Senior Buyer/Sourcing Leader - Apparel Startup

This role is at an Apparel Startup in stealth mode currently. It's essentially a product evangelist role where the leader is expected to lead Fabric Selection, Sourcing & Buying along with the ability to understand the intended strategic path of the organization.

The leader will be expected to work on the first MVP (minimum viable product) for the organization which will setup the venture for success. The founders are looking for someone who can be a part of the core team and work long-term with the venture and lead all product initiatives.

The startup intends to be the - Go To- place for people looking to buy Minimalistic & Fast Fashion Products made from world class fabrics yet selling at affordable prices. The leader should bring in exceptional knowledge of Fabrics, Manufacturing Technology, Sourcing (both from National & International manufacturers). You should be able to assess the current market trends and identify product gaps that can be serviced by getting the right product to the market.

The leader will work directly with the founders. Since the venture is in very early stage and bootstrapped, the leader may have to take a hit on take home compensation with a commitment of faster increments as the venture scales up. We are even open for an Equity/ESOPs allocation depending on the value the leader brings to the table.

About the Founders: The core team brings in a very healthy cross domain experience across Startups spanning Food-Tech, Transportation & Ecommerce. We have setup multiple businesses from scratch or grown existing startups 10x. We live & swear by running businesses the fundamental way i.e. scaling up slowly but profitably. We believe that awesome products will always see market traction and customer obsession is the only thing that sets up an organization for success. We think long term (aka 2027 outlook - what will create a multi-million dollar organization in that time frame).

Pls apply only if you are willing to get on this challenging but rewarding ride. As with all startups, the ride won- t be easy. The most suited candidate will be someone who has spent a lot of time in sourcing/purchase/product development roles & has entrepreneurial aspirations too.

Job Purpose: Ideate & implement product strategy by ensuring that the category(s) purchased reflects the retail trends at best commercial value and planned stock figures. The products should be world class and disruptive (we know this is easier said than done).

Key Accountabilities:

- Own the whole process from product development stage to delivering the end product

- Determines the buying requirements and formulates buying plan as per budget for the assigned category

- Apply experience on evolving new procurement methods, introducing new suppliers, or production lines to assure cost efficiency

- Technically adept at understanding Fabrics, Trends & Manufacturing technology

- Carry out competitive analysis of similar niche startups as well as the - Big Boys- of apparel club (aka the most famous & scaled up brands globally & present in India)

- Identify and shortlist potential vendors as partners and negotiating cost (National as well as International)

- Negotiate prices in line with the desired level of margins and quantities

- Generating and ensuring successful closure at sampling and production stages

- Coordinate with vendors, forwarders and clients on product development, production and on-time shipment procedure as well as visiting factories on regular basis

- Follow POs, including checking content, issuing Confirmation of Purchase, signing back from vendors, etc while supporting pre-production meetings

- Maintaining a strong production & packaging tracker which is followed up on weekly basis & following up of these WIP

- Create and define product ranges for different product categories within budget

- Track and evaluate category sales performance, market sales trends and competitor trading activities to identify critical business factors and accordingly propose action plans to increase sales and profitability

- Travel to various destinations to finalize the process of goods merchandising - National or International

- Ensure effective communication, collation, and follow-up on various product requirements

- Ensure the development of periodic reports on consumer behavior, consumer trends per product to facilitate decisions to manage product lines

- Regularly Review performance indicators, such as sales and discount levels

Education and Certification:

- Bachelor Degree in Fashion Designing or BF Tech in Manufacturing (highly preferred)

- Bachelor Degree/PG in a Retail Function, Marketing, Business Management or Procurement

Knowledge and Skills:

- Proficient in MS Office

- Proficient in Presentation and Negotiating skills

Experience:

- 4+ years of experience as a buyer (minimum)

- 2+ years of experience in product development preferably

- Experience in Related product line (Apparel - Sports, Casual, Performance)

- Experience in purchasing and importing products from commercially viable sources/regions is an advantage