Senior Category Manager, M&E; and Infrastructure

- Full-time

At NEXTDC we are building the heart of Australia & Asia’s high-tech future. We design,buildandoperateworld class, next generation data centres, usingcutting edge, environmentally efficient infrastructure to service the specific requirements of local, international customers.

NEXTDC is an exciting ASX 100-listed technology company, only 16years young andoperating17 data centres across 7 major cities in Australia, with multiple international sites in development to support our customer’s digital infrastructure.

At NEXTDC our success depends on the talents of our people, and we foster a culture of continued learning and development. Our culture is built on collaboration and innovation, we are passionate about what we do, and we are committed to our mission to be the leading customer-centric data centre services company.

Where Cloud lives and AIthrives

At NEXTDC, our growth depends on securing the critical infrastructure that brings our data centres to life. As Senior Category Manager, you’ll lead sourcing strategy across critical mechanical and electrical (M&E;) power, cooling and fitout components, building strategic supplier partnerships and negotiating commercial agreements that keep projects moving.

Working closely with Development, Design & Engineering, Construction and Operations, you’ll help turn our ambitious development pipeline into operational capacity across Australia and Asia.

You’ll also help shape a smarter, AI-enabled way of working, using data, technology and current ideas to drive better commercial outcomes.

We welcome applications from across Australia, with a preference for candidates based in Melbourne or Sydney.

What You’ll Do

- Category strategy:



Develop and execute multi-year strategies for data centre fitout and development, aligned with NEXTDC’s development pipeline and capital program.
- Strategic sourcing and negotiation: Lead RFI, RFP, tender processes and high-value negotiations with OEMs, manufacturers, distributors and M&E; contractors, optimising total cost of ownership across price, lead time, quality, energy efficiency, warranty, spares and service.
- Procurement models and standardisation: Determine appropriate procurement models, including owner-furnished or contractor-furnished equipment, direct OEM supply, framework and panel arrangements, and modular or prefabricated solutions. Partner with Design & Engineering to standardise specifications across sites.
- Commercial frameworks: Develop and negotiate master supply agreements, framework agreements and installation contracts with Legal.
- Supply chain risk and resilience: Monitor supplier concentration and financial health, geopolitical and trade exposure, logistics and foreign exchange risks, implementing dual sourcing, buffer stock and contingency plans for critical items.
- Delivery assurance: Coordinate with project teams on manufacturing progress, factory acceptance testing, expediting, logistics and site delivery to ensure critical equipment arrives on time, specification and ready for installation and commissioning.
- Customer fitout:



Partner with Sales, Solutions and Development on customer-specific and customer-reimbursable fitouts, including high-density and liquid-cooled AI deployments, ensuring fast, compliant and commercially sound delivery.
- Supplier performance and relationships: Manage strategic OEM and contractor relationships through KPIs, scorecards, quarterly business reviews and executive engagement, positioning NEXTDC as a customer of choice in a capacity-constrained market.
- Market and cost intelligence: Analyse supply markets, commodity and cost drivers, lead-time trends, technology roadmaps and should-cost models to inform budgets, design decisions and negotiation strategies.
- Value tracking and reporting: Report category performance, including savings and cost avoidance, spend under management, lead times, on-time delivery, supplier performance and budget versus actual, to Procurement leadership and executives.
- Regional expansion: Support NEXTDC’s growth in Asia by expanding supplier coverage, local partnerships and logistics pathways in new markets.
- Safety, sustainability and ethics: Embed safety, sustainability and ethical sourcing into supplier selection and management, including embodied carbon, energy efficiency, refrigerant choices and modern slavery due diligence, while creating opportunities for Indigenous and social enterprise suppliers.
- AI-enabled procurement: Explore and adopt AI and automation across spend and market analytics, demand forecasting, should-cost modelling, sourcing, contract review and supply risk monitoring, sharing successful practices to build a best-in-class, AI-enabled procurement function.

What You’ll Bring

📌 Senior Category Manager, M&E and Infrastructure (Melbourne)
🏢 Nextdc
📍 Melbourne