Head of Procurement

About Upstart

At Upstart, we’re united by a mission that matters: to radically the cost and complexity of borrowing for all Americans. Every day, we bring creativity, experimentation, and advanced AI to reshape access to credit, helping millions move forward financially with clarity and confidence.

As the leading AI lending marketplace, we partner with banks and credit unions to expand access to affordable credit through technology that’s both radically intelligent and deeply human. Our platform runs over one million predictions per borrower using more than 1,800 signals, powering smarter, fairer decisions for millions of customers. But the numbers only hint at the impact. Every idea, every voice, and every contribution moves us closer to a world where credit never stands between people and their financial progress.

We’re proudly digital‑first, giving most Upstarters the flexibility to do their best work from wherever they thrive, alongside teammates across 80+ cities in the US and Canada. Digital‑first doesn’t mean distant. We’re intentional about in‑person connection through team onsites, planning sessions, and moments that spark creativity and trust. And whether you choose to work primarily from home or collaborate in‑person from one of our offices in Columbus, Austin, the Bay Area, or New York City (opening Summer 2026), you’ll have the support to work in the way that works best for you.

If you’re energized by tackling meaningful problems, excited to innovate with purpose, and motivated by work that truly matters, we’d love to hear from you.

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, Info Sec, 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  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 Fin Tech 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.

• 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 trade‑off decisions and deliver on cost savings and cost avoidance goals.
• Advocate for the Sourcing team with…