Procurement Manager – Professional Services & Marketing

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 You should apply if you Have 3+ years of experience in strategic procurement or sourcing with a focus on Professional Services, HR, Marketing/Agencies, or Contingent Workforce Have a proven track record of high-stakes negotiations in the high six- to seven-figure range (e.g., consulting MSAs, executive search terms, or exhibition contracts) Possess strong expertise in commercial deal structuring , including rate card architectures, MSA/SOW frameworks, and capped no-cure-no-pay fee models Bring a solid practical understanding of the German labor leasing framework ( AÜG ) , including maximum assignment durations, Equal Pay, and the strict demarcation between Werkverträgen and labor leasing Are comfortable with hands-on data modeling and can build clean spend cubes directly from raw AP/creditor exports in Excel Bring strong stakeholder management skills , with the confidence to push back on Marketing, HR, and Legal on commercial terms while fostering long-term trusted partnerships Thrive in greenfield environments , with proven delivery in fast-moving setups without established procurement playbooks or dedicated operational support Are business fluent in both German and English Are willing and eligible to undergo national security vetting (German Ü2/Ü3 or equivalent) Note: We operate in an industry where women, as well as other minority groups, are systematic