Procurement Lead
Lead the procurement function at Perplexity AI, designing workflows and managing vendor relationships in a fast-paced environment.
Posted by employer 4 days ago
First seen on Joblaze 4 days ago
Last verified on the company career page 12 hours ago
Skills & Technologies
What you'll build
- Lead vendor deals across software, cloud services, data, and professional services
- Structure agreements that scale with usage
- Own relationships with important vendors
- Design procurement workflow and policies
- Build visibility into vendor spend and contracts
Must have
- 5-7+ years of experience in procurement or strategic sourcing
- Track record of negotiating multi-million dollar agreements
- Experience building procurement processes from scratch
- Ability to run multiple deals at once
- Strong communication skills
Practical constraints
- Requires in-person attendance 2-3 days per week
AI in the day-to-day
Use AI workflows and agents to automate procurement, from intake and contract review to spend analysis and reporting.
Requirements
- Experience
- 5–7 years
Not disclosed in this posting: compensation, visa sponsorship.
Joblaze summary
The Procurement Lead at Perplexity AI is responsible for establishing and managing the company's procurement function, focusing on vendor selection, contract negotiation, and relationship management. This role requires expertise in strategic sourcing, particularly in high-growth tech environments, and proficiency in using AI tools to streamline procurement processes. Ideal candidates will have significant experience negotiating large-scale agreements and building procurement systems from the ground up. The position offers the chance to shape a critical function in a fast-paced company.
Joblaze insights
- Listed 4 days ago — first seen on Joblaze October 31, 2026. Last confirmed on Perplexity AI's careers page November 4, 2026.
- AI/ML appears in 5% of 638 comparable lead other roles in United States; Procurement appears in 0.5% of 638 comparable lead other roles in United States.
Quick facts
- Is the Procurement Lead role remote?
- It's hybrid — Perplexity AI expects some on-site time in San Francisco.
- How much experience is required?
- 5–7 years of relevant experience for this Procurement Lead role.
- Where is the role based?
- Perplexity AI is hiring for this position in San Francisco.
- What's the tech stack?
- Joblaze extracted these technologies from the posting: AI/ML, Contract Negotiation, Procurement, Vendor Management.
- What seniority level is this role?
- Perplexity AI targets lead candidates for this position.
- Is this full-time or contract?
- Full-time for this Procurement Lead role at Perplexity AI.
From the original posting
We're hiring a Procurement Lead to build Perplexity's procurement function. You'll design how Perplexity buys, from the workflow and policies teams follow to the agreements we sign and the vendor relationships we manage after signature. You'll be a key partner to teams across the company, helping them choose the right vendors and structure strong agreements without becoming a bottleneck, and making sure every dollar we commit to third parties earns its keep.
This is a high-impact, hands-on role for someone who thrives in fast-paced environments and wants to build the function, not inherit one, with room for your scope to grow as the company does. We value someone who can set direction, dig into the details, and follow through. This position is based in San Francisco and requires in-person attendance 2-3 days per week.
Key Responsibilities
Lead our highest-impact vendor deals across software, cloud services, data, and professional services, from competitive alternatives through pricing, terms, and signature
Structure committed-spend, usage-based, and multi-year agreements that scale with our usage and preserve our flexibility
Own relationships with our most important vendors, including performance tracking, business reviews, and renewal negotiations
Design an efficient procurement workflow, policies, and approval thresholds, and implement the tools and AI automation to run them
Use AI workflows and agents to automate procurement, from intake and contract review to spend analysis and reporting
Build visibility into vendor spend and contracts, and drive savings through consolidation, right-sizing, and renegotiation
Partner with Legal, Security, and Accounting on contract terms, vendor risk reviews, and audit-ready controls
What You'll Bring
5-7+ years of experience in procurement or strategic sourcing at a high-growth technology company, including building or scaling the function.
A track record of personally negotiating multi-million dollar software, cloud, or data agreements, managing those vendors and renegotiating at renewal, and delivering measurable savings
Experience building procurement processes, policies, and systems from scratch
Ability to run multiple deals at once with incomplete information, and sound judgment about when to move fast and when to escalate
Comfort using AI tools to accelerate your work and improve workflows
A low-ego, roll-up-your-sleeves approach to projects large and small and to working across the organization
Strong communication skills, the ability to influence senior leaders, and a reputation for being commercially tough and fair