Head of Procurement

The Team: 

Upstart’s Procurement team is a strategic enabler of innovation, speed, and cost discipline. Our team manages the full lifecycle of vendor engagement—from strategic planning and supplier selection to onboarding, contracting, and performance oversight—across three core pillars: Procurement Operations, Strategic Sourcing, and Supplier Management. We partner closely with Legal, InfoSec, TPRM, AP, and our internal business stakeholders to deliver a seamless and scalable procurement experience that balances compliance, cost, and risk management.

Following a recent company-wide review of our procurement process, we are embarking on a bold redesign to simplify intake and system approvals, improve transparency, and better align sourcing with business priorities. You will lead this transformation. 

As the Head of Procurement  at Upstart, you  will define and execute the strategic vision for procurement at Upstart. You will lead a high-performing team that combines operational precision with strategic sourcing expertise, and be accountable for company-wide spend management, procurement policy, vendor governance, and tool implementation. This is both a strategic leadership and hands-on execution role—ideal for someone who can scale process, technology, and culture in a dynamic, growth-stage FinTech environment.

You will work closely with Legal, TPRM, Information Security, and Finance leadership to ensure the procurement process is efficient, compliant, and designed around business enablement. This role is critical to Upstart’s ability to grow responsibly and move fast with the right partners.

The role reports to Upstart’s Chief Accounting Officer. 

How you’ll make an impact

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and lead a clear, scalable procurement strategy aligned with Upstart’s business priorities, cost goals, and risk frameworks.
• Champion a unified, user-friendly procurement experience that minimizes friction and maximizes cross-functional collaboration.
• Drive transformation of procurement workflows and Procurement systems configuration, ensuring end-to-end ownership and accountability.
• Establish procurement as a key business partner across departments through data-driven insights, reliability, and proactive service.

Sourcing & Category Management

• Guide sourcing strategy across all major categories: Technology (SaaS, cloud, software), Engineering, Marketing, HR, Professional Services, and Risk.
• Partner closely with FP&A and budget owners to influence planning, forecasting, and tradeoff decisions and deliver on cost savings and cost avoidance goals. 
• Advocate for the Sourcing team with their work with Business teams to shape demand, build sourcing plans, and deliver value beyond cost (speed, quality, security, sustainability).
• Negotiate complex enterprise contracts with a focus on optimizing commercial, legal, and cybersecurity terms.
• Partner with Legal and InfoSec to streamline standard templates and review paths for faster execution.

Supplier Management

• Build a comprehensive supplier governance program—from onboarding and due diligence to performance monitoring and renewals in alignment with applicable financial services regulations.
• Integrate supplier management with work done by InfoSec and TPRM teams, using a shared view of vendor data and lifecycles.
• Ensure alignment with SOX, internal audit standards, and public company reporting requirements.
• Lead efforts to expand and diversify Upstart’s supplier base while ensuring operational continuity.

Team Leadership & Culture

• Lead, coach, and develop a growing team of procurement professionals.
• Foster a culture of accountability, agility, continuous improvement, and strong business partnership.
• Advocate for processes and tools that empower internal teams—not burden them—and make it easier to get things done the right way.
• Promote learning and development in areas like category strategy, negotiation, and vendor relationship management.

Minimum Qualifications 

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Finance or a related field; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive procurement leadership experience, including 5+ years managing complex indirect spend in a tech-forward or regulated environment (e.g., FinTech, financial services, SaaS).
• Experience leading procurement in a public company and working across cross-functional compliance frameworks (Legal, Security, Risk, Finance, TPRM).
• Demonstrated success in transforming, standardizing, and digitizing procurement processes—including intake, approvals, contract lifecycle, and supplier performance.

Skills & Competencies

• Strategic thinker with hands-on execution skills—able to toggle between big-picture vision and operational detail.
• Deep expertise in strategic sourcing, contract negotiation, and category management.
• Strong knowledge of SOX controls, vendor risk, and the regulatory nuances of working in a public company.
• Exceptional stakeholder management skills—able to influence and partner across all levels, from ICs to executives.
• Collaborative leader with high integrity, a builder’s mindset, and a passion for enabling great work through great systems.
• Strong process mapping and optimization mindset.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with procurement tools (e.g., Zip, Ironclad, SpendHQ, or equivalents) 

Position location This role is available in the following locations: Remote 

Time zone requirements The team operates on the East/West coast time zones.

Travel requirements As a digital first company, the majority of your work can be accomplished remotely. The majority of our employees can live and work anywhere in the U.S but are expected to still spend high quality time in-person collaborating via regular onsites. The in-person sessions’ cadence varies depending on the team and role; most teams meet once or twice per quarter for 2-4 consecutive days at a time.

What you'll love: 

• Competitive Compensation (base + bonus & equity)
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with Health Savings Account contributions from Upstart 
• 401(k) with 100% company match up to $4,500 and immediate vesting and after-tax savings
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)
• Life and disability insurance
• Generous holiday, vacation, sick and safety leave  
• Supportive parental, family care, and military leave programs
• Annual wellness, technology & ergonomic reimbursement programs
• Social activities including team events and onsites, all-company updates, employee resource groups (ERGs), and other interest groups such as book clubs, fitness, investing, and volunteering
• Catered lunches + snacks & drinks when working in offices

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