Compute Strategy & Operations Lead

About Us:

Modal provides the infrastructure foundation for AI teams. With instant GPU access, sub-second container startups, and native storage, Modal makes it simple to train models, run batch jobs, and serve low-latency inference. We have thousands of customers who rely on us for production AI workloads, including Lovable, Scale AI, Substack, and Suno.

We're a fast-growing team based out of NYC, SF, and Stockholm. We've hit 9-figure ARR and recently raised a Series B at a $1.1B valuation. Our investors include Lux Capital, Redpoint Ventures, Amplify Partners, and Elad Gil.

Working at Modal means joining one of the fastest-growing AI infrastructure organizations at an early stage, with many opportunities to grow within the company. Our team includes creators of popular open-source projects (e.g., Seaborn, Luigi), academic researchers, international olympiad medalists, and experienced engineering and product leaders with decades of experience.

The Role

We're hiring a Compute Strategy and Operations lead to own how Modal plans for and acquires GPU and CPU capacity. You'll size our infrastructure needs ahead of demand, source supply across hyperscalers, neoclouds, and datacenter operators, and negotiate and close the contracts to secure it. The compute you secure directly determines what Modal can sell and build. In this role, you will:

• Own end-to-end procurement of GPU and CPU capacity across hyperscalers, neoclouds, and datacenter operators

• Build and maintain a strong pipeline of supplier relationships

• Evaluate supply options on price, availability, hardware specs, networking capabilities, and SLA terms

• Negotiate and close contracts: reserved capacity agreements, spot arrangements, MSAs, DPAs, and order forms

• Work closely with our engineering teams to translate technical requirements into procurement specs

• Track market pricing, availability trends, and supplier dynamics, and serve as a trusted advisor to leadership on infrastructure procurement decisions

Requirements

• Fluency in the AI infrastructure landscape: hyperscalers, neoclouds, and the broader GPU supply market

• Technical understanding of what you're buying: GPU architectures (NVIDIA H100/H200/B200, etc.), networking (InfiniBand vs. RoCE, fabric topology), and SLA structures

• Strong commercial instincts. You know how to find leverage, structure a deal, and close it

• Ability to work cross-functionally with finance and engineering teams on commercial terms and technical requirements