Technical Sourcing Manager
Lambda
In 2012, Lambda started with a crew of AI engineers publishing research at top machine-learning conferences. We began as an AI company built by AI engineers. That hasn't changed. Today, we're on a mission to be the world's top AI computing platform. We equip engineers with the tools to deploy AI that is fast, secure, affordable, and built to scale. Whether they need powerhouse GPU hardware on-site or the flexibility of cloud-based solutions, we've got the horsepower to make it happen. Lambda’s AI Cloud has been adopted by the world’s leading companies and research institutions including Anyscale, Rakuten, The AI Institute, and multiple enterprises with over a trillion dollars of market capitalization. Our goal is to make computation as effortless and ubiquitous as electricity.
If you'd like to build the world's best deep learning cloud, join us.
*Note: This position requires presence in our San Jose office location 4 days per week; Lambda’s designated work from home day is currently Tuesday.
What You’ll Do
Partner in leading the sourcing strategy for AI infrastructure components, including vendor sourcing for new products & technologies
Seek out, establish, new vendors for key infrastructure components, technically vetting new vendor’s capabilities
Develop category sourcing strategies to ensure suppliers are capable of meeting Lambda’s current and future technical and business requirements.
Build deep supplier engagement programs to secure critical allocations during constrained market conditions.
Establish the supplier selection process, evaluate alternate suppliers, drive the RFI/RFQ/RFP process, to improve the TCO and quality
Negotiate with suppliers and partners to establish best in class pricing, quality, delivery, payment, and service terms. Develop benchmarks and should cost models
Build an end to end OEM/ODM strategy to support Lambda’s growing cloud hardware scale
Establish and manage strategic supplier and commercial relationships with our key partners at the executive level. Influence supplier’s business models, roadmaps, and support models
Partner closely with Engineering, Data Center Operations, and Finance teams to align supplier capabilities with technical roadmaps and scaling needs.
Manage contractual agreements including master supply agreements, statements of work, and service level agreements.
Develop a supplier management framework, including QBRs, scorecards, and supplier performance (SLAs)
Monitor market dynamics (pricing, availability, emerging technologies) and advise on sourcing risk management strategies.
You
Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Business, or related field.
10+ years of supply chain experience in data center, cloud, compute, networking, and/or AI hardware
Proven experience working with server, networking, storage, and/or data center technology vendors and OEMs.
Strong technical literacy — comfortable collaborating with engineers on component specifications, product architectures, and build materials (BOMs).
Exceptional negotiation and relationship management skills; capable of influencing internal and external stakeholders
Have direct experience managing OEMs, ODMs, and JDM suppliers and communicating with senior leadership
Deep understanding of cost structures, value chain analysis, and total cost of ownership (TCO) modeling
Experience in structuring, negotiating, and executing contracts (MSAs, MPAs, and SOWs) and complex agreements
Proficiency with supply chain management tools (e.g., ERP systems like NetSuite, SAP, Oracle).
Demonstrate sound interpersonal and communication skills, including presenting strategic decisions to the executive team
Nice to Have
Experience sourcing hardware for AI/ML infrastructure deployments (e.g., H100, B200 clusters).
Familiarity with sourcing and integration of liquid cooling infrastructure for high-density AI data centers.
Prior work with tier-1 hyperscale cloud providers or AI infrastructure startups.
Master’s degree (MBA, MS Supply Chain, or Engineering Management).
Experience with global sourcing strategies including Asia-based ODMs (e.g., Wistron, Pegatron, Foxconn).
Salary Range Information
Based on market data and other factors, the annual salary range for this position is $130,000 - $187,000. However, a salary higher or lower than this range may be appropriate for a candidate whose qualifications differ meaningfully from those listed in the job description.
About Lambda
Founded in 2012, ~350 employees (2024) and growing fast
We offer generous cash & equity compensation
Our investors include Andra Capital, SGW, Andrej Karpathy, ARK Invest, Fincadia Advisors, G Squared, In-Q-Tel (IQT), KHK & Partners, NVIDIA, Pegatron, Supermicro, Wistron, Wiwynn, US Innovative Technology, Gradient Ventures, Mercato Partners, SVB, 1517, Crescent Cove.
We are experiencing extremely high demand for our systems, with quarter over quarter, year over year profitability
Our research papers have been accepted into top machine learning and graphics conferences, including NeurIPS, ICCV, SIGGRAPH, and TOG
Health, dental, and vision coverage for you and your dependents
Commuter/Work from home stipends for select roles
401k Plan with 2% company match (USA employees)
Flexible Paid Time Off Plan that we all actually use
A Final Note:
You do not need to match all of the listed expectations to apply for this position. We are committed to building a team with a variety of backgrounds, experiences, and skills.
Equal Opportunity Employer
Lambda is an Equal Opportunity employer. Applicants are considered without regard to race, color, religion, creed, national origin, age, sex, gender, marital status, sexual orientation and identity, genetic information, veteran status, citizenship, or any other factors prohibited by local, state, or federal law.
