Category Manager

Who are we? Equinix is the world's digital infrastructure company®, shortening the path to connectivity to enable the innovations that enrich our work, life and planet. A place where bold ideas are welcomed, human connection is valued, and everyone has the opportunity to shape their future. A career at Equinix means being at the center of shaping what comes next and amplifying customer value through innovation and impact. You'll work across teams, influence key decisions, and help shape the path forward. You'll find belonging, purpose, and a team that welcomes you-because when you feel valued, you're empowered to do your best work. 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 dynamic and results-oriented Senior Category Manager to lead our Infrastructure Solutions team with a focus on delivering Whitespace Product Inventory and Distribution Agreements within the IBX Operations team. This is an individual contributor role, where you will collaborate closely with Operations, Product, and Sales team leaders to drive strategic initiatives that deliver best in class customer deployments. You will be responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive category strategy that maximizes market value and aligns with our organizational goals. Your ability to engage cross-functional stakeholders will be crucial in securing buy-in for regional and global category sourcing plans that deliver measurable business benefits. Responsibilities Leadership Identify, negotiate, and deliver Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) improvement opportunities across the category, focusing on cataloguing, and inventory and distribution agreements Cost Reduction Drive process improvements and implement best practices to eliminate inefficiencies across multiple products and solutions Category Management Serve as the Subject Matter Expert for the Whitespace categories with emphasis on inventory and distribution concepts. Develop and implement sourcing strategies using spend analytics to profile and segment suppliers, prioritizing efforts and setting clear targets Negotiation of Agreements Lead negotiations for cataloguing, inventory, and distribution agreements, ensuring favorable terms that align with Equinix's strategic objectives Spend Management Collaborate with stakeholders to create a comprehensive Category Plan and lead the issuance of Category RFPs, ensuring effective execution and communication with internal and external parties Contract Management Develop and manage Framework Contracts with Legal to meet regional and global requirements. Oversee the onboarding process for new vendors, including due diligence and approval of new vendor creation requests Supplier Management Manage supplier relationships, including ranking and risk assessment. Foster long-term partnerships to facilitate feedback and optimize supplier performance, focusing on quality, service, and delivery IT Liaison Collaborate with IT teams to ensure seamless integration of inventory and distribution systems, leveraging experience with Coupa or similar procurement platforms Risk Management Conduct supplier ranking assessments and implement risk miti