Data Center Strategic Sourcing - Network

Job Description

About Anthropic Anthropic’s mission is to create reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems. We want AI to be safe and beneficial for our users and for society as a whole. Our team is a quickly growing group of committed researchers, engineers, policy experts, and business leaders working together to build beneficial AI systems. About the role We are hiring a Strategic Sourcing Lead to drive development and execution of procurement strategies for the network infrastructure that powers Anthropic's data centers. In this role, you will own end-to-end sourcing for the full network stack — switching and routing platforms, optics and transceivers, structured cabling and fiber, and long-haul connectivity (dark fiber, IP transit, DCI). You will partner closely with network engineering, capacity planning, and third-party vendors to ensure hardware and bandwidth availability, establish strategic vendor relationships, and negotiate commercial agreements. As the sourcing lead for Anthropic's network footprint, you will play a critical role in helping us achieve our ambitious scaling goals. Responsibilities: Drive commercial negotiations and Master Service Agreements with network OEMs (switching/routing platforms, optical equipment, network appliances) and connectivity providers (carriers, dark fiber operators, IP transit and peering partners). Audit network OEM and carrier procurement schedules, ensure optimal allocation, and drive cost efficiency of supply in constrained markets (especially high-demand items like 400G/800G optics and high-radix switches). Implement frameworks to ensure third-party data center and network partners adhere to commercial terms and technical specifications. Develop a global inventory strategy for network gear and optics — including warehousing, third-party logistics, buffer stock, and regional distribution — to accelerate time-to-deployment and improve availability. Proactively monitor global network supply chain volatility (silicon shortages, optics lead times, fiber availability) and execute contingency plans to avoid critical project delays. Translate network architecture roadmaps into equipment and connectivity forecasts and procurement pipelines. Partner with Finance to optimize network inventory strategy and capex planning. Establish efficient return and replacement (RMA) workflows with network vendors to restore failed equipment quickly. Negotiate warranty and SLA terms and track vendor performance on RMA execution and circuit delivery. You may be a good fit if you: Have 7+ years of experience in supply chain management, sourcing, and procurement. Have a track record of developing processes for forecasting, planning, and managing network material and connectivity for data center build-out and/or operations. Are familiar with data center networking hardware and connectivity (e.g., switches, routers, optics/transceivers, structured cabling, dark fiber, transit, peering). Possess a bachelor's degree in a relevant doma

Required Skills