Category Manager, Thermal; HVAC Equipment

Position: Category Manager, Thermal (HVAC) Equipment
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 company backed by Soft Bank and Ares pairing cutting-edge innovation with best-in-class execution. Our Mission is to provide reliable, affordable energy at scale to support America's growing energy demands.

Headquartered in Redwood City, CA, SB Energy develops, builds, owns & operates some of the largest and most technically advanced energy and data center infrastructure projects in the United States. Since launching in 2019, the company has rapidly grown into a top-tier integrated platform with over 3 gigawatts (GW) in operation and a multi-GW pipeline of energy and data center infrastructure nationwide.

SB Energy also utilizes its strong culture of innovation to identify and incorporate new technology into our projects, including our AI-based digital platform, to deliver energy infrastructure that is local, reliable, and matched to load. We are building the energy and technology future-today.

Come join us in accelerating the energy transition to cleaner, more sustainable sources of power!

Basic Function

SB Energy is seeking a strategic and technically capable Category Manager, Thermal (HVAC) Equipment to lead sourcing, supplier management, manufacturing coordination, and category execution activities for mission-critical electrical infrastructure supporting next-generation AI factory and advanced data center deployment programs.

Reporting to the Director, the Category Manager will be responsible for managing supplier relationships, sourcing strategies, commercial negotiations, manufacturing coordination, and supply continuity planning across critical electrical infrastructure equipment categories.

The Category Manager will work closely with engineering, construction, commissioning, logistics, procurement engineering, and project stakeholders to support deployment readiness, Basis of Design alignment, manufacturing scalability, and long-range infrastructure growth across a rapidly expanding portfolio.

This role will play a key part in securing supply continuity, improving supplier performance, managing commercial and operational risk, and supporting deployment velocity for critical electrical infrastructure systems supporting hyperscale AI infrastructure.

The ideal candidate combines strong strategic sourcing and supplier management capabilities with technical understanding of mission-critical electrical systems, manufacturing operations, and infrastructure deployment environments.

Responsibilities

* Lead sourcing and category management activities for mechanical, HVAC infrastructure equipment supporting AI factory and advanced data center deployment programs

* Develop and execute sourcing strategies across categories including:

* Liquid cooling systems

* Chillers

* CRAH/CRAC systems

* Cooling towers

* Heat exchangers

* Pumping systems

* Hydronic systems

* Thermal skids and modular cooling infrastructure

* Support supplier selection, bid evaluations, commercial negotiations, and contract execution activities

* Develop long-term supplier relationships and strategic sourcing plans supporting infrastructure growth and deployment scalability

* Identify opportunities to improve supply continuity, supplier competitiveness, deployment velocity, and commercial performance

* Manage supplier relationships and ongoing commercial coordination activities across thermal infrastructure suppliers

* Monitor supplier manufacturing schedules, production readiness, lead times, and delivery commitments

* Coordinate with suppliers regarding:

* Manufacturing status

* Capacity planning

* Forecast alignment

* Delivery schedules

* Operational risks

* Escalation management

* Support supplier operational reviews, performance management, and continuous improvement initiatives

* Assist with supplier onboarding, qualification, and manufacturing readiness evaluations

* Collaborate with engineering and design teams to align sourcing activities with standard OFCI Basis of Design requirements

* Support technical review and procurement coordination for equipment specifications, supplier submittals, and performance requirements

* Participate in supplier technical review meetings and equipment evaluation activities

* Coordinate with procurement engineering and commissioning teams supporting FAT, SAT, and equipment validation activities

* Support standardization initiatives and technology evaluation efforts across thermal infrastructure systems

* Supply Planning, Logistics & Deployment Coordination

* Support long-range supply planning and integrated business planning (IBP) activities related to thermal infrastructure deployment forecasts

* Coordinate closely with Supply Chain Operations & Control Tower teams regarding:

* Delivery schedules

* Logistics coordination

* Inventory visibility

* Deployment readiness

* Site sequencing requirements

* Monitor market conditions, manufacturing constraints, commodity exposure, and…