Head of Supply Chain

Most supply chain leaders are hired to manage a system that already works. This one is different: you're being hired to build the system, because the one that exists today won't survive the next 12 months of growth.This footwear brand is scaling fast enough that sales can double in weeks, not years. That's the opportunity, and it's also the problem: production lead times are measured in months, tooling and molds lock in decisions early, and every size run adds complexity other brands never have to think about. Right now, supply chain is the single biggest constraint on how fast this company can grow. You're being brought in to remove that constraint completely. This is a fully remote, full-time contractor role. WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOUTotal ownership, not a slice of it. You're not managing part of the supply chain and reporting up. You own demand through fulfilment, end to end.Direct access to the founder. No layers between you and the person making the calls. Your recommendations shape the business.A problem worth solving. This isn't optimising a system that already runs fine. You're building the operating system from close to scratch.Real influence on product. You'll shape how new footwear models get developed, tooled and launched, not just execute someone else's timeline.Room to build, not just maintain. Dashboards, forecasting systems, supplier scorecards: if it doesn't exist yet, you get to design it your way. WHAT YOU'RE GETTING INTOOwn the full chain from demand forecasting through purchase orders, production, QC, freight and fulfilmentBuild demand forecasting by SKU, size, colour, geography and channel that holds up under fast, imperfect growthRun factory relationships in China directly: negotiation, capacity, pricing, payment terms and production schedulesBuild a QC system that catches defects before they reach customers and stops them recurring at the sourcePlan Amazon and DTC inventory allocation together, so neither channel starves the otherOwn international freight decisions, balancing speed, cost and inventory risk on every shipmentBuild the dashboard leadership uses to see the entire supply chain at a glance: inventory, production, logistics, quality and cashBuild contingency plans for the things that will go wrong: factory delays, material shortages, demand spikes, before they happen WHO YOU AREYou have 5+ years in supply chain, operations, sourcing, manufacturing or inventory managementYou've run supply chain for a fast-growing DTC or ecommerce brand, not a slow-moving legacy oneYou've worked directly with Chinese factories and suppliers, negotiating and managing the relationship yourselfYou've managed multiple SKUs and product variants without losing visibilityYou understand production planning, purchase orders and long lead timesYou've coordinated international freight and logistics end to endYou've built QC processes that reduce defects over time, not just catch themYou've managed 3PL or fulfilment partners and know how to hold them accountableYou think in systems: dashboards, SOPs and processes, not spreadsheets and WhatsApp threadsYou understand the cash tied up in inventory and factor that into every decisionBonus if you've:Worked in footwear, apparel, accessories or another size-heavy categoryManaged FBA inventory and Amazon replenishment alongside DTCNavigated tooling, molds and sampling cycles for a physical product