Upstart · 7 hours ago
Head of Procurement
United States
Full-time
Remote
Director/Executive
$184K/yr - $255K/yr
10+ years expUpstart is the leading AI lending marketplace partnering with banks and credit unions to expand access to affordable credit. As the Head of Procurement, you will define and execute the strategic vision for procurement at Upstart, leading a team responsible for company-wide spend management and vendor governance.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)AutomotiveConsumer LendingCreditFinancial ServicesFinTechLendingMachine LearningPersonal Finance
Responsibilities
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
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
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
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
Qualification
Required
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
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
Experience with procurement tools (e.g., Zip, Ironclad, SpendHQ, or equivalents)
Benefits
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
Company
Upstart
Upstart (NASDAQ: UPST) is a leading AI lending marketplace partnering with banks and credit unions to expand access to affordable credit.
1001-5000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Upstart has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (68)
2024 (67)
2023 (85)
2022 (85)
2021 (42)
2020 (15)
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
$3.36BKey Investors
CastlelakeProgressiveRakuten
2025-11-06Post Ipo Debt· $1.5B
2025-09-05Post Ipo Debt· $320M
2025-08-12Post Ipo Debt· $600M
Leadership Team
Dave Girouard
Founder & CEO
Paul Gu
Co-Founder
Recent News
Business Wire
2026-01-22
The Motley Fool
2026-01-03
The Motley Fool
2026-01-01
Company data provided by crunchbase