About this role
Helsing builds AI technology for defense with the mission to protect democracies and ensure technological leadership for open societies. As part of this effort, the organization relies on specialized commercial operations to manage external partnerships, talent ecosystems, and marketing investments.
In this capacity, the procurement manager establishes the initial sourcing framework for Professional Services, External Workforce, and Marketing from the ground up. The person in this role centrally manages global hub visibility, negotiates rate cards and statements of work, and oversees workforce compliance while collaborating closely with the People, Legal, and Marketing departments.
What you will do
- Develop and execute end-to-end category strategies across Professional Services, Legal, Events, Marketing, and Contingent Workforce.
- Independently lead and close high-six-figure to seven-figure contract negotiations for consulting MSAs and exhibition agreements.
- Implement rate-card architectures, clean MSA and SOW structures, capped contingency fee tiers, and clear performance KPIs.
- Ensure strict compliance with German labor regulations, including maximum leasing periods, Equal Pay, and labor leasing demarcation.
- Transform raw creditor and accounts payable data exports into modeled spend cubes and category baselines.
- Partner with senior stakeholders across Marketing, HR, Legal, and Finance to build long-term commercial trust.
What you need
- Bring at least 3 years of experience in strategic procurement or sourcing with a focus on Professional Services, HR, Marketing, or Contingent Workforce.
- Demonstrate a proven track record of handling high-stakes negotiations in the high six- to seven-figure range.
- Possess expertise in commercial deal structuring such as rate card architectures and fee models.
- Maintain a practical understanding of the German labor leasing framework, including assignment durations and Equal Pay regulations.
- Demonstrate comfort with hands-on data modeling and building spend cubes directly from raw creditor exports in Excel.
- Show strong stakeholder management abilities with the confidence to collaborate and push back on commercial terms.
- Be business fluent in both German and English.
- Be willing and eligible to undergo national security vetting such as German Ü2/Ü3 or equivalent.
Nice to have
- Experience designing, implementing, or operating VMS/MSP frameworks for contingent workforce management
- A background in strategic sourcing within Defence, Aerospace, or another highly regulated sector
- Hands-on experience in legal sourcing, panel setups, and fee structures for external counsel
- Familiarity with SAP S/4HANA and modern intake-to-procure systems such as ZIP, Omnea, Lio, or Pivot
- Prior experience driving software rationalization and consolidation across HR-Tech or MarTech license portfolios
Benefits
- Competitive salary and VSOP options
- Relocation support of up to €2,500 and 4 weeks temporary accommodation
- Learning allowance of €500/£450 yearly
- Health and wellness support including gym membership and Nilo.health mental health support
- Regular company events and monthly social allowances
- Enhanced parental leave of 22 weeks fully paid for primary caregivers and 6 weeks for secondary caregivers
Skills and tech stack
Questions candidates ask
What kind of remote work options are available?
The posting notes a 100% remote work option during pregnancy and mentions bringing radical visibility across global hubs, but does not specify a general remote policy for this role.
What is the compensation package for this position?
Salary details are not disclosed in the posting, though the company offers competitive salary and VSOP options along with relocation support and learning allowances.
What tools and systems will I use in this role?
You will use Excel for hands-on data modeling and spend cubes, with familiarity in SAP S/4HANA and intake-to-procure systems like ZIP, Omnea, Lio, or Pivot listed as nice-to-have experience.
What are the primary background requirements for applicants?
Candidates need at least 3 years of strategic procurement experience focusing on Professional Services, HR, Marketing, or Contingent Workforce, alongside fluency in German and English and eligibility for national security vetting.