Joblaze summary

The Procurement Lead at Perplexity is responsible for establishing and refining the company's procurement processes, ensuring effective vendor selection and contract management. This role requires expertise in negotiating significant agreements across various services, along with a strong background in building procurement functions from the ground up. Ideal candidates will have substantial experience in high-growth tech environments and a hands-on approach to problem-solving. The position offers the chance to influence procurement strategy and collaborate closely with multiple teams.

Joblaze insights

Listed 6 days ago — first seen on Joblaze October 31, 2026. Last confirmed on Perplexity's careers page November 5, 2026.

Quick facts

Is the Procurement Lead role remote?: It's hybrid — Perplexity 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 is hiring for this position in San Francisco.
What seniority level is this role?: Perplexity targets lead candidates for this position.
Is this full-time or contract?: Full-time for this Procurement Lead role at Perplexity.

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

Procurement Lead

Key Responsibilities

What You'll Bring

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