About this role
This role addresses the need to scale OpenAI responsibly and efficiently by optimizing external partnerships and service delivery. The Strategic Sourcing Leader will be instrumental in ensuring that the Professional Services function provides the necessary specialist expertise and capacity across various internal teams. This individual will translate evolving business needs into concrete category strategies and actionable delivery plans, ensuring that procurement activities align directly with organizational goals. The core function of this role is to manage the portfolio of professional services, define sourcing strategies, and build resilient supplier relationships that support OpenAI’s long-term success.
The successful candidate will operate at a leadership level, balancing strategic vision with hands-on execution in complex negotiations and critical decision-making. They will be responsible for developing the capabilities of the sourcing team, setting commercial standards, and ensuring that service delivery models are both economically sound and operationally effective. This position exists to bridge the gap between high-level business priorities and the practical execution of sourcing and contract management across diverse service areas.
This role is suited for an experienced leader who can manage complex stakeholder environments, drive commercial outcomes, and mentor a team of professionals. Individuals who excel at creating clarity from ambiguity, resolving competing priorities, and building strong, collaborative relationships across functional boundaries will thrive in this capacity.
What you will do
- Lead and develop the Professional Services sourcing team by establishing clear objectives, setting expectations, and providing regular performance feedback.
- Define the strategy and roadmap for the Professional Services portfolio, connecting business objectives, demand, spend, supplier markets, and risk.
- Manage the team's pipeline and capacity related to strategic negotiations, supplier governance, and recurring statements of work.
- Personally lead complex negotiations and establish standards for commercial quality across the team.
- Build frameworks such as intake models, tiering systems, and playbooks to improve the efficiency of repeatable work.
- Partner with Finance and Accounting to ensure spend visibility, forecasting, and alignment between invoices and contracts.
- Collaborate with Legal, People, and Extended Workforce teams to select appropriate service models and manage associated risks.
What you need
- Demonstrated experience in a strategic sourcing or procurement leadership role is required to lead a sourcing team.
- Proven ability to translate complex business priorities into achievable category strategies and delivery plans.
- Experience overseeing a broad portfolio encompassing strategic advisory relationships, enterprise programs, and high volumes of statements of work.
- Capability to manage resource constraints, dependencies, and competing priorities to maintain commitment achievability.
- Experience in leading and developing professionals, including setting objectives, delegating effectively, and building capability plans.
- Strong skill in negotiating complex commercial terms, including defining scope, pricing, and exit protections.
- A solid understanding of how to assess supplier productivity and manage risk related to service delivery.
Nice to have
- Experience in financial modeling for service contracts
Benefits
- Relocation assistance to new employees
Questions candidates ask
What is the work model at OpenAI?
The role operates under a hybrid work model, which includes three days in the office per week.
What is the compensation structure for this role?
The salary range for this position is listed between $266K and $295K, and the offer includes equity.
What is the primary focus of the team?
The Strategic Sourcing & Procurement team focuses on helping OpenAI scale responsibly and at speed by selecting external partners, structuring commercial agreements, and building supplier relationships.
How is success measured in this role?
Success is measured by a concise view of portfolio and team performance covering commercial and service outcomes, pipeline health, cycle time, risk, stakeholder experience, and team capability.