Strategic Sourcing Manager, Data Center Mechanical Infrastructure - Stargate

About the Team
OpenAI, in close collaboration with our capital partners, is building the world’s most advanced AI infrastructure ecosystem. The Infrastructure Development (InfraDev) team is central to this mission—setting core infrastructure strategy and executing on that vision. From site selection to facility buildout, this team operates at the critical intersection of commercial, technical, strategic, and operational priorities, engaging with teams and executives both inside and outside OpenAI.

About the Role
We’re seeking a seasoned professional to lead sourcing strategy and commercial execution for mechanical infrastructure across OpenAI’s datacenter buildouts. As the Strategic Sourcing Manager – Datacenter Mechanical Infrastructure, you will drive high-impact supplier engagement and procurement for mission-critical systems. You will develop sourcing frameworks, negotiate commercial agreements, and ensure successful integration of mechanical systems into complex facility builds—directly shaping how OpenAI scales its supercomputing capabilities.

You Might Thrive in This Role If You:

• Develop and execute global sourcing strategies for datacenter mechanical infrastructure.

• Lead supplier evaluation, contract negotiations, and commercial execution for critical systems.

• Build and maintain long-term supplier partnerships to ensure quality, cost-efficiency, and on-time delivery.

• Collaborate with engineering and operations teams to translate performance requirements into procurement specifications.

• Oversee supplier manufacturing, quality control, and delivery schedules to align with project timelines.

• Identify supply chain risks, implement mitigation strategies, and ensure systems meet safety and industry compliance standards.

• Stay attuned to market developments and emerging mechanical technologies relevant to datacenter infrastructure.

• Partner with finance, legal, operations, and program teams to align sourcing strategies with budgetary goals.

• Provide senior leadership with clear reporting on sourcing progress, costs, and risks.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in strategic sourcing, procurement, or project management—preferably involving datacenter mechanical systems or large-scale industrial infrastructure.

• Proven track record negotiating and managing complex, high-value contracts.

• Deep understanding of datacenter mechanical architecture, capacity planning, and operational reliability.

• Experience managing global suppliers and multi-geography projects.

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or a related technical field; advanced degrees or relevant certifications are a plus.

Preferred Qualifications

• 15+ years’ experience in hyperscale or large-scale infrastructure delivery.

• Demonstrated success delivering multi-site projects under accelerated timelines.

• Familiarity with sustainable and energy-efficient mechanical system design and operations.

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 the capabilities of AI systems and seek to safely deploy them to the world through our products. AI is an extremely powerful tool that must be created with safety and human needs at its core, and to achieve our mission, we must encompass and value the many different perspectives, voices, and experiences that form the full spectrum of humanity. 

We are an equal opportunity employer, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or other applicable legally protected characteristic.

For additional information, please see OpenAI’s Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement.

Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with applicable law, including the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, and the California Fair Chance Act. For unincorporated Los Angeles County workers: we reasonably believe that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship with the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment: protect computer hardware entrusted to you from theft, loss or damage; return all computer hardware in your possession (including the data contained therein) upon termination of employment or end of assignment; and maintain the confidentiality of proprietary, confidential, and non-public information. In addition, job duties require access to secure and protected information technology systems and related data security obligations.

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