Procurement Manager – Tech & IT

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

In this role, you will build Helsing’s very first category strategy for our entire technology procurement – Software, SaaS, Cloud & Compute, and IT Hardware – from scratch, in close sparring and partnership with our IT and Engineering teams. You will be the very first person in the company to establish a comprehensive, centralized overview of what we spend on technology, with whom, under what terms, and when auto-renewals are due. Your mission is to bring this expenditure under control while ensuring that our fast-moving engineering teams never lose their momentum.

The day-to-day

Building and executing Helsing's very first technology procurement category strategy across our entire scope: Software & SaaS, Cloud/Compute/Hosting, IT Hardware/End Devices, Engineering Tooling (CAD/CAE/Simulation), Security Tools, and Telco & Connectivity

Creating complete transparency by mapping and organizing raw creditor and spend data to establish exactly who we spend money with, under what conditions, and managing key renewal milestones

Leading high-stakes negotiations in the high six-figure range, including Enterprise SaaS renewals, Hyperscaler commitments, and custom enterprise software agreements

Analyzing complex pricing models (such as consumption-based pricing, tiered structures, Committed-Use Discounts, egress fees, and true-ups) to calculate and optimize Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

Partnering internally on an equal footing with IT, Engineering, and Legal to draft, review, and align on Master Services Agreements (MSAs) and Statements of Work (SOWs)

Delivering results in a "greenfield" environment by pragmatically establishing procurement processes where none currently exist, enabling speed and structure simultaneously

You should apply if you

Have 5+ years of experience in strategic procurement or strategic sourcing, with a strong focus on IT, Software, or Cloud

Have a proven track record of independently leading and closing complex negotiations in at least the high six-figure range (e.g., enterprise SaaS renewals, hyperscaler commitments, or similar)

Possess a deep understanding of complex tech pricing structures (consumption models, tiering, Committed-Use Discounts, egress, true-ups) and can confidently build TCO models

Are highly comfortable with raw data – you have advanced Excel modeling skills and can build a spend-cube from a raw creditor export from scratch

Have a strong contractual understanding , enabling you to work hand-in-hand on MSAs or SOWs as a trusted peer alongside IT and Legal departments

Have thrived in greenfield or fast-paced scale-up environments where you successfully delivered results despite the lack of pre-established procurement processes

Are fully business fluent in both German and English (written and verbal)

Are willing and eligible to undergo a governmental security clearance ( Sicherheitsüberprüfung )

Note: We operate in an industry where women, as well as other minority groups, are systematically   under-represented. We encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet all the listed qualifications; ability and impact cannot be summaris …