AMER Category Manager, Data Center Design & Commissioning

Who are we?

Equinix is the world's digital infrastructure company®, operating over 260 data centers across the globe. Digital leaders harness Equinix's trusted platform to bring together and interconnect foundational infrastructure at software speed. Equinix enables organizations to access all the right places, partners and possibilities to scale with agility, speed the launch of digital services, deliver world-class experiences and multiply their value, while supporting their sustainability goals.

A career at Equinix means you will collaborate on work that impacts the world and be surrounded by endless opportunities to learn new skills and grow in varied directions. We embrace diversity in thought and contribution and are committed to providing an equitable work environment that is foundational to our core values as a company and is vital to our success.

Job Summary:

Equinix is seeking a highly motivated and experienced Category Manager to lead strategic sourcing and supplier management efforts across the Americas region for Data Center Design, Commissioning, and Project/Program Management Services. This role plays a critical part in enabling scalable, cost-effective, and high-quality infrastructure delivery through best-in-class vendor partnerships. The ideal candidate brings a deep understanding of professional services procurement within the data center or critical infrastructure environment and excels at cross-functional collaboration, commercial strategy development, and execution excellence.

• Develop and execute regional category strategies aligned with global sourcing objectives, focusing on cost optimization, service quality, innovation, and scalability across design, commissioning, and project/program management services.

• Identify, qualify, and manage relationships with best-in-class regional and global service providers. Drive supplier performance through business reviews, KPIs, scorecards, and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Lead commercial negotiations, RFPs, and contracting processes (MSAs, SOWs) to ensure favorable pricing, terms, SLAs, and risk allocation. Partner closely with Legal, Risk, and Construction teams to ensure compliance and clarity.

• Collaborate with internal stakeholders across Construction, Design Engineering, Operations, Finance, and Legal to align sourcing strategies with capital project requirements and timelines.

• Monitor industry trends, market shifts, emerging delivery models, and supplier innovation to inform strategic decisions and maintain a competitive advantage in service procurement.

• Partner with regional project teams to ensure timely onboarding of suppliers and adherence to commercial frameworks. Support issue resolution and change management during project delivery phases.

• Proactively identify commercial, operational, and contractual risks. Develop and implement mitigation strategies to ensure business continuity, safety, and regulatory compliance.

• Develop reports and dashboards to communicate supplier performance, category KPIs, savings realization, and sourcing outcomes to senior leadership.

• Champion continuous improvement by identifying opportunities to streamline procurement processes, enhance sourcing governance, and implement automation where applicable.

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Engineering, Supply Chain, Construction Management, or a related field; MBA or equivalent preferred.

• Minimum 5-7 years of experience in strategic sourcing, category management, or commercial project management, preferably in data centers, critical infrastructure, or construction services.

• Strong domain knowledge of data center design, commissioning, and project/program management methodologies (including PMI, Agile, or other delivery frameworks).

• Proven expertise in negotiating complex service agreements and managing supplier performance.

• Excellent interpersonal, influencing, and stakeholder engagement skills; experience working in a matrixed, global organization.

• Solid understanding of cost structures, rate cards, and financial drivers in professional services procurement.

• Proficiency in sourcing tools (e.g., Coupa, Agiloft), project tracking systems, and analytics platforms.

• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, manage multiple priorities, and travel as needed to support regional and global projects.