Senior Category Manager, Storage

Crusoe is on a mission to accelerate the abundance of energy and intelligence. As the only vertically integrated AI infrastructure company built from the ground up, we own and operate each layer of the stack — from electrons to tokens — to power the world's most ambitious AI workloads. When you join Crusoe, you join a team that is building the future, faster. We're in the midst of the greatest industrial revolution of our time. The demand for AI compute is boundless, and power is a bottleneck. We're solving that — with an energy-first approach that makes AI infrastructure better for the world and faster for the people innovating with AI. We're looking for problem-solving, opportunity-finding teammates with a sense of urgency, who believe in the scale of our ambition and thrive on a path not fully paved — people who want to grow their careers alongside a team of experts across energy, manufacturing, data center construction, and cloud services. If you want to do the most meaningful work of your career, help our customers and partners advance their AI strategies, and be part of a high-performing team that believes in each other, come build with us at Crusoe. About This Role: Crusoe's world-class AI Cloud is built upon a foundation of high-performance, low-latency, scalable, and resilient storage infrastructure. The strategy for how we source, deploy, and manage our block, file, and object storage platforms is a key competitive advantage. We are looking for a senior, experienced leader to own the end-to-end commercial and supply chain strategy for our entire storage category. This is a high-impact, high-visibility role that goes far beyond traditional purchasing. You will be the single-threaded owner responsible for developing long-range category plans, leading complex negotiations with key OEMs and component suppliers, and architecting a supply chain that can support our rapid global expansion. You will partner closely with our Storage Engineering, Infrastructure, and Data Center Operations leadership to build a resilient, scalable, and cost-effective storage ecosystem that powers the future of computing. What you’ll be working on: - Develop Category Strategies: Create and execute multi-year sourcing strategies for all storage hardware, including all-flash/hybrid arrays (block and file), compute and storage servers, and key components (SSDs, HDDs, controllers, memory). - Lead Complex Negotiations: Own and lead high-value, complex negotiations with key storage OEMs (e.g., VAST Data, Pure Storage, Dell, HPE), ODMs (e.g., Supermicro, Wiwynn), and critical component suppliers to secure favorable pricing, capacity, and long-term supply agreements. - Architect the Supply Chain: Design and implement a robust supply chain model for storage hardware, including demand forecasting, buffer/inventory strategy, and global logistics. - Drive Market Intelligence: Serve as the internal expert on the storage market (NAND, HDD, DRAM), providing insights on technology trends, cost models, and the competitive landscape to inform our technical roadmap. - Manage Strategic Supplier Partnerships: Own relationships with our most critical storage suppliers, leading executive quarterly business reviews (QBRs) and driving supplier performance. - Partner with Engineering Leadership: Collaborate with senior engineering and operations leaders to ensure our procurement strategy aligns with their technical and deployment roadmaps, influencing the "cloud storage BOM" from a commercial perspective. What You'll Bring to the Team: - Educational Foundation: Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Business, or a related field. - Senior Category Management Experience: 8-10+ years in strategic sourcing or category management, with a deep focus on data center storage hardware and components. - Deep Technical Acumen: Strong, demonstrable understanding of data center storage architectures (e.g., block, file, object, disaggregated), technologies (NVMe, NVMe-oF, DRAM), and the key suppliers in the ecosystem. - Expert Negotiator: A proven track record of personally leading and closing multi-million dollar negotiations and structuring complex, long-term supply agreements. - Supply Chain Strategist: Experience designing and managing supply chain models for technical hardware, including forecasting, inventory management, and logistics. - Executive Stakeholder Partnership: Exceptional ability to partner with and influence senior leadership and highly technical engineering teams. - Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Expert: Advanced analytical and financial modeling skills, with a deep understanding of TCO for storage infrastructure (e.g., $/IOPS, $/TB, power, endurance). Bonus Points: - MBA or an advanced technical degree. - Deep, existing executive relationships with key storage partners like VAST Data, Pure Storage, Dell, Supermicro and/or component suppliers like Samsung, SK hynix, Micron, Seagate, WDC. - Experience in a hyperscale cloud or large-scale data center environment. - Experience sourcing compute servers and familiarity with the "AI/GPU" ecosystem. - Experience with international logistics, importing, and trade compliance for hardware. Benefits: - Competitive compensation - Restricted Stock Units - Paid time off & paid holidays - Comprehensive health, dental & vision insurance - Employer contributions to HSA account - Paid parental leave - Paid life insurance, short-term and long-term disability - Professional development & tuition reimbursement - Mental health & wellness support - Commuter benefits (parking & transit) - Cell phone stipend - 401(k) Retirement plan with company match up to 4% of salary - Volunteer time off Compensation Range Compensation will be paid in the range of up to $157,00 -$190,000 + Bonus. Restricted Stock Units are included in all offers. Compensation to be determined by the applicants knowledge, education, and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data. Crusoe is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, citizenship, marital status, sex/gender, sexual preference/ orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, national origin, or any other status protected by law or regulation.