Head of Procurement

Upstart

5h•Remote

About The Position

Upstart is the leading AI lending marketplace partnering with banks and credit unions to expand access to affordable credit. By leveraging Upstart's AI marketplace, Upstart-powered banks and credit unions can have higher approval rates and lower loss rates across races, ages, and genders, while simultaneously delivering the exceptional digital-first lending experience their customers demand. More than 80% of borrowers are approved instantly, with zero documentation to upload. Upstart is a digital-first company, which means that most Upstarters live and work anywhere in the United States. However, we also have offices in San Mateo, California; Columbus, Ohio; Austin, Texas; and New York City, NY (opening Summer 2026). Most Upstarters join us because they connect with our mission of enabling access to effortless credit based on true risk. If you are energized by the impact you can make at Upstart, we’d love to hear from you! 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.

Requirements

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.

Nice To Haves

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

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.

Benefits

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