Role Purpose:

This is a technology-first role. You are joining the company to build, automate, and optimise the systems that run our supply chain — and then to use those systems to manage a complex, multi-country operation across 10+ suppliers in China, Southeast Asia, and Europe, with product flowing into three warehouses: Atlanta (US), Milton Keynes (UK), and the Netherlands (EU).

The Company is at an inflection point. We have the ERP (NetSuite), the data infrastructure (BigQuery), and AI tools — but we need someone who can wire them together, build the dashboards and automations that eliminate manual work, and then run the supply chain on top of those systems. If you are the kind of person who sees a spreadsheet being emailed around and immediately thinks about how to replace it with a live dashboard, a triggered alert, or an automated workflow — this role is for you.

We are not looking for a traditional supply chain manager who happens to be comfortable with technology.

We are looking for a systems builder and analytical operator who has supply chain experience. The order matters. Your primary value is in building the infrastructure that makes the supply chain run better, faster, and with fewer manual steps. Your secondary value is in using that infrastructure to manage suppliers, plan demand, schedule containers, and negotiate costs. Both matter — but if you had to describe yourself, you would say “I build systems” before you would say “I manage supply chains.”

Schedule:

• Mondays to Fridays, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm (UK Time), with a 1-hour unpaid break (40 hours per week)

Key Responsibilities:

1. Systems Development, Automation & AI

This is the primary function of the role. You are expected to spend a significant proportion of your time building, improving, and maintaining the systems that drive the supply chain.

• Own and develop the Demand Planning Dashboard (NetSuite + BigQuery): build and refine the analytics layer that generates SKU-level reorder recommendations, weeks-of-cover calculations, ABC classifications, and PO proposals across all three warehouse regions.
• Build and maintain supplier performance dashboards: automated scorecards tracking on-time delivery, quality reject rates, lead time accuracy, cost competitiveness, and capacity utilisation — pulling live data from NetSuite and inspection records.
• Develop and operate the inbound container tracking system (Container API → NetSuite integration): webhook receivers, ETA monitoring, delay alerting, and pre-arrival notifications to warehouse teams. Extend this to include landed cost tracking and freight cost analytics.
• Design and implement automation workflows in NetSuite: PO generation from demand plan outputs, supplier acknowledgement tracking, inventory alert triggers, inter-warehouse transfer proposals, and approval routing.
• Build analytical reports and deliver them to the Head of Operations, to suppliers during negotiations, and to cross-functional stakeholders. You are expected to go into the data, extract insights, and present them clearly — not wait for someone else to build the report.
• Evaluate and deploy AI tools across the supply chain: demand forecasting models, supplier communication automation (including English-Mandarin), document processing (OCR for inspection reports, packing lists), and exception-based alerting that replaces manual monitoring.
• Integrate existing systems: connect NetSuite, BigQuery, SEKO (3PL), and any future tools into a coherent data architecture. Eliminate data silos, manual re-entry, and spreadsheet-based workarounds.
• Maintain a systems backlog: log every manual process, estimate the effort to automate it, and prioritise based on time saved and risk reduced. Report progress against this backlog monthly.
• Work closely with the NetSuite/BigQuery developer to scope, specify, and validate technical builds. You set the business requirements and acceptance criteria; he builds the infrastructure. You are the bridge between what the business needs and what the systems deliver.

2. Data, Analytics & Reporting

You are the most analytical person in the supply chain function. You live in the data, and you use it to drive every decision.

• Own the accuracy and integrity of all supply chain data in NetSuite: purchase orders, item records, supplier records, inventory levels, shipment records, cost data, and lead times. You treat data quality as a personal responsibility, not someone else’s problem.
• Produce weekly inventory performance reports: in-stock rate (overall and A-class), weeks of cover by region, dead stock %, forecast accuracy, and PO fulfilment status. Present these to the Head of Operations with commentary and recommended actions.
• Build and deliver supplier-facing analytics: cost breakdowns, quality trends, delivery performance, and capacity data. Use these as negotiation tools in quarterly business reviews and cost reduction discussions.• Analyse landed cost end-to-end: product cost, freight, duties, tariffs, and warehousing. Identify the biggest cost drivers and present options to reduce them.
• Run ad-hoc analyses as the business requires: container fill optimisation, supplier lead time variability, demand seasonality patterns, regional stock rebalancing scenarios, and new product cost modelling.

3. Demand Planning & Inventory Management

You use the systems you have built to run a disciplined demand planning process that keeps stock flowing into the right warehouses at the right time.

• Own and operate the demand planning cycle: run the AI-assisted forecasting model, set and refine reorder points by SKU by warehouse, maintain safety stock parameters, and adjust for seasonality, promotions, and new product launches.
• Lead a monthly S&OP meeting to align the demand forecast with inputs from Sales, Marketing, Partnership, supplier capacity, and Finance. Present the purchasing plan to the Head of Operations for approval.
• Manage the purchase order lifecycle end-to-end in NetSuite: generate POs from the approved demand plan, place orders with suppliers, track acknowledgements, monitor production progress, and ensure on-time delivery.
• Rank all SKUs (150+) using ABC classification (including extended tiers). Maintain high availability on A-class products, lean inventory on C-class, and active clearance plans for dead stock.
• Manage inter-warehouse stock balancing: identify surplus and shortfall by region and initiate transfers through the Logistics Manager.
• Collaborate with Finance on purchasing budget alignment and working capital impact. Collaborate with Customer Service on demand signals and product feedback.

4. Supplier Management, Sourcing & Negotiation

You own every supplier relationship. You negotiate with data, not guesswork — using the scorecards and analytics you have built to drive cost, quality, and reliability improvements.

• Lead all supplier negotiations: pricing, delivery times, payment terms, MOQs, quality standards, and capacity commitments. Set annual cost reduction targets and track performance against them using your supplier dashboards.
• Source, evaluate, and onboard new suppliers in China and Southeast Asia. Benchmark existing suppliers against alternatives. Maintain backup suppliers for critical product categories.
• Drive product cost reduction: challenge material choices, consolidate volumes, negotiate annual price reductions, and work with the Factory Inspection Manager on process improvements and design simplifications.
• Conduct formal quarterly business reviews with strategic suppliers using data-driven scorecards you have built: OTD, quality, cost, responsiveness, and capacity.
• Manage supply chain risk: identify single-supplier dependencies, regional concentration, and capacity constraints. Maintain backup plans and dual-sourcing for critical lines.
• Ensure all suppliers and materials comply with international regulations: UL/ETL (North America), CE/RoHS/REACH (Europe), and customer-specific requirements with support of compliance and engineering teams.
• Represent the company and build a pipeline of prospective suppliers and technology partners.

5. Inbound Logistics & Freight Management

You own the movement of goods from the factory floor to the warehouse door — and you run it through the tracking and scheduling systems you maintain.

• Own the shipment planning calendar: coordinate packing lists, freight quotations, container booking, documentation, and loading schedules across all active suppliers.
• Decide routing (sea, air, express) based on cost versus speed. Optimise container fill rates. Escalate expensive decisions above a set threshold.
• Operate the automated container tracking system: monitor ETAs, action delay alerts, and ensure warehouse teams receive pre-arrival notifications.
• Manage customs and trade compliance: HTS classifications, tariff forecasting, duty management. Brief the Head of Operations on geopolitical risks.
• Control and report on freight costs: cost per unit, shipping as a percentage of product cost, and forwarder performance. Renegotiate rates annually.
• Coordinate with the Factory Inspection Manager to ensure QC is completed before loading. Coordinate with the Logistics Manager on inbound receiving and ASN generation.

6. Team Leadership & People Management

You lead a small, focused team and are expected to build their capability alongside the systems.

• Manage the Factory Inspection Manager (China). Set clear objectives, provide regular feedback, and conduct formal performance reviews.
• Define clear accountability: what each person owns, what they escalate, and what is handled by automation.
• Recruit, onboard, and develop talent. Assess future headcount needs as the business scales.
• Coordinate with Engineering on technical support for production. Facilitate communication between the China team and UK-based stakeholders.
• Manage China team employment administration through approved foreign service agencies.

7. Product Development & Partnership Support

You provide the supply chain intelligence and operational execution that supports both new product launches and the 70+ client Partnership channel.

• Provide supply chain input to Product Development: supplier feasibility, manufacturing capability, component costing, lead times, and tooling requirements.
• Assess supply chain implications of new designs: material availability, MOQs, BOM cost targets, and production complexity.
• Own the Partnership client specification master: EAN, labelling, packaging, and delivery requirements per client. Coordinate sample journeys, SKU creation, and end-to-end order tracking for 70+ clients.
• Provide weekly Partnership status updates to the commercial team. Handle client portal compliance (e.g., Zara Home).

 

Person Specification:

Essential:

• Systems builder first: you have hands-on experience designing, building, or significantly improving business systems — whether that is ERP workflows, automated dashboards, API integrations, data pipelines, or reporting infrastructure. You do not just use systems; you make them better.
• Strong working knowledge of NetSuite (or equivalent ERP) at a level beyond basic user: you understand saved searches, SuiteQL or equivalent query languages, workflow automation, custom records, and how to get data out of the system into dashboards and reports. NetSuite-specific experience is strongly preferred.
• Analytical and data-driven: you are comfortable working in BigQuery, SQL, Power BI, Looker, or advanced Excel/Google Sheets. You can pull data, build models, spot anomalies, and deliver polished analyses to senior leadership and external suppliers alike.
• Excited about AI and automation: you have strong views on how AI tools, workflow automation, and intelligent alerting should be applied to supply chain operations. You actively seek out new tools, pilot them, and measure impact. You see every manual process as a problem to be solved, not a task to be accepted.
• Supply chain experience: You have worked in or closely with a supply chain function — demand planning, purchasing, supplier management, inbound logistics, or inventory control. You understand the processes well enough to design systems around them, ideally across multiple warehouses and regions.
• Strong negotiation skills: You can use data and analytics to negotiate with suppliers on price, delivery, quality, and terms. You bring scorecards and cost analyses to the table, not just relationships.
• Exceptional organisational skills: you can hold multiple parallel workstreams — systems development, demand planning, supplier negotiations, container scheduling, and team management — without dropping things.
• Self-directed and proactive: you work remotely from senior leadership and are trusted to identify what needs building, prioritise it, and deliver it without being told what to do at every step.
• Experience managing direct reports and cross-functional teams. Ability to set objectives, conduct performance reviews, and build a results-driven culture.
• Professional working English.
• Mandarin language proficiency is an advantage; however, candidates who can effectively communicate using translation tools are also encouraged to apply.

Desirable:

• Direct experience building integrations between NetSuite and external systems (APIs, webhooks, middleware, data warehouses).
• Comfortable writing basic scripts or queries (Python, JavaScript, SuiteScript, SQL) to extract, transform, or automate data tasks — not necessarily a developer, but confident enough to build small tools and work alongside one.
• Experience with container tracking platforms (Vizion, project44, FourKites) or freight management systems.
• Hands-on experience with AI-assisted demand planning, forecasting tools, or supply chain automation platforms.
• Experience in consumer products, lighting, electrical goods, or similar technical product categories.
• Experience running S&OP or monthly planning meetings that bring together Sales, Finance, and Operations.
• Knowledge of UL, CE, RoHS, REACH, and other product compliance standards.
• Experience managing a partnership or private-label supply chain with client-specific SKU, packaging, and compliance requirements.
• Experience with BigQuery, Looker, or similar cloud-based analytics tools.

Independent Contractor Perks:

• Permanent work from home
• Immediate hiring
• Health insurance coverage for eligible locations

Note:

• Please click the Apply button to complete your application, including the assessment questions, technical check, and voice recording. Your hourly pay rate will be established based on your performance in the application process; submissions with all requirements fulfilled will receive priority review.