Privat Label Purchser

Role and Responsibilities
Work as a part of the Growth Team, reporting directly to the Growth Head.
The requirement is for a purchasing agent or buyer, who will be responsible for product
sourcing and procurement of goods that we would sell online to a global audience. This
person will play a key role in the private label vertical of the company.
We are expecting product sourcing to happen across categories like home and kitchen, toys
and games, electronics, health and nutrition, fitness, fashion, accessories and so on. Specific
requirements will be shared by internal teams, based on demand trends and sales forecasts.
Supplier Research - You will be responsible for finding suppliers and/or manufacturers for
products that we plan to launch. You will be expected to conduct online research as well as
attend relevant tradeshows and exhibitions to build a list of potential suppliers.
Supplier Evaluation - You will be expected to shortlist and recommend suppliers based on two
primary criteria - cost and product quality. A crucial part of this evaluation would be to order
product samples from shortlisted suppliers and physically examine them for quality.
Product Compliance - The role requires liaising with the legal team to ensure adherence to
product compliance requirements as per local laws in all the countries of sale.
Product Packaging - Build and maintain relationships with packaging suppliers and find new
ones, when required. Enable seamless communication between the packaging suppliers and
internal branding and design teams.
Negotiation - Lead the negotiations with suppliers to ensure product procurement happens at
desired costs and within acceptable timelines.
Purchase Paperwork - Preparation of requests for quotes or proposals, as well as complete
ownership of all paperwork to complete the purchase transaction, including customs handling
in case of international sourcing. You will have the support of legal and finance experts.
Goods Receiving and Inspection - You will be expected to oversee the transportation of goods
to ensure timely delivery to our warehouses. You will be accountable for stock quality and will
be expected to personally manage the physical inspection of received shipments.
Supplier Relationships - Building and managing supplier relationships is a key aspect of this
role. At the same time, you would be expected to hold them accountable during any instances
of delays or poor stock quality. You will be expected to drive solutions during such incidents.
Inventory Management - You will be expected to manage stock levels by overseeing the
updation of inventory and supervising related aspects of the stockroom. You would also be
responsible for placing timely reorders, in consultation with marketing and sales teams.
Accountability for Timelines - While dealing with external suppliers, you will be expected to
ensure adherence to internally agreed timelines. You will also be expected to incrementally
improve and optimise the process, introducing efficiencies and making new launches faster.
Ownership of Solutions - While project managing the coordination between external suppliers
and internal teams, you will be accountable for adherence to deadlines and goals. In case of
any shortfalls or hiccups during the process, you will be expected to come up with solutions.
This role will work as a part of a cross-functional squad for new private label launches and
support other teams with day-to-day operations. Examples include working with branding
experts for the implementation of packaging designs and product inserts, as well as working
with the content team for verifying the factual accuracy of product descriptions to ensure that
all features and attributes are covered and eliminate any probability of misinformation.
Desired Candidate Profile
This is a hybrid position where the candidate would be allowed to work from home for the
most part, but will be expected to report to our Mumbai office and warehouse regularly. This
role will also involve occasional travel for attending trade shows or meeting suppliers.
The ideal candidate is someone with 7-10 years of experience in product sourcing and buying
for retail, D2C or ecommerce companies, preferably with a global exposure.
The candidate should possess strong commercial awareness, good organisational skills,
critical, analytical and maths skills, as well as basic IT skills for handling Excel, purchase and
inventory software etc.
We are looking for someone with good communication and strong interpersonal skills,
especially negotiation, to be able to source the best quality products at competitive prices.
The candidate should be cognizant of their role in maintaining positive unit economics and a
healthy bottom-line.
The candidate should have a natural flair for comparing quality while evaluating similar
products from multiple vendors, giving us the confidence that your judgement can be trusted.
Candidates who have worked in fast-paced environments like those of startups or new and
growing business divisions would be preferred.
The candidate should have excellent project management skills and be willing to take full
ownership of adherence to timelines while handling external suppliers and other vendors.
The candidate should share our mindset of working with incremental improvements and must
be open to learn new things quickly. We are looking for someone who can work independently
with a result-focus and is not afraid to experiment within accountability.
The candidate should be solution-oriented with the ability to think clearly, logically and even
laterally, when presented with a problem. We need someone who can communicate freely and
fluently and can work efficiently in an environment of remote team members.