Position Title: Assistant Vice President (AVP) - Operations & Warehouse Transformation

Location: Bangalore (with travel to warehouse/distribution locations, and periodic HO/board reporting)

Experience: 10 - 15 Years

Industry: E-commerce / Lifestyle / Fashion / Retail

Function: Supply Chain, Warehousing, Logistics, Operations, Automation & Strategy

Reports To: CEO / Group Leadership, with direct exposure to Board-level reporting

About the Role:

We are seeking a senior operations leader to own and scale supply chain, warehousing, and fulfillment operations across Westbury Sportswear's growing e-commerce portfolio. This is no longer a single-business, execution-only mandate - the organization needs a leader who can operate across multiple brands and businesses simultaneously, represent operations at the leadership and Board level, and build the automation and warehousing roadmap for a company that is still early in its e-commerce journey and may set up its own owned warehouse in the future. The ideal candidate combines hands-on operational rigor with the strategic maturity to influence senior stakeholders, justify investments, and build scalable, technology-led infrastructure from the ground up.

Leadership, Stakeholder & Board Engagement (New Expectation):

This is now a core differentiator for the role, beyond single-business operational delivery.

- Operate as a cross-business operations leader - not limited to a single brand or vertical - overseeing warehousing and fulfillment across multiple business lines as the company scales.

- Represent Operations in leadership and Board-level forums; prepare business cases, ROI analyses, and investment proposals for warehouse automation, expansion, and technology adoption.

- Build the confidence and credibility to convince Board members and senior stakeholders on capital-intensive decisions (owned warehouse, automation, technology platforms) with clear data, risk analysis, and timelines.

- Act as the primary escalation and decision-making authority for operations, reducing dependency on the Head of Operations for day-to-day and strategic calls.

- Build strong cross-functional influence with Finance, Merchandising, Marketing, and Category teams to align operations strategy with business growth plans.

- Mentor and develop a second line of leadership (shift supervisors, control tower leads, warehouse managers) to reduce single-point dependency.

Automation & Technology Leadership (New Expectation):

Given Westbury is early in its e-commerce and warehousing maturity, this role is expected to build the automation roadmap, not just operate within an existing one.

- Define and drive the automation strategy for warehousing operations - material handling equipment, WMS-led automation, conveyor/sortation systems, and robotics where relevant to scale.

- Evaluate and recommend automation and technology investments with clear cost-benefit and payback analysis for leadership and Board approval.

- Lead WMS and allied technology selection, implementation, and integration, ensuring the platform can scale from manual/brownfield operations to a semi-automated or fully automated model.

- Build a phased technology and automation roadmap (12 - 36 months) aligned with projected order volumes, SKU complexity, and business growth.

- Stay current on industry best practices in automation, robotics, and warehouse technology relevant to fashion/lifestyle e-commerce fulfillment.

End-to-End Warehouse Building & Future Owned-Warehouse Readiness (New Expectation):

Westbury currently operates through 3PL/managed warehousing; this role is expected to build the capability and readiness for the company to potentially set up and operate its own warehouse in the future.

- Lead end-to-end warehouse building - from site selection and layout design to WMS setup, hiring, training, and go-live - with the ability to replicate this across multiple locations.

- Build a long-term warehousing strategy that evaluates 3PL-managed vs. owned/leased warehouse models, with a clear point of view on when and how Westbury should transition to owned infrastructure.

- Develop the operational, technology, and people playbooks required to stand up an owned warehouse from scratch, should the business decide to move in that direction.

- Own vendor, equipment, and infrastructure partner relationships required for both 3PL and potential owned-facility setups.

- Build scalable SOPs, training frameworks, and governance structures designed to work across managed and owned warehouse models alike.

Core Operational Responsibilities:

- Oversee end-to-end warehouse operations including receiving, inventory management, picking, packing, quality checks, and dispatch across multiple nodes.

- Manage on-ground teams and shift supervisors; build high-performing warehouse and logistics teams through coaching, mentoring, and performance management.

- Drive operational efficiency, cost optimization, and KPI improvements in fulfillment speed, accuracy, inventory health, and labor productivity.

- Coordinate with 3PL partners on inbound, outbound, and last-mile delivery; manage SLAs and resolve operational bottlenecks.

- Manage warehouse control tower operations; monitor daily order flow, inventory levels, and proactively flag risks to leadership before escalation is required.

- Ensure WMS optimization, data accuracy, and integration with marketplace and fulfillment systems.

- Implement and enforce compliance, safety, and best practices across all warehouse operations.

- Collaborate with Brand, Merchandising, and Marketplace teams for demand planning, SKU management, and fulfillment strategy.

- Generate operational reports, variance analysis, and continuous improvement recommendations for both operational and leadership audiences.

Warehouse Setup & Ramp-Up Experience (Critical):

This remains a key requirement. We are actively scaling our distribution footprint and require someone who has hands-on experience setting up and launching new warehouse operations from the ground up.

- Proven track record of establishing new warehouse facilities end-to-end: site selection, layout design, process flow mapping, and operational setup.

- Experience in WMS implementation and integration during warehouse launch phases.

- Hands-on involvement in hiring, training, and ramping up warehouse teams (supervisors, operators, quality checkers) during facility launch.

- Ability to build warehouse SOPs, training manuals, and operational playbooks from scratch.

- Experience with process optimization and KPI target-setting during the ramp-up phase (timeline to achieve 80%+ efficiency).

- Coordination with vendors, 3PLs, equipment suppliers, and infrastructure providers during facility setup.

- Experience in phased facility launches, capacity scaling, and transition from brownfield/manual to greenfield/automated operations.

- Minimum 2 - 3 warehouses successfully set up and operationalized is preferred.

Key Requirements:

- 10 - 15 years of progressive experience in supply chain, warehousing, logistics, and/or operations, including at least 3 - 4 years in a senior leadership capacity managing multiple stakeholders or businesses.

- Demonstrated experience presenting to, influencing, or reporting into leadership/Board-level forums, including business cases and investment proposals.

- Hands-on experience managing warehouse operations, inventory systems, and fulfillment processes at scale, across more than one business unit or brand where possible.

- Proven experience driving warehouse automation and technology adoption, not just operating within existing systems.

- Proven team leadership experience in warehouse, control tower, or logistics teams, with experience building second-line leadership.

- Strong operational acumen with focus on KPIs, efficiency metrics, cost control, and continuous improvement methodologies (Six Sigma, Lean preferred).

- Experience with e-commerce supply chain operations and digital marketplace integration (Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra preferred).

- Proficiency in WMS and warehouse technology/automation tools.

- Exposure to Lifestyle, Fashion, or Retail categories is an added advantage.

- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills, with the ability to translate operational detail into a business/board-ready narrative.

- Willingness to travel to warehouse locations as required; location: Bangalore (primary base).

Desired Qualities:

- Results-oriented mindset with a track record of delivering operational improvements and cost savings.

- Strong executive presence; able to represent operations confidently in front of leadership, Board members, and external partners.

- Strategic mindset with the ability to balance day-to-day operations with longer-term automation and infrastructure planning.

- Comfortable operating in ambiguity - building processes, systems, and structures where none exist today.

- Strong interpersonal and leadership capabilities; ability to lead, motivate, and develop teams.

- Adaptability and resilience in a fast-paced, scaling e-commerce environment.

- Proactive communication and stakeholder management across internal and external partners.

About Westbury Sportswear:

Westbury Sportswear is a digital-first e-commerce and distribution powerhouse for leading global sportswear and footwear brands. Part of the RK Group, a diversified business group headquartered in Bangalore with a legacy since 1980, Westbury specializes in building and scaling brand presence across India's leading online marketplaces.

As an official strategic marketplace digital partner for global brands, we drive end-to-end digital operations, ensuring strong brand visibility, best-in-class operational excellence, and optimal customer experience across Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Nykaa Fashion, Tata Cliq, Ajio, and other key platforms.

We are a rapidly scaling organization backed by the RK Group's financial strength, industry expertise, and multi-billion-dollar revenue base. If you're passionate about driving operational excellence and building world-class warehousing operations in a high-growth e-commerce environment, we'd love to hear from you.

Westbury Sportswear | A part of the RK Group