   STS / ATS   PDUs and RPPs   Busway systems   Protection and control systems    Develop and execute sourcing strategies for mission-critical electrical infrastructure equipment supporting AI factory and advanced data center deployment programs.   Lead supplier selection, commercial negotiations, contract execution, and long-term category planning to improve cost, supply continuity, and deployment scalability.   Monitor market trends, manufacturing capacity, and supply chain risks to support strategic sourcing decisions.   Build and manage strategic relationships with key electrical equipment manufacturers, driving supplier performance across quality, cost, delivery, and capacity.   Partner with engineering, construction, commissioning, and procurement teams to align sourcing strategies with equipment standards, Basis of Design (BOD), and project requirements.   Lead efforts for technical evaluations, supplier submittals, equipment validation, and standardization initiatives across electrical equipment.   Coordinate manufacturing readiness, production schedules, capacity planning, logistics, and long-range supply planning to support project deployment.   Identify and mitigate commercial and operational risks that could impact equipment availability, project schedules, or supplier performance.   Manage supplier performance metrics, commercial commitments, and reporting related to delivery, lead times, manufacturing readiness, and capacity.   Partner with finance, operations, and project controls to support forecasting, deployment planning, and procurement documentation.   Qualifications/Requirements At least 7+ years of professional experience  Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Business, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related field required   5+ years of experience in category management, strategic sourcing, supplier management, procurement, or supply chain operations within infrastructure, industrial, manufacturing, electrical equipment, or mission-critical environments   Experience sourcing or managing categories such as switchgear , UPS , switchboards , busway , or related equipment preferred   Strong commercial negotiation, supplier relationship management, and contract management skills   Working knowledge of electrical equipment manufacturing, supplier capacity planning, lead-time management, and supply chain risk mitigation   Strong analytical, communication, and stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence cross-functional teams and manage multiple priorities   Experience supporting hyperscale data centers, utility-scale energy, industrial infrastructure, or other mission-critical facilities is strongly preferred   Willingness to travel domestically and internationally to supplier facilities, manufacturing sites, and project locations as required Location: Redwood City, CA; San Diego, CA; Denver, CO; Phoenix, AZ; Austin, TX. Hybrid. Remote locations will be considered on a case by case basis. Base Pay - $140,000 - $170,000 The pay range mentioned above is a guideline. We tailor each offer based on your unique skills, experience, location, and market benchmarks—while ensuring internal parity across our teams. The compensation range provided reflects base pay. Total rewards may also includ