Senior Sourcing Lead - Cloud & AI Inference (Chicago)

We are seeking a Senior Sourcing Lead – Cloud & AI Inference to join our Global Procurement team. This role will serve as a strategic leader in driving cloud and AI infrastructure sourcing initiatives both across the US and globally, with a primary focus on optimizing third-party cloud spend, structuring hyperscaler commercial agreements, and enabling scalable growth of our cloud and AI footprint. As a senior member of the team, you will not only lead complex sourcing strategies, but also provide oversight, coaching, and guidance to sourcing managers and buyers on the US team.This role requires deep domain expertise in cloud commercial models, including hyperscaler enterprise agreements (AWS, GCP, Azure), committed-use and reserved capacity pricing, and AI inference procurement.You will partner directly with senior stakeholders, technology leaders, platform engineering, and finance teams to ensure we are extracting maximum value from our cloud investments, building cost transparency, and driving measurable business impact in our fastest-growing technology spend category.What you'll doOwn and execute the cloud and AI inference category strategy across our organization (both within trading infrastructure and enterprise-wide).Lead negotiations for high-value and complex hyperscaler agreements (Enterprise Discount Programs, Committed-Use Discounts, Private Pricing Agreements), ensuring best-in-class commercial outcomes and risk mitigation.Drive measurable cost optimization initiatives across cloud and AI inference spend through FinOps discipline, multi-cloud benchmarking, and consumption analytics, while balancing speed, scalability, and innovationInfluence senior stakeholders (up to executive leadership) to align on cloud sourcing strategies, architectural trade-offs, and commercial business casesEstablish and strengthen key vendor relationships with hyperscalers and emerging AI infrastructure providers to maximize long-term value and innovationMonitor cloud market trends, hyperscaler pricing benchmarks, and supplier performance to proactively identify opportunities for savings and improvementRepresent Procurement as a trusted advisor to technology and business leadership on all cloud and AI inference investment decisionsWhat you'll getYou’ll join a culture of collaboration and excellence, surrounded by curious thinkers and creative problem-solvers. Motivated by a passion for continuous improvement, you’ll thrive in a supportive, high-performing environment alongside talented colleagues, collectively tackling some of the toughest challenges in the financial markets. In addition, you’ll receive:The opportunity to work alongside best-in-class professionals from over 40 different countriesHighly competitive compensation package including performance-based bonus structure401(k) match up to 50%Comprehensive health, mental, dental, vision, disability, and life coverage25 paid vacation days alongside market holidaysExtensive office perks, including breakfast, lunch and snacks, regular social events, clubs, sporting leagues and more Who you are10+ years of sourcing/procurement experience, with significant depth in cloud or hyperscaler procurementDemonstrated success leading large-scale cloud negotiations and delivering multimillion-dollar savings or cost avoidanceExperience building and executing cloud category strategies at an enterprise levelProven ability to influence and collaborate with senior technology executives, including Platform Engineering and CTO-level stakeholdersExcellent negotiation, analytical, and financial acumen, with deep understanding of cloud pricing mechanicsStrong leadership presence with ability to communicate complex cloud sourcing strategies clearly to stakeholders at all levelsStrategic thinker with demonstrated ability to balance cost optimization, innovation, and architectural flexibilityExpertise in leveraging cloud consumption data and cost models to drive sourcing strategy creationAbility to thrive in a fast-paced, high-impact environment with competing prioritiesBachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Finance, Computer Science, or related fieldExperience within financial services, trading, or other complex tech-focused industriesWho we areAt Optiver, our mission is to improve the market by injecting liquidity, providing accurate pricing, increasing transparency and stabilizing the market no matter the conditions. With a focus on continuous improvement, we prioritize safeguarding the health and efficiency of the markets for all participants. As one of the largest market making institutions, we are a respected partner on 100+ exchanges across the globe. Our differences are our edge. Optiver does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, or other legally protected characteristics.Below is the expected base salary for this position. This is a good-faith estimate of the base pay scale for this position and offers will ultimately be determined based on experience, education, skill set, and performance in the interview process. This position will also be eligible for a discretionary bonus (if determined by Optiver) and Optiver’s benefits package with the benefits listed above. Base Salary Range$180,000—$250,000 USD