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
We are seeking a highly experienced and strategic Senior Procurement Manager with a robust background in the defense sector. The successful candidate will be instrumental in leading and optimizing our procurement activities, ensuring the timely, cost-effective, and compliant acquisition of goods, services, and technologies essential for our defense projects. This role requires a proven ability to move quickly in an ambiguous environment, delivering results today, while also building us for the future
The day-to-day
- Strategic Procurement & Sourcing:
- Develop and execute comprehensive procurement strategies aligned with company objectives and the specific requirements of defense programs.
- Identify and cultivate strategic supplier relationships
- Lead complex sourcing initiatives, including market analysis, supplier identification, and risk assessment for critical defense-related materials, equipment, and services.
- Contract Management & Negotiation:
- Lead and support negotiations for high-value and complex contracts, ensuring favorable terms, conditions, and pricing.
- Oversee the full contract lifecycle, from tender preparation and award to performance management and closeout, ensuring strict adherence to contractual obligations and internal policies.
- Manage and mitigate contractual risks, particularly those unique to defense procurement.
- Ensure all procurement activities comply with appropriate budgetary provisions and security regulations (e.g., ITAR, export control where applicable), and industry standards.
- Team Leadership & Process Optimization:
- Provide leadership, mentorship, and guidance to a team of procurement professionals, fostering their development and ensuring high performance.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives within the procurement function, optimizing processes, tools, and systems (e.g., SAP integration).
- Implement and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to evaluate procurement effectiveness and efficiency.
- Stakeholder Collaboration:
- Collaborate closely with internal stakeholders (e.g., engineering, legal, finance) to understand requirements and align procurement strategies.
- Act as a primary point of contact for complex procurement-related inquiries and provide strategic advice to senior management.
You should apply if you
- Minimum of 8-10 years of progressive experience in procurement, with a significant portion in the defense , ideally in Germany
- Proven experience in strategic sourcing, complex contract negotiation, and supplier relationship management within highly regulated environments.
- Strong leadership capabilities with experience managing and developing procurement teams.
- Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
- Fluency in German (C1/C2 level) and English (C1/C2 level) is mandatory, both written and verbal.
- Ability to obtain and maintain necessary security clearances, if required.
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 summarised in a few bullet points.
Nice to Have
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Join Helsing and work with world-leading experts in their fields
Helsing’s work is important. You’ll be directly contributing to the protection of democratic countries while balancing both ethical and geopolitical concerns
The work is unique. We operate in a domain that has highly unusual technical requirements and constraints, and where robustness, safety, and ethical considerations are vital. You will face unique Engineering and AI challenges that make a meaningful impact in the world
Our work frequently takes us right up to the state of the art in technical innovation, be it reinforcement learning, distributed systems, generative AI, or deployment infrastructure. The defence industry is entering the most exciting phase of the technological development curve. Advances in our field of world are not incremental: Helsing is part of, and often leading, historic leaps forward
In our domain, success is a matter of order-of-magnitude improvements and novel capabilities. This means we take bets, aim high, and focus on big opportunities. Despite being a relatively young company, Helsing has already been selected for multiple significant government contracts
We actively encourage healthy, proactive, and diverse debate internally about what we do and how we choose to do it. Teams and individual engineers are trusted (and encouraged) to practise responsible autonomy and critical thinking, and to focus on outcomes, not conformity. At Helsing you will have a say in how we (and you!) work, the opportunity to engage on what does and doesn’t work, and to take ownership of aspects of our culture that you care deeply about
What we offer
A focus on outcomes, not time-tracking
Competitive compensation and stock options
Relocation support
Social and education allowances
Regular company events and all-hands to bring together employees as one team across Europe
Helsing is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability or gender identity. Please do not submit personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, data concerning your health, or data concerning your sexual orientation.