---
title: 'Global Sourcing Manager - Rack and Mechanicals at Graphcore'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/global-sourcing-manager-rack-and-mechanicals-graphcore-milpitas-z3n3bqa5qke6'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-13'
---

# Global Sourcing Manager - Rack and Mechanicals at Graphcore

- **Company:** Graphcore
- **Location:** Milpitas, CA
- **Posted:** 2026-03-12
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-13
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/graphcore/jobs/8453609002

## Job description

## About us

Graphcore is one of the world’s leading innovators in Artificial Intelligence compute. It is developing hardware, software and systems infrastructure that will unlock the next generation of AI breakthroughs and power the widespread adoption of AI solutions across every industry.

As part of the SoftBank Group, Graphcore is a member of an elite family of companies responsible for some of the world’s most transformative technologies. Together, they share a bold vision: to enable Artificial Super Intelligence and ensure its benefits are accessible to everyone.

Graphcore’s teams are drawn from diverse backgrounds and bring a broad range of skills and perspectives. A melting pot of AI research specialists, silicon designers, software engineers and systems architects, Graphcore enjoys a culture of continuous learning and constant innovation.

Job Summary

We are seeking a Global Sourcing Manager – Rack & Mechanicals to lead sourcing strategy and supplier engagement for rack infrastructure and mechanical hardware components supporting Graphcore’s AI infrastructure platforms.

This role partners closely with engineering, supply chain, and finance teams to secure best-in-class capacity, cost, and delivery performance for critical hardware technologies. The successful candidate will translate technical product roadmaps into sourcing strategies, negotiate complex commercial agreements, and ensure resilient supply chains supporting global infrastructure deployment.

The Team

The Global Sourcing Management (GSM) team defines and executes supplier strategies across Graphcore’s hardware and infrastructure ecosystem.

The team works closely with engineering and supply chain functions to identify, develop, and manage suppliers that support Graphcore’s product roadmap and operational scale.

## Responsibilities and Duties

- Own strategic sourcing activities for rack and mechanical hardware components.
- Develop and execute multi-year commodity strategies aligned with engineering roadmaps and infrastructure deployment plans.
- Translate technical specifications and vendor roadmaps into sourcing strategies and negotiation frameworks.
- Lead complex commercial negotiations including long-term supply agreements and capacity reservations.
- Build cost models and perform should-cost analysis to strengthen negotiation leverage.
- Secure supply continuity through capacity planning, supplier risk management, and governance.
- Conduct executive supplier business reviews to drive supplier performance and alignment.
- Partner cross-functionally with Engineering, Supply Chain, Finance, and Operations teams.
- Ensure supplier agreements and contracts protect Graphcore’s long-term commercial interests.

Candidate Profile

Essential

- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Finance, Supply Chain, or related technical field.
- 10+ years of experience in strategic sourcing or technical procurement.
- Strong sourcing experience related to rack infrastructure and mechanical hardware components.
- Proven track record negotiating complex supplier agreements.
- Ability to translate technical product requirements into commercial sourcing strategies.
- Strong financial acumen including cost modeling and total cost of ownership analysis.
- Excellent cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder management skills.

Desirable

- Deep expertise in rack infrastructure, mechanical assemblies, and data center hardware ecosystems.
- Experience sourcing hardware for AI/ML or hyperscale data center infrastructure.
- Strong industry relationships within mechanical manufacturing suppliers.
- Experience supporting sourcing strategies in high-growth infrastructure or cloud-scale companies.

In addition to a competitive salary, Graphcore offers flexible working and a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your health, wellbeing and financial future. Our benefits include medical, dental and vision coverage, Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), disability and life insurance, a 401(k) retirement plan, commuter benefits, wellness services and an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). We welcome people of different backgrounds and experiences; we're committed to building an inclusive work environment that makes Graphcore a great home for everyone. We offer an equal opportunity process and understand that there are visible and invisible differences in all of us. We can provide a flexible approach to interview and encourage you to chat to us if you require any reasonable adjustments.

## About Graphcore

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Graphcore designs and builds the Intelligence Processing Unit (IPU), a processor purpose-built for machine intelligence, and provides a complete AI compute stack from silicon to software.
- **Entity Type**: Private (wholly owned subsidiary of SoftBank Group Corp as of 2025/2026)
- **Headquarters**: Bristol, England, UK
- **Founded**: 2016
- **Founders**: Nigel Toon and Simon Knowles

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: AI hardware/accelerators, semiconductor design, AI software platform
- **Target customers**: Cloud providers (Microsoft Azure), enterprises, AI researchers, hyperscalers
- **Mission statement**: “Let innovators create the next breakthroughs in machine intelligence to enhance human potential”

## Products & Services
- **[IPU (Intelligence Processing Unit)](https://www.graphcore.ai/)**: A processor designed from the ground up for machine intelligence workloads; uses a massively parallel architecture (MIMD) with fine-grained compute and on-chip memory.
- **[IPU-Machine M2000](https://www.graphcore.ai/about)**: Second-generation IPU platform – a 1U server appliance housing 4 MK2 GC200 IPU processors, delivering an 8× performance uplift over the first generation.
- **[C2 IPU Accelerator PCIe Card](https://www.graphcore.ai/about)**: PCIe form factor accelerator for server integration, first demonstrated at ICML 2018.
- **[Poplar Software Stack](https://www.graphcore.ai/)**: Full SDK and framework integration (PyTorch, TensorFlow) that lets developers target the IPU directly.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Acquired by SoftBank Group Corp (amount undisclosed); prior to acquisition valued at $2.77 B (Series E, lead by Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board).
- **Key Metric**: Total funding raised prior to acquisition – over $680 M across Series A through E.
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: SoftBank (owner), Microsoft (customer and investor), BMW, Samsung, Dell Technologies, Bosch, Sequoia Capital, Atomico, Fidelity, Baillie Gifford, Ontario Teachers’.
- **Growth Signals**: Part of the fast-growing SoftBank AI ecosystem; expanding teams globally (Bristol, London, Cambridge, Gdańsk, Hsinchu, Bengaluru); first customer (Microsoft Azure) live since 2018.

## Competitive Advantages
- **First purpose-built AI processor**: The IPU architecture is fundamentally different from GPUs – designed specifically for the sparse, parallel nature of neural network computation.
- **Full stack ownership**: Graphcore controls silicon, system hardware, and software (Poplar), enabling tight optimisation across the entire compute chain.
- **Cloud + on‑prem availability**: IPUs are available in the cloud on Microsoft Azure and as hardware from Dell, giving customers flexible deployment options.
- **Strong IP and ecosystem**: 99+ engineering staff; deep expertise in semiconductor, systems, and AI software, backed by long-term SoftBank investment.

## Strategic Focus
- **Scale AI infrastructure**: Delivering key technology into SoftBank’s global AI ecosystem and expanding the IPU platform to meet growing demand for AI compute.
- **Expand into new regions**: Opening offices and hiring in India (Bengaluru) and across Europe (Gdańsk, London, Cambridge) to accelerate R&D and customer support.
- **Democratise AI**: Continuing to lower the barrier for machine intelligence by providing accessible, high-efficiency hardware and software for innovators worldwide.

## Why Work Here
- **Flexible hybrid work**: Employees are expected on-site three days a week, with trust and flexibility to balance work and life.
- **Comprehensive benefits**: Unlimited annual leave, private medical insurance (UK), dental & health cash plan, income protection, life assurance, pension matched up to 5%, generous parental leave, and a personal development plan.
- **Culture and growth**: ML reading groups, board game socials, book clubs, yoga, running, watersports, team events; strong DE+I initiatives; ambitious but supportive environment.
- **Perks**: Free barista‑made coffee, snacks, and wellbeing rooms; cycle‑to‑work scheme; gym membership discount; education/training allowances.
- **Purpose-driven work**: Opportunity to shape the future of AI compute and see your contributions used by global innovators.

## Sources
1. [graphcore.ai/about](https://www.graphcore.ai/about)
2. [graphcore.ai/](https://www.graphcore.ai/)
3. [graphcore.ai/careers](https://www.graphcore.ai/careers)
4. [graphcore.ai/jobs](https://www.graphcore.ai/jobs)
5. [builtin.com/company/graphcore](https://builtin.com/company/graphcore)

## Other roles at Graphcore

- [Staff Manufacturing Product Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-manufacturing-product-engineer-graphcore-bristol-ea1bm22k33gw) — Bristol, United Kingdom
- [Senior Manufacturing Product Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-manufacturing-product-engineer-graphcore-tainan-d577fdezv8tm) — 臺南市 Tainan, Taiwan
- [Technical Product Owner](https://feeny.ai/job/technical-product-owner-graphcore-bristol-9v35a207cdk8) — Bristol, United Kingdom
- [Senior Machine Learning Engineer (Large Systems)](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-machine-learning-engineer-large-systems-graphcore-cambridge-3e8ndgscz15d) — Cambridge, MA
- [Senior Machine Learning Engineer (Large Systems)](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-machine-learning-engineer-large-systems-graphcore-london-p68byjrjd25g) — London, United Kingdom
- [Senior Machine Learning Engineer (Large Systems)](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-machine-learning-engineer-large-systems-graphcore-bristol-s0r6v5tfnmv9) — Bristol, United Kingdom
- [Staff AI Performance Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-ai-performance-engineer-graphcore-milpitas-fsnhys3s671g) — Milpitas, CA
- [Principal AI Performance Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/principal-ai-performance-engineer-graphcore-austin-nkrwx6t7hyy0) — Austin, TX
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- [Principal System Tests & Diagnostics Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/principal-system-tests-diagnostics-engineer-graphcore-austin-9y5qhh1chbx8) — Austin, TX