What are the responsibilities and job description for the Global Sourcing Director - Contract Manufacturing position at Graphcore?
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 Director – Contract Manufacturing to define and lead the strategic sourcing and supplier management strategy for contract manufacturing partners supporting Graphcore's AI infrastructure platforms.
This leadership role partners closely with Engineering, Product, and Executive Leadership to secure best-in-class capacity, cost, quality, and delivery performance for critical manufacturing partners and ensure supply continuity for 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 partners with engineering, product management, and supply chain teams to build long-term supplier relationships that support Graphcore's technology roadmap and infrastructure growth.
Responsibilities and Duties
- Own the end-to-end sourcing strategy for contract manufacturing partners supporting AI infrastructure platforms.
- Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing sourcing team.
- Develop and execute multi-year supplier and commodity strategies aligned with engineering roadmaps.
- Lead complex executive-level negotiations including long-term agreements and capacity reservations.
- Drive cross-functional alignment across Engineering, Supply Chain, Finance, and Legal.
- Influence supplier ecosystems and manufacturing partner roadmaps aligned with internal product strategies.
- Develop cost models and implement should-cost frameworks.
- Ensure supply continuity through capacity planning and risk mitigation.
- Conduct executive supplier business reviews to monitor performance and drive improvements.
- Ensure supplier agreements protect Graphcore's long-term strategic and operational interests.
Candidate Profile
Essential
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Finance, or related technical discipline.
- 12–15 years of experience in technical and commercial sourcing.
- At least 5 years leading sourcing or supply chain teams in complex technology environments.
- Strong experience sourcing within contract manufacturing ecosystems.
- Proven experience negotiating multi-year strategic supplier agreements.
- Strong financial acumen including cost modeling and total cost of ownership analysis.
- Excellent executive communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
Desirable
- Deep expertise in contract manufacturing ecosystems supporting hyperscale infrastructure.
- Experience working within AI infrastructure, semiconductor, or cloud hardware environments.
- Strong relationships with electronics manufacturing service (EMS) providers.
- Experience structuring joint development agreements and strategic manufacturing partnerships.
- Experience operating in rapidly scaling infrastructure environments.