Strategic Sourcing Manager, Datacenter Networking - Stargate

Details

About the Team

OpenAI, in close collaboration with our capital partners, is embarking on a journey to build the world’s most advanced AI infrastructure ecosystem. The industrial compute team is central to this mission, setting the core infrastructure strategy and implementing this vision. From site selection to the buildout process, this team sits at the intersection of commercial, technical, strategy, and operations, interacting with teams and executives inside and outside of OpenAI.

About the Role

OpenAI is seeking a sourcing leader ready to take on global-scale challenges involving thousands of stakeholders and high-stakes commercial decisions. The Industrial Compute team supporting Stargate (OpenAI’s next-generation supercomputing platform) is hiring a seasoned and strategic sourcing professional to lead infrastructure procurement efforts. In this role you will own end-to-end sourcing strategy and execution across datacenter network hardware, partner closely with engineering and business teams to ensure hardware availability, incubate new vendor relationships, and negotiate complex commercial agreements. You will shape supplier engagement, define commercial terms, and drive vendor accountability to directly impact our ability to scale safely, securely, and swiftly.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute strategic roadmaps for next-generation network infrastructure, including long-haul fiber, in-building networking, and optical transport solutions in partnership with engineering.
• Stay current on industry trends and leverage insights to shape forward-looking, category-specific sourcing strategies.
• Initiate, negotiate, and manage contracts for datacenter domains including network switches, routers, DWDM/RLS transport solutions, optics, cabling, and rack hardware.
• Identify risks and secure optionality for hardware availability across a broad portfolio spanning backbone and networking components.
• Partner cross-functionally with engineering, operations, legal, and finance to ensure sourcing strategies align with broader project and organizational goals.
• Develop and lead competitive commercial strategies to ensure material readiness and cost efficiency across the infrastructure roadmap.
• Provide technical and commercial input during vendor evaluation and selection to ensure alignment with datacenter operational and design standards.
• Communicate sourcing progress, risks, and key milestones to executive stakeholders.

Requirements

• 10+ years of strategic sourcing, procurement, and contract management experience, with deep specialization in datacenter infrastructure and operations, including leadership of sourcing for major capital equipment and facilities.
• Demonstrated success in contract negotiation and vendor management for large-scale datacenter environments, working with OEMs, JDMs, and global suppliers, with emphasis on commercial structuring and international logistics.
• Deep technical fluency in networks (e.g., DWDM, switches, routers, cabling, NICs), optical transport, and end-to-end connectivity solutions.
• Robust knowledge of network hardware and compute platform infrastructure, aligned with industry best practices and standards across network and compute domains.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with focus on cost optimization, risk mitigation, and long-term value delivery.
• Skilled in structuring complex, multi-equipment capital deals, negotiating commercial terms, and driving vendor performance and accountability.
• Track record of cross-functional leadership and influencing internal and external executive stakeholders on major capital project decisions.
• Experience balancing technical, operational, and financial trade-offs, including defining payment milestones and contract levers.
• Hands-on experience with supply chain readiness, manufacturing processes, and material coordination for large-scale infrastructure projects.
• Advanced certifications in procurement, project management, or datacenter operations are preferred.

Benefits

• Base pay range: $230,000 – $335,000 (offers equity; base pay may vary by market location, knowledge, skills, and experience).
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance with employer contributions to Health Savings Accounts.
• Pre-tax accounts for Health FSA, Dependent Care FSA, and commuter expenses.
• 401(k) retirement plan with employer match.
• Paid parental leave, paid medical and caregiver leave.
• Flexible PTO for exempt employees and up to 15 days annually for non-exempt employees; 13+ paid company holidays and additional company office closures.
• Mental health and wellness support; employer-paid basic life and disability coverage.
• Annual learning and development stipend; daily meals in offices and meal delivery credits as eligible.
• Relocation support for eligible employees.
• Additional taxable fringe benefits such as charitable donation matching and wellness stipends.

About OpenAI

OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company dedicated to ensuring that general-purpose artificial intelligence benefits all of humanity. We push the boundaries of AI capabilities and seek to safely deploy them through our products. OpenAI is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities.