Senior Platform Operations Analyst

The Trade Desk is changing the way global brands and their agencies advertise to audiences around the world. How? With a media buying platform that helps brands deliver a more insightful and relevant ad experience for consumers –– and sets a new standard for global reach, accuracy, and transparency. We are proud of the culture we have built. We value the unique experiences and perspectives that each person brings to The Trade Desk, and we are committed to fostering inclusive spaces where everyone can bring their authentic selves to work every day.

So, if you are talented, driven, creative, and eager to join a dynamic, globally-connected team, then we want to talk!

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

We’re looking for an experienced, proactive, detail-oriented individual to join our Platform Operations team. Your passion for cost efficiency drives you to seek the best value and build a robust technical purchasing foundation. You bring experience in technical procurement, forecasting & budget planning, and developing & driving operational processes.

The Trade Desk develops and deploys infrastructure globally across data centers, networks and public clouds. Our team owns the sourcing strategy, external business relationships, internal engineering, product, finance and accounting partnerships, and finally the delivery of critical infrastructure from new product ideas to scale deployment. The team combines financial, technical, and operations expertise that supports deliver of infrastructure including data centers, hardware, networking and software that support our company growth.

In this role, you will be responsible for technical sourcing and procurement across our critical infrastructure suite. This includes datacenters, a range of server SKUs that are optimized per workload, networking equipment, and the SaaS platforms we depend on. Together with the team and numerous internal partners you will be responsible for material availability, cost and delivery.

The ideal candidate thrives in fast-paced environments and possesses a strong financial & technical background coupled with excellent leadership and communication skills. They should be adept at problem-solving, resource allocation, and fostering collaboration across departments to drive efficiency and innovation. You’ll play a critical role in shaping our procurement process and policies as well as ensuring our platform investments are strategically aligned with our business. You’ll also be responsible for providing visibility & transparency into cost trends for key stakeholders.

WHAT YOU WILL DO:

· Support Platform Technical Procurement: Support the creation and refinement of processes and procedures that ensure efficiency and cost-effectiveness for technical components of our platform including Data Centers, On-Prem hardware, Cloud partners, support vendors and SaaS partners. Execute sourcing plans and supplier spend management strategies, including handling of complex sourcing projects and contract negotiations that optimize value to the company

· Build and maintain relationships with suppliers: Negotiate technical contracts and ensure the best value for the company. Serving as a point of escalation for vendor related issues and incidents, coordinating resolution efforts and implementing preventive measures to mitigate future risks.

· Sourcing Strategy: Develop sourcing strategies that address the unique needs of supply chain and manufacturing at hyperscale.

· Collaborate with the Senior Leadership: Align procurement strategies with the company's goals and values. Partner with product management and engineering stakeholders to effectively articulate the importance of financial ownership and accountability, while empowering the engineering organization to operate independently using guidance and guiderails communicated.

· Analyze Market Trends: Keep abreast of emerging technologies and industry trends, evaluating their potential impact on the organization to create strategies that will proactively identify optimization opportunities to help our Business meet their goals

· Drive Platform Efficiency - Partner with product management, engineering and business stakeholders to develop and implement strategies to optimize technology processes, improve efficiency, utilization and enhance the overall performance of our platform.

· Monitoring Costs - Monitor platform performance and cost metrics and implement continuous improvement initiatives to enhance platform efficiency and scalability.

WHAT YOU BRING TO THE TABLE:

· 5+ Years of experience in Sourcing & Procurement, operations in the software industry.

· Demonstrated success in sourcing, negotiating, and delivering complex contracts, with expert negotiation skills in both financial and business matters

· Solid technical competency; possess working knowledge of technical topics such as cloud computing, datacenter operations and network architecture.

· Experience using data analysis, industry trends, relevant data, and internal spend data to create strategies and identify optimization opportunities

· Experience managing projects and initiatives from conception to implementation, with a focus on delivering results within scope, budget, and timeline constraints.

· Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to think strategically and drive process improvements to optimize companywide operations. 

· Proven track record of implementing category, strategic sourcing and process improvement initiatives

· History of building and leveraging relationships with business leaders and supplier executives to achieve business goals

· Previous experience driving change, managing conflict, unifying diverse perspectives, decision-making, securing support, and building consensus to achieve goals

· Demonstrated experience exceeding the demands of various internal stakeholders across multiple business units and regions

· Experience using varying types of communication to effectively articulate complex ideas and strategies to senior stakeholders

· Experience working in a self-directed environment, maintaining a focus on teamwork and interpersonal communication, in ambiguous situations

The Trade Desk does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firm recruiters. Fees will not be paid in the event a candidate submitted by a recruiter without an agreement in place is hired; such resumes will be deemed the sole property of The Trade Desk. The Trade Desk is an equal opportunity employer. All aspects of employment will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.

[LA JOBS ONLY] The Trade Desk will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories for employment in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring, Ordinance No. 184652.

[SF JOBS ONLY] Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.