{"id":3215806,"url":"https://alion.io/job/afl-sr-category-manager","title":"Sr Category Manager","company":{"id":1851112,"name":"AFL","domain":"aflglobal.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/aflglobal","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Schema","truth_index":{"grade":"A","score":100,"open_postings":7,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":27,"computed_at":"2026-10-26T05:57:25Z"}},"role":"Operations","role_family":"Operations","seniority":"senior","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"hybrid","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Dallas, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":81000,"max_usd":160000,"period":"year","method":"role_seniority_country_remote_cell","sample_n":3801},"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-24T22:18:12Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-24","last_verified_at":"2026-10-26T09:06:59Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":1,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":1},"description":"Position Summary\nThe Senior Category Manager develops and executes sourcing strategies for critical data center infrastructure categories to improve cost competitiveness, supplier performance, supply continuity, and alignment with technology roadmaps. This role leads strategic supplier relationships and commercial negotiations in support of global hyperscale data center growth.\nKey Responsibilities\nCategory Strategy & Market Intelligence\nDevelop and execute multi-year category strategies aligned with business objectives and hyperscale data center growth plans, using market intelligence, spend analysis, industry capacity, technology roadmaps, and geopolitical risk to guide decisions.\nIdentify opportunities for total cost optimization, supplier innovation, regional diversification, dual sourcing, and long-range supply assurance for critical components and infrastructure materials.\nStrategic Supplier Management\nBuild effective relationships with key supplier stakeholders, including executive-level contacts, and align supplier technology and capacity roadmaps with future data center requirements.\nLead supplier business reviews and use scorecards, corrective actions, and joint business plans to improve cost, quality, delivery, service, capacity, and innovation.\nCommercial & Contract Management\nLead sourcing events and negotiate strategic agreements covering pricing, capacity, lead times, service levels, continuity, intellectual property, quality, inventory, and liability to strengthen AFL’s competitive position and protect supply, quality, and delivery commitments.\nDeliver measurable savings, cost avoidance, total-cost-of-ownership improvements, and supplier productivity.\nCapacity & Supply Assurance\nValidate supplier capacity and scalability against forecasts and major deployment ramps, establishing capacity reservations, demand-forecasting processes, and allocation frameworks with strategic suppliers.\nDevelop multi-source strategies, continuity plans, and recovery plans for mission-critical materials.\nCross-Functional Leadership\nPartner with Engineering, Logistics, Manufacturing Operations, Finance, Quality, Program Management, Product Line Management, and regional supply chain teams to support new product introductions, deployment readiness, and sourcing and technology decisions through design reviews.\nProvide sourcing guidance, communicate risks and recommendations, and drive stakeholder alignment across global initiatives.\nKey Categories\nCategories may include fiber optic cable assemblies, connectors and components, structured cabling solutions, rack integration and assembly, and contract manufacturing services.\nPerformance, Innovation & Risk Management\nEstablish supplier scorecards and executive reviews focused on delivery, lead-time adherence, quality, cost, capacity, corrective action, and measurable performance improvement.\nLead supplier innovation and value-engineering initiatives that reduce cost, accelerate deployment, and support next-generation data center architectures.\nReduce single-source exposure and maintain resiliency plans for geopolitical, operational, and capacity risks.\nRequired Qualifications\nBachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Business, Operations, or a related field.\n7+ years of strategic sourcing, procurement, or category management experience.\nExperience managing global suppliers supporting cloud, networking, telecommunications, data center infrastructure, or a related technical environment.\nDemonstrated success leading complex sourcing initiatives and negotiating multimillion-dollar commercial agreements.\nStrong analytical, financial, contract-management, stakeholder-influence, and supplier performance-management skills.\nAbility to manage multiple priorities and drive measurable results in a fast-paced, global environment.\nPreferred Qualifications\nExperience supporting hyperscale cloud infrastructure providers or comparable customers.\nExperience with optical connectivity, structured cabling, fiber infrastructure, networking hardware, or data center construction.\nCPSM, CIPS, CSCP, PMP, or MBA.\nWorking Conditions\nProfessional office environment with a hybrid work schedule.\nTravel required: Some 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