Procurement Operations Leader

About the Team

OpenAI Finance is responsible for ensuring the organization is set up for success in pursuit of its mission. The Procurement team advises our business partners to make the best investments, ensures we acquire the resources needed for growth, and enables our mission through efficient procurement practices. 

About the Role

We’re hiring a Procurement Operations Leader to manage and optimize our procure-to-pay (P2P) processes and systems. You’ll have a strategic vision and lead a small team, while also nimbly and tactically executing. You’ll interface closely with senior leadership, suppliers, internal stakeholders, and lead external contractors to operationalize and scale our processes to support our organization's rapid growth and strategic goals. 

This role is based in San Francisco, CA. We use a hybrid work model of 3 days in the office per week and offer relocation assistance to new employees.

In this role, you will:

• Develop and execute a comprehensive strategy for our P2P operations that aligns with OpenAI’s broader financial and operational objectives.

• Oversee the month-end close process for Purchase Order accruals and Accounts Payable reporting and reconciliations to ensure accurate and timely financial reporting.

• Lead the audit process for P2P cycle requests to ensure thorough and timely responses to audit inquiries and maintain organized documentation for audit trails.

• Manage and optimize our P2P systems (ZIP, NetSuite, and Navan) to ensure seamless procurement and financial operations.

• Oversee the travel and expense (T&E) program to promote compliance with our financial policies, ensure timely and accurate processing and reconciliation, maximize the value from our T&E budget, and provide the best traveler experience.

• Manage high-touch VIP travel and requests with our executive travel agency to provide exceptional experiences for our executives.

• Engage with internal stakeholders across various departments, understand their procurement needs, and optimize a streamlined procurement request and approval process.

• Ensure compliance with processing SLAs such as request cycle time, percentage of invoices under PO, and percentage of digital invoices.

• Lead reporting and analytics initiatives within the P2P domain to generate insightful reports and dashboards to monitor performance, identify trends, and support data-driven decision-making aligned with OpenAI's financial and operational goals.

• Manage a team of direct reports and provide coaching and professional development opportunities to enhance their skills and performance.

• Drive continuous process improvements to create a best-in-class procurement process, enhance the buying experience, and ensure operational excellence as we scale and grow.

You might thrive in this role if you have: 

• Versatile Procurement Knowledge: 10+ years of expertise in procurement request management, accounts payable, and travel and expense processes, coupled with adept negotiation skills and a solid understanding of economic drivers and business models.

• Technical Expertise: Comprehensive knowledge of procurement technologies (e.g., ZIP, NetSuite, Navan).

• Project Management: Demonstrated capability to lead transformative initiatives that significantly improve P2P operations across the organization.

• Analytical Acumen: Proven experience in crafting detailed dashboards and conducting thorough analyses to offer strategic insights and support data-driven decision-making.

• Methodical and Organized: Exceptionally methodical and organized work ethic to manage complex projects and maintain accuracy in financial reporting and reconciliations.

• Team Leadership: A track record of leading, coaching, and developing high-performing teams, providing mentorship and professional development opportunities.

• Process Improvement Mindset: Strong attention to detail with the ability to balance tactical work and strategic initiatives, driving continuous improvements and operational excellence.

• Stakeholder Engagement: Outstanding ability to educate and influence stakeholders across the organization, securing buy-in for procurement initiatives through effective communication and strategic negotiation.

• Composure Under Pressure: Ability to maintain composure and effectiveness in high-pressure situations, ensuring stability and continuous improvement within the team and processes.

About OpenAI

OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company dedicated to ensuring that general-purpose artificial intelligence benefits all of humanity. We push the boundaries of the capabilities of AI systems and seek to safely deploy them to the world through our products. AI is an extremely powerful tool that must be created with safety and human needs at its core, and to achieve our mission, we must encompass and value the many different perspectives, voices, and experiences that form the full spectrum of humanity. 

We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status. 

OpenAI Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement

For US Based Candidates: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, and requests can be made via this link.

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At OpenAI, we believe artificial intelligence has the potential to help people solve immense global challenges, and we want the upside of AI to be widely shared. Join us in shaping the future of technology.