Senior Strategic Sourcing Manager-Air Handling (51371)

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 Director of Strategic Sourcing will build and lead Gradian's strategic sourcing organization, developing the team, supplier ecosystem, and sourcing strategies required to support the rapid scaling of Gradian's hyperscale data center cooling business.

Key Responsibilities:

• Establish and lead Gradian's Strategic Sourcing organization, building a high-performing team and supplier ecosystem capable of supporting the company's aggressive growth objectives in the hyperscale data center market.
• Define and execute sourcing strategies that secure capacity, improve supplier performance, mitigate risk, and ensure supply continuity across critical product categories and manufacturing partners.
• Build, develop, and mentor a team of sourcing leaders, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and operational excellence while scaling organizational capabilities.
• Own executive-level supplier relationships and commercial negotiations, including pricing, capacity agreements, MSAs, MOUs, and other strategic supplier contracts.
• Partner with Engineering, Operations, Manufacturing, and executive leadership to align sourcing strategies with product roadmaps, production requirements, and long-term business growth plans.
• Establish sourcing governance, performance metrics, and supplier management processes that drive cost competitiveness, supply assurance, and continuous improvement.

Qualifications & Requirements:

Required:

• Education – Bachelor Degree (Preferably in Supply Chain/Operations/Engineering)

Experience

• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, supply chain, or supplier management within a manufacturing environment
• Proven ability to build, scale, and lead high-performing sourcing organizations, including hiring, mentoring, and developing sourcing leaders and teams.
• Demonstrated success developing and executing sourcing strategies that drive supply continuity, capacity expansion, scale, cost competitiveness, and risk mitigation
• Experience establishing sourcing governance, processes, and performance metrics that enable operational excellence and support rapid business growth.
• Track record of leading complex supplier negotiations and commercial agreements, including long-term supply agreements, MSAs and various other contracts
• Strong cross-functional leadership skills, with the ability to influence executive stakeholders and align Engineering, Operations, and Supply Chain teams around strategic objectives
• Strong business and financial acumen, with the ability to balance growth, cost, risk, and supplier performance to achieve organizational goals.

Skills

• Inspirational and hands-on leader capable of building organizational capability, aligning teams around a common vision, and driving execution in a fast-paced environment.
• Strategic sourcing and supplier management expertise, with the ability to develop sourcing strategies, build supplier partnerships, and drive cost, capacity, and risk objectives.
• Exceptional ability to influence and align cross-functional stakeholders across Engineering, Operations, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and executive leadership.
• Self-driven and entrepreneurial leader who thrives in ambiguity and successfully leads organizational growth, change, and transformation.
• Data-driven decision maker with strong business and financial acumen, capable of balancing growth, cost, supply continuity, and supplier performance to achieve business objectives.

Preferred:

• Certs: CPSM / APICS / CSCP / Lean Six Sigma
• Masters Degree (Operations/Supply Chain)

Benefits:

• Medical, vision, and dental plans
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance
• Group term life insurance coverage
• HSA, FSA, and Dependent Care plans available
• 8 paid holidays, 4 floating holidays, and generous PTO policy
• 401k matching
• Annual safety shoe allowance
• Education assistance program

 EEO Statement:

Gradian is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, political affiliation, or any other legally protected status.

Employment decisions at Gradian are based on merit, qualifications, and business needs. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind and actively promote a culture of fairness, equity, and opportunity.

We also provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and for sincerely held religious beliefs, practices, or observances, in accordance with applicable laws.