Technical Sourcing Manager, Network Hardware
Cloudflare · Austin +1 · 18d ago
About Us
At Cloudflare, we are on a mission to help build a better Internet. Today the company runs one of the world’s largest networks that powers millions of websites and other Internet properties for customers ranging from individual bloggers to SMBs to Fortune 500 companies. Cloudflare protects and accelerates any Internet application online without adding hardware, installing software, or changing a line of code. Internet properties powered by Cloudflare all have web traffic routed through its intelligent global network, which gets smarter with every request. As a result, they see significant improvement in performance and a decrease in spam and other attacks. Cloudflare was named to Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top Company Cultures list and ranked among the World’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company.
At Cloudflare, we’re not looking for people who wait for a polished roadmap; we’re looking for the builders who see the cracks in the Internet that everyone else has simply learned to live with. We value candidates who have the instinct to spot a "normalized" problem and the AI-native curiosity to create a solution using the latest tools. Our culture is built on iteration, leveraging AI to ship faster today to make it better tomorrow, while ensuring that every improvement, no matter how small, is shared across the team to lift everyone up. If you’re the type of person who values curiosity over bureaucracy, and that AI is a partner in solving tough problems to keep the Internet moving forward, you’ll fit right in.
Available Locations: Austin, TX (US),Lisbon (Portugal)
About the Role
We are seeking a Technical Sourcing Manager for Network Hardware to lead commercial engagement and oversee the supply chain for Cloudflare's 200+ data centers. You will drive ambitious goals around technology, cost, quality, and supply while partnering with key internal stakeholders. Complementing this strategic focus, you will also bridge the gap between procurement and physical deployment. By guiding infrastructure processes, you will ensure the cutting-edge hardware you source seamlessly integrates into our rapidly expanding global network.
Key Responsibilities
- Strategic Sourcing: Own procurement efforts across network hardware, including routers, switches and interconnect commodities.
- Vendor Negotiation: Develop long-term Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) targets and lead complex, multi-party negotiations to hit vital supply goals.
- Supplier Quality: Oversee adherence to delivery terms of network maintenance and support contracts - manage yearly contracts with most up to date asset inventory lists
- Cross-Functional Leadership: Introduce robust evaluation processes (e.g., RFX, QBR) for vendors and partner closely with hardware engineering on new technologies.
- Deployment Oversight: Coordinate global infrastructure installations by managing inflow of supply from hardware manufacturers against latest worldwide deployment schedules.
- Process Optimization: Aggressively seek automation opportunities and assist with the definition of consistent physical deployment processes across all datacenter regions.
Examples of desirable skills, knowledge and experience
- Industry Experience: 5 years of experience working with networking equipment OEMs.
- Operational Execution: Direct experience executing complex datacenter infrastructure projects in a rapidly changing environment.
- Technical & Commercial Acumen: Deep understanding of the commercial benefits of hardware technologies, paired with practical knowledge of physical datacenter networking.
- Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to translate complex details to both technical and non-technical, internal and external stakeholders.
- Innovative Mindset: Demonstrated "AI-native curiosity" with an instinct to spot normalized problems and create solutions using the latest tools.
- AI Tool Proficiency: Basic experience leveraging AI tools (e.g., generative AI, LLMs, or AI-driven data analytics) to optimize daily workflows, summarize vendor contracts, or accelerate data analysis.
- Analytical Background: An engineering or heavy analytical background to support deep-dive TCO modeling.
Bonus points
- Advanced Education: Master's Degree in Business, Supply Chain, or an engineering field.
- AI Hardware Knowledge: Familiarity with sourcing hardware specifically optimized for AI/ML workloads, such as GPUs and high-throughput interconnects.
- Program Management: Prior experience managing programs across multiple, large cross-functional teams with tight deadlines.
- Software Familiarity: Experience utilizing Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) tools and basic program management software (e.g., JIRA).
Compensation
Compensation may be adjusted depending on work location.
- For Portugal based hires: Estimated annual salary of €41,000 - €56,000
Equity
This role is eligible to participate in Cloudflare’s equity plan.
Benefits
Cloudflare offers a complete package of benefits and programs to support you and your family. Our benefits programs can help you pay health care expenses, support caregiving, build capital for the future and make life a little easier and fun! The below is a description of our benefits for employees in the United States, and benefits may vary for employees based outside the U.S.
Health & Welfare Benefits
- Medical/Rx Insurance
- Dental Insurance
- Vision Insurance
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Commuter Spending Accounts
- Fertility & Family Forming Benefits
- On-demand mental health support and Employee Assistance Program
- Global Travel Medical Insurance
Financial Benefits
- Short and Long Term Disability Insurance
- Life & Accident Insurance
- 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan
- Employee Stock Participation Plan
Time Off
- Flexible paid time off covering vacation and sick leave
- Leave programs, including parental, pregnancy health, medical, and bereavement leave
What Makes Cloudflare Special?
We’re not just a highly ambitious, large-scale technology company. We’re a highly ambitious, large-scale technology company with a soul. Fundamental to our mission to help build a better Internet is protecting the free and open Internet.
Project Galileo: Since 2014, we've equipped more than 2,400 journalism and civil society organizations in 111 countries with powerful tools to defend themselves against attacks that would otherwise censor their work, technology already used by Cloudflare’s enterprise customers--at no cost.
Athenian Project: In 2017, we created the Athenian Project to ensure that state and local governments have the highest level of protection and reliability for free, so that their constituents have access to election information and voter registration. Since the project, we've provided services to more than 425 local government election websites in 33 states.
1.1.1.1: We released 1.1.1.1 to help fix the foundation of the Internet by building a faster, more secure and privacy-centric public DNS resolver. This is available publicly for everyone to use - it is the first consumer-focused service Cloudflare has ever released. Here’s the deal - we don’t store client IP addresses never, ever. We will continue to abide by our privacy commitment and ensure that no user data is sold to advertisers or used to target consumers.
Sound like something you’d like to be a part of? We’d love to hear from you!
Please note that applicants who progress to the offer stage of the interview process may be asked to attend an in-person interview within one of the Cloudflare Offices or Cloudflare Hubs. More details about this will be available at that stage of the interview process.
This position may require access to information protected under U.S. export control laws, including the U.S. Export Administration Regulations. Please note that any offer of employment may be conditioned on your authorization to receive software or technology controlled under these U.S. export laws without sponsorship for an export license.
Cloudflare is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all people and place great value in both diversity and inclusiveness. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to their, or any other person's, perceived or actual race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, or any other basis protected by law. We are an AA/Veterans/Disabled Employer.
Cloudflare provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job. Examples of reasonable accommodations include, but are not limited to, changing the application process, providing documents in an alternate format, using a sign language interpreter, or using specialized equipment. If you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job, please contact us via e-mail at hr@cloudflare.com or via mail at 101 Townsend St. San Francisco, CA 94107.