Materials Lead

We're here to help the smartest minds on the planet build Superintelligence. The labs pushing the edge? They run on Lambda. Our gear trains and serves their models, our infrastructure scales with them, and we move fast to keep up. If you want to work on massive, world-changing AI deployments with people who love action and hard problems, we're the place to be.

If you'd like to build the world's best deep learning cloud, join us. 

*Note: This position requires presence in our San Jose office location 4 days per week; Lambda’s designated work from home day is currently Tuesday.

We are seeking a Materials Lead to join our Materials Management team. This role will serve as the primary owner for inventory control, deployment readiness, and fixed asset tracking across warehouse and data center operations. The Materials Lead will be responsible for driving accuracy, compliance, and execution within the materials function, while mentoring team members and coordinating cross-functionally with procurement, finance, and operations.

This is a hands-on leadership role requiring operational execution and process ownership, with a strong emphasis on data-driven decision making, warehouse process optimization, and ERP/systems integration. The role requires specialized knowledge in Industrial & Systems Engineering or similar field to design efficient workflows, analyze material consumption trends, and implement automation strategies to support scale, compliance, and cost control.

Key Responsibilities

• Inventory Control & Process Optimization

  • Apply quantitative analysis and process engineering methods to improve inventory accuracy across systems and physical counts.

  • Oversee daily reconciliations and variance resolution, ensuring issues are tracked to closure.

  • Lead root cause analysis of discrepancies and implement corrective/preventive actions.

  • Oversee reconciliation of variances, perform root cause analysis, and implement preventive controls.

  • Maintain SOPs and compliance documentation to meet audit and regulatory requirements (SOX, ISO, FSVP, OSHA).

• Deployment Readiness & Materials Operations

  • Manage staging, validation, and documentation of materials to support major data center deployments.

  • Ensure seamless integration between procurement, program teams, and materials workflows to ensure POs, receipts, and compliance are in good standing.

  • Manage post-deployment workflows (return, reuse, decommissioning) with timely system updates and reconciliation.

  • Partner with logistics to ensure timely availability of high-value materials ($10M+ scale) across multiple locations.

• Fixed Asset & Lifecycle Management

  • Oversee entry, validation, and lifecycle management of fixed assets in ERP/financial systems.

  • Ensure accurate accounting of movement, utilization and depreciation of fixed assets through systems-based controls.

  • Lead periodic audits and serve as liaison with finance and compliance stakeholders.

• Forecasting & Data Analytics

  • Monitor and analyze material consumption trends across data centers to improve demand forecasting and cost control.

  • Provide proactive reporting and insights to guide procurement planning and capacity decisions.

  • Lead cycle count programs and sampling programs at data centers to maintain accuracy and accountability.

  • Develop KPI dashboards (inventory accuracy, spares utilization) for leadership visibility.

  • Leverage Python, SQL, and automation tools to reduce manual processes and improve visibility.

• Warehouse Operations & Material Flow

  • Oversee inbound and outbound material movements with proper documentation and system accuracy.

  • Drive best practices in storage design, labeling, and inter-facility transfer processes.

  • Collaborate with warehouse and logistics teams to ensure timely material availability.

• Stakeholder & Project Management

  • Serve as the lead point of contact for materials tied to data center accounts and deployments.

  • Ensure clear traceability and accountability of materials through systems integration and documentation discipline.

  • Provide cross-functional reporting and communication to internal stakeholders.

  • Travel up to 20% domestically to oversee materials at data centers.

• Leadership & Team Development

  • Mentor and develop junior team members in ISE-dr