Procurement Category Manager 5

Job Title: Procurement Category Manager

Job Description

The Procurement Category Manager oversees the end-to-end procurement process for critical electrical equipment that supports large-scale data center construction projects. This role leads sourcing, contracting, and execution activities, serving as the primary interface between suppliers, engineering, construction, cost management, and category management teams. The position focuses on procurement execution, contract administration, supplier management, risk mitigation, and continuous process improvement across multiple concurrent projects, ensuring that all procurement activities are delivered on schedule, within budget, and in alignment with project requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end sourcing events for critical data center electrical equipment, including developing requests for proposal (RFPs), conducting bid evaluations, performing commercial analyses, and preparing award recommendations.
• Draft, route, execute, and manage Purchase Order Requests (PORs), Change Orders (CORs), and all related contract documentation to ensure accuracy and compliance.
• Coordinate closely with category management teams to validate pricing, commercial terms, and sourcing strategies, ensuring alignment with broader procurement objectives and governance requirements.
• Maintain comprehensive procurement records and ensure adherence to established procurement processes, policies, and governance standards.
• Manage supplier relationships for assigned equipment categories and serve as the primary point of contact for commercial, technical, and schedule-related discussions.
• Facilitate regular supplier meetings to review procurement status, production schedules, submittals, commercial issues, and project risks, driving timely resolution of open items.
• Track procurement milestones across multiple projects and proactively resolve supplier, technical, and commercial issues to keep procurement packages moving and projects on schedule.
• Support project teams by aligning procurement deliverables with construction and commissioning schedules, ensuring that long-lead equipment and materials are available when needed.
• Identify and mitigate schedule, capacity, pricing, commercial, and design-related risks associated with equipment procurement and project delivery.
• Escalate critical issues in a timely manner and develop mitigation plans that minimize impact to project schedules, budgets, and performance commitments.
• Monitor supplier performance against commitments and deliverables, driving accountability and corrective actions where necessary.
• Develop, document, and maintain procurement processes, training materials, user guides, and standard operating procedures that support consistent and scalable operations.
• Support onboarding and training of new team members by providing clear documentation, guidance, and process explanations.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that enhance procurement efficiency, consistency, and scalability across projects and teams.
• Collaborate with engineering, construction, finance, cost management, and category management stakeholders to ensure procurement strategies and execution support overall project objectives.
• Apply strong project management discipline to plan, prioritize, and independently drive complex procurement activities from initial sourcing through final contract execution.
• Contribute to positive stakeholder and supplier engagement by communicating clearly, managing expectations, and minimizing escalations.
• Ensure procurement documentation is complete, accurate, and timely, supporting high-quality governance activities and audit readiness.
• Support performance goals by enabling on-time completion of sourcing events, PORs, and contract execution, and by effectively mitigating commercial, schedule, and supplier risks.

Essential Skills

• At least 5 years of experience in procurement, strategic sourcing, contract management, or construction project procurement, with a proven track record of managing complex procurement packages.
• A minimum of 3 years supporting large-scale infrastructure, construction, industrial, mission-critical, or data center projects, with responsibility for schedule, cost, and risk management.
• Demonstrated experience managing RFPs, bid evaluations, supplier negotiations, award recommendations, contract execution, change orders, and procurement risk mitigation in a construction, infrastructure, or capital projects environment.
• Hands-on proficiency with procurement and contract management systems such as Ariba, SAP, iCertis, or similar platforms to manage sourcing events, approvals, contracts, milestones, and reporting.
• Strong project management skills, including the ability to plan, prioritize, and drive multiple concurrent procurement activities to completion.
• Robust stakeholder management capabilities, with experience working effectively across engineering, construction, finance, cost management, and supplier organizations.
• Analytical problem-solving skills to interpret commercial and technical information, assess risks, and develop practical mitigation strategies.
• Ability to operate independently in a fast-paced environment, taking ownership of procurement packages from sourcing through final execution.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills to present procurement recommendations, facilitate supplier meetings, and engage stakeholders.
• High level of organization and attention to detail to ensure accuracy in contracts, PORs, change orders, and procurement documentation.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience supporting hyperscale data center or mission-critical infrastructure programs.
• Knowledge of electrical equipment procurement, including categories such as medium-voltage switchgear (MVS), low-voltage switchgear (LVS), automatic transfer switches (ATS), uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), electrical power monitoring systems (EPMS), active harmonic filters (AHF), or similar equipment.
• Experience leading supplier business reviews and managing strategic supplier relationships over the life of large projects.
• Experience in process improvement, training development, or procurement operations, with the ability to create and refine standard work and training materials.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain procurement processes, user guides, and standard operating procedures that support governance and scalability.
• Track record of driving continuous improvement initiatives that enhance efficiency, consistency, and quality in procurement execution.
• Comfort working with cross-functional teams and navigating complex organizational structures to align procurement activities with broader business goals.
• Results-oriented mindset, measured by on-time completion of sourcing events, PORs, and contract execution, effective risk mitigation, high-quality documentation, and positive stakeholder and supplier feedback.

Work Environment

This position operates in a remote work environment, offering the flexibility to contribute from a home office while collaborating with global engineering, construction, cost management, and category management teams. The typical schedule is approximately 40 hours per week, with a focus on meeting project milestones and supporting multiple concurrent data center construction initiatives. Work is primarily performed using procurement and contract management platforms such as Ariba, SAP, iCertis, or similar systems, along with standard productivity and communication tools. The role involves frequent virtual meetings with suppliers and internal stakeholders, detailed review of commercial and technical documentation, and ongoing coordination to keep procurement packages moving and projects on track. The culture emphasizes accountability, clear communication, process discipline, and continuous improvement, providing opportunities to shape procurement best practices and contribute directly to the successful delivery of mission-critical infrastructure.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of Redmond, WA.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $50.00 - $65.00/hr.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: • Medical, dental & vision • Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital • 401(k) Retirement Plan - Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available • Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) • Short and long-term disability • Health Spending Account (HSA) • Transportation benefits • Employee Assistance Program • Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully remote position.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Aug 14, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.