Principal, Procurement

Let’s face it, a company whose mission is human transformation better have some fresh thinking about the employer/employee relationship.

We do. We can’t cram it all in here, but you’ll start noticing it from the first interview.

Even our candidate experience is different. And when you get an offer from us (and accept it), you get way more than a paycheck. You get a personal BetterUp Coach, a development plan, a trained and coached manager, the most amazing team you’ve ever met (yes, each with their own personal BetterUp Coach), and most importantly, work that matters.

This makes for a remarkably focused and fulfilling work experience. Frankly, it’s not for everyone. But for people with fire in their belly, it’s a game-changing, career-defining, soul-lifting move.

Join us and we promise you the most intense and fulfilling years of your career, doing life-changing work in a fun, inventive, soulful culture.

If that sounds exciting—and the job description below feels like a fit—we really should start talking.

We are a hybrid company with a focus on in-person collaboration when necessary. Employees are expected to be available to work from one of our office hubs at least two days per week, or eight days per month. Our US hub locations include: Austin, TX; New York City, NY; San Francisco, CA; and the Washington, DC metro area. If this is a role based in Europe, our Europe hub locations are London, UK and Amsterdam, NL. Please ensure you can realistically commit to this structure before applying.

The Opportunity

At BetterUp, procurement isn’t about control—it’s about enabling clarity, responsible growth, and speed.

We’re seeking a Procurement Principal to design, build, and scale a modern procurement function that drives financial discipline, operational efficiency, and strategic partnership across the company.

Reporting to the General Counsel and working truly cross functionally across the organisation, this leader will own the end-to-end procurement lifecycle with a focus on SaaS and technology vendors. You’ll bring a balance of strategic foresight, commercial fluency, and operational rigor to deliver measurable value while building the foundation for a future-ready procurement organization.

This role begins as a hands-on individual contributor and will grow into a leadership position as the function matures. It’s an opportunity to shape how BetterUp manages vendor partnerships, technology investments, and spend accountability at scale.

Responsibilities:

• Procurement Strategy & Leadership

  • Define and execute a company-wide procurement strategy focused on SaaS and technology vendor.

  • Serve as a strategic business partner to Legal, Finance, and business leaders, balancing cost optimization, compliance, and agility all through an AI native lens

  • Design and operationalize frameworks for risk management, contracting, and governance that align with BetterUp’s values and growth objectives.

  • Advocate for the use of high-leverage tools (including AI) to streamline sourcing, contract workflows, and vendor performance tracking.

  • Regularly engage with executive leadership on vendor strategy, capital planning, and investment trade-offs.

• Operational Excellence

  • Own the full procurement lifecycle—from sourcing and negotiation through onboarding, renewal, and offboarding.

  • Deliver measurable business impact through cost optimization, supplier performance, and process efficiency.

  • Build dashboards and KPIs to provide executive visibility into spend trends, savings realized, and procurement ROI.

  • Establish scalable procurement policies and controls to support audit readiness and future public-company compliance.

  • Lead continuous improvement through retros, sprints, and cross-functional experimentation.

• Cross-Functional Partnership

  • Collaborate with Legal, Finance, Security, and IT to ensure vendors meet contractual, financial, and data privacy requirements.

  • Partner with department leaders to forecast spend, identify savings opportunities, and prioritize vendor consolidation.

  • Educate internal teams on procurement best practices, creating a culture of transparency, accountability, and collaboration.

  • Operate as a connector and advisor, helping teams move faster through clear processes and thoughtful decision-making.

• Future Planning & Team Development

  • Create the roadmap for a scalable procurement organization, including team design, resourcing, and capability growth.

  • Build the business case for future hiring, system investments, and advanced analytics to enhance decision-making.

  • Stay informed on SaaS market dynamics, category trends, and supplier innovations to inform strategy and vendor negotiations.

Qualifications:

• 10+ years of procurement, strategic sourcing, or vendor management experience—preferably in a high-growth SaaS or technology environment.

• Deep expertise in SaaS vendor strategy, contracting, and lifecycle management.

• Proven success driving measurable savings, efficiency, and risk reduction while supporting business velocity.

• Strong negotiation skills and familiarity with complex commercial agreements, risk allocation, and data protection requirements.

• Experience building or transforming procurement functions and implementing procurement systems (Coupa, Zip, Ironclad, or similar).

• Strategic, data-driven, and relationship-oriented leader who can influence at all levels of the organization.

• Exceptional communication and storytelling skills with the ability to translate procurement impact into business outcomes.

• A proactive, adaptable mindset—comfortable leading through ambiguity and driving clarity across multiple teams.

AI at BetterUp

Our team thrives at the intersection of human expertise and AI capability. As an AI-forward company, adaptation and continuous learning are part of our daily work. We're looking for teammates who are excited to evolve alongside technology – people who experiment boldly, share their discoveries openly, and help define best practices for AI-augmented work. These professionals thoughtfully integrate AI into their work to deliver exceptional results while maintaining the human judgment and creativity that drives real innovation. During our interview process, you’ll have opportunities to showcase how you harness AI to learn, iterate, and amplify your impact.

Benefits:

At BetterUp, we are committed to living out our mission every day and that starts with providing benefits that allow our employees to care for themselves, support their families, and give back to their community.

• Access to BetterUp coaching; one for you and one for a friend or family member

• A competitive compensation plan with opportunity for advancement

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance

• Flexible paid time off

• Per year:

  • All federal/statutory holidays observed

  • 4 BetterUp Inner Workdays (https://www.betterup.co/inner-work)

  • 5 Volunteer Days to give back

  • Learning and Development stipend

  • Company wide Summer & Winter breaks

• Year-round charitable contribution of your choice on behalf of BetterUp

• 401(k) self contribution

We are dedicated to building diverse teams that fuel an authentic workplace and sense of belonging for each and every employee. We know applying for a job can be intimidating, please don’t hesitate to reach out — we encourage everyone interested in joining us to apply.

BetterUp Inc. provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, genetics, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status. In addition to federal law requirements, BetterUp Inc. complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

At BetterUp, we compensate our employees fairly for their work. Base salary is determined by job-related experience, education/training, residence location, as well as market indicators. The range below is representative of base salary only and does not include equity, sales bonus plans (when applicable) and benefits. This range may be modified in the future.

The base salary range for the role is as follows:

$200,000 - $250,000: New York City and San Francisco

$180,000 - $225,000 : All other locations

Protecting your privacy and treating your personal information with care is very important to us, and central to the entire BetterUp family. By submitting your application, you acknowledge that your personal information will be processed in accordance with our Applicant Privacy Notice. If you have any questions about the privacy of your personal information or your rights with regards to your personal information, please reach out to [email protected]

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