Hardware Procurement Operations Lead (Controls & Integrations)
ABOUT THE TEAM
Procurement sits within Finance and partners closely with Hardware BUs and to enable rapid execution with Finance-grade visibility and audit-ready controls. The team operates as an enablement and operating-system layer across procurement operations, systems, data, and governance—working cross-functionally with Finance/Accounting, Legal, Security/TPRM, Trade, Logistics, and Enterprise Platform Technology.
About the Role
We are seeking a hands-on leader to co-design, build, and run the procurement operations backbone for OpenAI’s hardware programs. This is a design-and-do role: you will build the operating enablement model (systems flows, governance, processes, and RACI/DRIs) that enables product teams to move at prototyping and production speed—while ensuring Finance, Legal, Security, and Trade requirements are met and audit-ready.
You will lead a small team, convene cross-functional forums to align on standard vs. BU-specific operating choices, and serve as the primary escalation point for centrally owned operational blockers. You will partner closely with Finance and Accounting to ensure direct-materials flows are visible and auditable end-to-end.
This role does not own product readiness or BU execution (e.g., planning, manufacturing operations, day-to-day logistics). The role reports in Finance and is dotted-line into BU leadership.
You’ll be responsible for:
Strategy & operating model
- Co-design and maintain the operating model with BU and functional leaders—defining what is standardized vs. BU-specific, clarifying central vs. embedded responsibilities, and documenting RACI/DRIs and escalation paths.
- Build the operating system (policies, playbooks, tiered approval lanes, templates) so prototype speed and production-grade controls can coexist.
- Define and run escalation paths, exception handling, and operating cadences to keep launches moving while maintaining compliance and audit readiness.
DELIVERY & EXECUTION
- Sta...