Hardware Strategic Sourcing & Manufacturing Partnerships Manager

Job description

About the Team OpenAI’s Hardware organization develops silicon and system-level solutions designed for advanced AI workloads. The team builds next-generation AI-native silicon and systems, working closely with software, research, and manufacturing partners to co-design hardware tightly integrated with AI models. Beyond delivering systems for OpenAI’s supercomputing infrastructure, the team develops the strategic partnerships needed to accelerate hardware innovation and scale. About the Role We’re seeking an experienced Hardware Strategic Sourcing & Manufacturing Partnerships Manager to lead strategic engagements with joint design manufacturers (JDMs), contract manufacturers (CMs), and original design manufacturers (ODMs) across OpenAI’s hardware ecosystem. Based in Singapore, you will own the complete manufacturing partner lifecycle: developing sourcing strategies, leading RFIs and RFPs, evaluating and selecting JDM, CM, and ODM partners, negotiating commercial agreements, onboarding suppliers, launching manufacturing programs, and managing long-term partnerships. You will work closely with engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, finance, legal, security, and program management teams to establish partnerships supporting AI-native silicon, rack-scale systems, and related infrastructure. Success requires strong commercial judgment, technical credibility, and hands-on operational execution. In this role, you will: Develop and execute partnership strategies across JDM, CM, and ODM engagement models, identifying the appropriate manufacturing approach based on product requirements, technical complexity, scale, speed, cost, and risk. Lead end-to-end RFI and RFP processes for prospective JDM, CM, and ODM partners, including defining requirements, conducting market outreach, managing competitive bids, coordinating stakeholder evaluations, and presenting selection recommendations. Evaluate manufacturing partners across technical capabilities, product design and engineering resources, manufacturing readiness, quality systems, production capacity, financial stability, security, supply-chain resilience, commercial competitiveness, and strategic alignment. Negotiate and structure JDM, CM, and ODM agreements, including master services agreements, statements of work, engineering and manufacturing responsibilities, nonrecurring engineering, tooling, pricing, capacity comm…