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.

WHO THEY ARE

A fast-scaling DTC footwear brand in the orthopaedic comfort space, built for people who spend their entire working day standing on hard floors. Half a million customers and tens of thousands of five-star reviews in, the product is proven and the range is expanding quickly.

The team is small, senior and decisions get made in hours, not sprints.

Founder-led, fast-moving, low bureaucracy
Real ownership from day one, not a seat at the table
Direct line to the CEO, no layers to navigate
A business built on rapid iteration, not slow annual planning cycles

This is a fully remote, full-time contractor role.

WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU

Total 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 INTO

Own the full chain from demand forecasting through purchase orders, production, QC, freight and fulfilment
Build demand forecasting by SKU, size, colour, geography and channel that holds up under fast, imperfect growth
Run factory relationships in China directly: negotiation, capacity, pricing, payment terms and production schedules
Build a QC system that catches defects before they reach customers and stops them recurring at the source
Plan Amazon and DTC inventory allocation together, so neither channel starves the other
Own international freight decisions, balancing speed, cost and inventory risk on every shipment
Build the dashboard leadership uses to see the entire supply chain at a glance: inventory, production, logistics, quality and cash
Build contingency plans for the things that will go wrong: factory delays, material shortages, demand spikes, before they happen

WHO YOU ARE

You have 5+ years in supply chain, operations, sourcing, manufacturing or inventory management
You've run supply chain for a fast-growing DTC or ecommerce brand, not a slow-moving legacy one
You've worked directly with Chinese factories and suppliers, negotiating and managing the relationship yourself
You've managed multiple SKUs and product variants without losing visibility
You understand production planning, purchase orders and long lead times
You've coordinated international freight and logistics end to end
You've built QC processes that reduce defects over time, not just catch them
You've managed 3PL or fulfilment partners and know how to hold them accountable
You think in systems: dashboards, SOPs and processes, not spreadsheets and WhatsApp threads
You understand the cash tied up in inventory and factor that into every decision

Bonus if you've:

Worked in footwear, apparel, accessories or another size-heavy category
Managed FBA inventory and Amazon replenishment alongside DTC
Navigated tooling, molds and sampling cycles for a physical product

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE