Strategic Sourcing Lead, Professional Services

Who are we? Our mission is to scale intelligence to serve humanity. We’re training and deploying frontier models for developers and enterprises who are building AI systems to power magical experiences like content generation, semantic search, RAG, and agents. We believe that our work is instrumental to the widespread adoption of AI. We obsess over what we build. Each one of us is responsible for contributing to increasing the capabilities of our models and the value they drive for our customers. We like to work hard and move fast to do what’s best for our customers. Cohere is a team of researchers, engineers, designers, and more, who are passionate about their craft. Each person is one of the best in the world at what they do. We believe that a diverse range of perspectives is a requirement for building great products. Join us on our mission and shape the future!

Why This Role

Cohere seeks a Procurement Lead to own and scale our professional services procurement function. In this role you will be responsible for running these categories and creating strategies for such categories as we continue to grow rapidly. You will partner closely with FP&A, Accounting, Legal, and business stakeholders to build a world‑class procurement function. This is an opportunity for a hands‑on, strategic procurement leader who thrives in a high‑growth environment, is comfortable navigating ambiguity, and can design scalable processes.

As a Strategic Sourcing Lead, Professional Services at Cohere, you will:

• Lead procurement activities for professional services categories including consulting, marketing (events, media, services), legal, and external services
• Develop and execute strategic sourcing initiatives to optimize costs and service quality
• Own the end‑to‑end procurement lifecycle from needs assessment to contract execution
• Analyze spending patterns and identify opportunities for cost savings and process improvements
• Manage vendor relationships and negotiations for professional services providers
• Evaluate vendor performance and conduct strategic sourcing initiatives
• Ensure compliance with procurement policy and regulations
• Bridge the gap between procurement and accounting to ensure proper PO management and payment processes
• Maintain robust documentation and internal controls
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams (FP&A, Accounting, Legal, business stakeholders) to align procurement strategies with business objectives
• Prepare regular reports on procurement performance, savings, and vendor management

You may be a good fit if you have:

• Bachelor’s degree in procurement, finance, business or related field
• 5–8 years of progressive procurement experience
• Proven experience leading procurement for professional services categories
• Strong strategic sourcing and negotiation skills
• Experience managing vendor relationships and contracts
• Proficiency in procurement software and ERP systems (Omnea preferred)
• Excellent analytical and problem‑solving abilities
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to influence stakeholders and drive procurement initiatives
• Experience with P2P (procure to pay) processes
• Professional certification in procurement or supply chain (preferred)

Why this role matters

As a Procurement Lead for Professional Services, you’ll be instrumental in building procurement categories for professional services spend and owning their development and optimization. You’ll have the opportunity to establish best practices, drive significant cost savings, and create strategic partnerships with key service providers that support our business growth. If some of the above doesn’t line up perfectly with your experience, we still encourage you to apply! We value and celebrate diversity and strive to create an inclusive work environment for all. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and are committed to providing equal opportunities. Should you require any accommodations during the recruitment process, please submit an Accommodations Request Form, and we will work together to meet your needs.

Full-Time Employees at Cohere enjoy these Perks:

• An open and inclusive culture and work environment
• Work closely with a team on the cutting edge of AI research
• Weekly lunch stipend, in‑office lunches & snacks
• Full health and dental benefits, including a separate budget to take care of your mental health
• 100% Parental Leave top‑up for up to 6 months
• Personal enrichment benefits towards arts and culture, fitness and well‑being, quality time, and workspace improvement
• Remote‑flexible, offices in Toronto, New York, San Francisco, London and Paris, as well as a co‑working stipend
• 6 weeks of vacation (30 working days!)