Procurement Manager

Who we are

Helsing is a defence AI company. Our mission is to protect our democracies. We aim to achieve technological leadership, so that open societies can continue to make sovereign decisions and control their ethical standards.
As democracies, we believe we have a special responsibility to be thoughtful about the development and deployment of powerful technologies like AI. We take this responsibility seriously. 

We are an ambitious and committed team of engineers, AI specialists and customer-facing programme managers. We are looking for mission-driven people to join our European teams – and apply their skills to solve the most complex and impactful problems. We embrace an open and transparent culture that welcomes healthy debates on the use of technology in defence, its benefits, and its ethical implications. 

The role

You will build Helsing’s first sourcing playbook for Professional Services, External Workforce, and Marketing from scratch, sparring directly with our People, Legal, and Marketing leads – putting it into practice and continuously raising the bar. You’ll be the first person to bring radical visibility across our global hubs – centralizing how we engage external talent, negotiate rate cards and SOWs, and master workforce compliance.
At Helsing, procurement is a catalyst, not red tape. Working alongside some of the sharpest minds in tech and defence, your mission is to build lasting commercial leverage that empowers the entire team to move fast, think big, and deliver extraordinary impact together.

The day-to-day

• Define & Execute Category Strategies: Take end-to-end commercial ownership across Professional Services, Legal, Events, Marketing, and Contingent Workforce

• Drive High-Stakes Negotiations: Independently lead and close high-six-figure to seven-figure contract negotiations (consulting MSAs, executive search terms, exhibition frame agreements)

• Build Commercial Frameworks: Implement rate-card architectures, clean MSA/SOW structures, capped contingency fee tiers (no-cure-no-pay), and clear performance KPIs

• Manage Risk & Compliance: Ensure flawless adherence to German labor regulations (AÜG), including maximum leasing periods, Equal Pay, and strict delineation between Werkverträgen (SOWs) and temp labor / freelancing

• Turn Raw Data into Action: Take raw creditor/AP data exports and independently model spend cubes and category baselines from scratch

• Partner at Eye-Level: Challenge and collaborate with senior stakeholders across Marketing, People/Talent, Legal, and Finance, building long-term trust while protecting commercial interests