Head of Supply Chain & Partnerships:

(aka Head of Ecosystem Development)

Key Responsibilities:

End-to-End Supply Chain Build-up, Planning & Control:

- Define and align end-to-end process flows, responsibilities, interfaces, documentation standards and timelines from feedstock origin to sorted feedstock delivery and finished-product dispatch.

- Build the operating routines needed to secure feedstock availability at target quality, cost and volume while keeping the overall system practical for a startup environment.

- Establish clear supply-chain performance management, including milestone tracking for volumes, quality, throughput, inventory, sourcing cost, logistics cost and service level, and drive corrective actions where required.

- Maintain dashboard-based transparency on material stocks, inbound volumes, current sorting status, processor planning status, finished-product availability and outbound deliveries.

Business Development & Partnership Building:

- Design the overall sourcing model and partner mix (e.g. share of fully self-owned collection sites vs. external vendors, NGOs, cooperatives).

- Define selection criteria, onboarding standards and framework conditions for sourcing partners; enable the Head of Operations to apply these in the field.

- Embed ethical, compliant sourcing (anti-corruption, safe working conditions) into onboarding standards, given informal-sector and cash-based supplier relationships.

- Develop the concept, economics and implementation plan for own collection sites.

- Support the setup of strategic or framework agreements with key institutional partners (e.g. NGOs, cooperatives, industry initiatives) that fit the sourcing strategy.

Market Expansion & Strategy (Feedstock & Regions):

- Map additional plastic fibre waste flows and assess feedstock potential across relevant coastal and inland regions in line with circuvation's strategic sourcing priorities, tracking availability, pricing, quality and seasonal trends to stress-test and refine the setup.

- Identify and develop opportunities that strengthen the India setup, including government programs, CSR partnerships and local ecosystem initiatives, and translate them into actionable implementation steps.

- Establish strategic relationships with leading Indian rope manufacturers with the goal of developing take-back systems and improving rope constructions for better recyclability.

- Build relationships with policymakers, authorities and universities to help shape favorable conditions for circular solutions.

- Support pricing strategy, cost modeling and sourcing benchmarks to ensure the India setup is commercially viable, scalable and sustainable.

Supply Chain Status and Optimization:

- Ensure full visibility of material inventory and the current sorting and production status through a real-time dashboard, giving the founding team clear reporting on progress, risks and opportunities.

- Optimize the supply chain across throughput times, inventory levels, feedstock costs and inbound and outbound logistics costs.

Collaboration with Operations & Processing Partners:

- Work closely with the Head of Operations to ensure that operational processes (sorting, logistics, warehouse) match the strategic requirements for quality, volume, documentation and cost.

- Align on material specifications, batch documentation and logistics concepts so that processing partners can run reliably.

- Spend time on-site at processing partners and warehouses to understand real constraints and translate them into realistic technical and logistical solutions.

Digital Onboarding & Traceability:

- Implement digital onboarding tools (e.g. simple apps, forms, WhatsApp-based processes) for small vendors to standardize data and expectations together with our AI team.

- Support implementation of RFID or QR-based labeling systems for material traceability along the value chain.

- Ensure end-to-end traceability to support a complete mass balance across the value chain.

Support ESG/Certification Strategy:

- Assist in data preparation and compliance for ocean-plastic-related certifications (e.g. OBP, POP) linked to the India setup.

- Liaise with certifying bodies and coordinate audit readiness together with operations and management.

What Success Looks Like (first 6 - 12 months):

- Feedstock secured at target quality, quantity and cost from a reliable, diversified partner base.

- First 1 - 2 lighthouse CSPL collection sites piloted and on a clear path to scale.

- Live dashboard giving real-time visibility of inventory, sorting and production status.

- A stable, repeatable flow of sorted feedstock to processor and end product to customers.

Qualifications:

- Strong entrepreneurial mindset with a proven track record in turning concepts into real-world setups (greenfield/brownfield, new lines, new processes, major changes in operations).

- 5+ years of hands-on experience in an industrial, logistics or supply-chain environment, e.g. setting up or ramping up the supply chain for a production plant, or building logistics hubs and logistics processes (or related areas).

- Degree in Business Engineering, Process Engineering, a programme with a supply chain or logistics focus, or a similar technical discipline.

- Strong relationship builder with a commercial mindset and cultural fluency, with a structured working style able to manage multiple workstreams under uncertainty.

- Fluent in English to communicate within the international founders team; excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

- Willingness to travel regularly within India (roughly 1 week/month, more during the ramp-up phase) and spend significant time on site at partners and collection hubs.

- Industry background in plastics, recycling, chemicals, packaging or similar is a plus; career changers are welcome if they bring strong hands-on implementation and project leadership in an industrial context.