Strategic Category Lead

Gradian is an engineering-led, full-line thermal solutions partner serving data center and other mission-critical, commercial, and industrial markets. Headquartered in Maple Grove, MN, with additional facilities across North America, we design and manufacture liquid cooling systems, air handling equipment, heat rejection units, and modular, factory-assembled thermal management solutions. Gradian was founded through the unification of four complementary, established brands: MAS HVAC, Daedex, DeepCoolAI, and EcoChillers. Together, we act as a single-source provider, deploying cooling technologies as scalable systems optimized for efficiency, spatial constraints, and overall performance. With a vertically integrated engineering and manufacturing model, we pair rapid design turnaround with precision fabrication, so customers can move faster on complex projects where reliability, timeline, and quality all matter. Why work here At Gradian, you'll work alongside others who get genuinely fired up by complex problems, see your work go from first sketch to job site in weeks, not years, and know that while we're developing the technologies critical for AI infrastructure to scale, our culture remains people-first by design. It is core to our identity that we operate as one team — driving to win together, energizing others, and building lasting relationships that make the work fun and rewarding. Position Summary: The Strategic Category Lead - Data Center Liquid Cooling is responsible for developing and executing category strategies for critical components supporting Gradian's growing liquid cooling business. This strategic individual contributor will build deep market and supplier knowledge, develop strategic supplier relationships, and drive long-term value across cost, quality, technology, capacity, and supply chain resiliency. The role will partner closely with Engineering, Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, and Finance to align category and supplier strategies with business objectives, product roadmaps, and long-term growth requirements. Key Responsibilities: Develop and execute multi-year category strategies for assigned data center liquid cooling components that align with business objectives and support long-term growth. Build market intelligence across supplier capabilities, technology trends, manufacturing processes, capacity, cost drivers, and supply chain risks. Develop and manage the strategic supplier landscape, including supplier segmentation, sourcing strategies, supplier selection, and long-term supplier relationships. Lead supplier negotiations and commercial strategies to optimize total cost of ownership, capacity, lead times, commercial terms, and supply continuity. Partner with Engineering and Product Development to influence product cost, manufacturability, sourcing decisions, and supplier selection early in the product lifecycle. Develop and execute cost reduction and value creation roadmaps through VAVE, competitive sourcing, localization, supplier development, and other total-cost initiatives. Identify and mitigate category and supplier risks, including capacity constraints, single-source exposure, geographic concentration, long lead times, and business continuity. Establish supplier performance expectations and drive continuous improvement across quality, cost, delivery, technology, capacity, and responsiveness. Qualifications & Requirements: Experience Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Operations, or a related field. 3+ years of experience in Strategic Sourcing, Procurement, Supply Chain, Category Management, Supplier Management, Operations, or a related discipline. Experience developing and executing category strategies and managing strategic supplier relationships. Experience sourcing engineered components or complex manufactured products. Experience within data center infrastructure, liquid cooling, HVAC, thermal management, industrial equipment, electronics, or fluid-ha…

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