Manager Category & Sourcing (Softline)

FirstCry.com (BrainBees Solutions Ltd.); Pune District; On-site; INR 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Job summary

FirstCry.com (BrainBees Solutions Ltd.) is seeking a logistics and sourcing professional to manage vendor teams, optimize inventory, and drive new product launches. You will oversee the PO cycle, track performance metrics, and collaborate with design, marketing and merchandising to meet domestic and international demand.

The role requires strong negotiation skills, knowledge of softlines certifications, and a data-driven approach to improve stock turns and customer experience.

Qualifications

• Inventory control to monitor holding and avoid stockouts.
• Review ageing and slow moving inventory and plan to improve stock turns.
• Plan new range inventory and assortments.
• Ensure PO cycle is maintained and weekly/monthly reports are prepared.
• Collaborate with Design team for new products design/prints development.
• Monitor sales, returns and customer ratings to improve experience.
• Identify assortment gaps and plan new launches.
• Execute seasonal and short-term sourcing & buying plans.
• Execute QC & Testing with all vendors.
• Fulfill domestic and international business demands/gaps.
• Negotiate with vendors.
• Screen content and artwork for final packaging.
• Track go-live cycle and ensure all details are on site.
• Plan for new launches with Marketing & Merchandising.
• Modify products per customer feedback.
• Price management and competitive benchmarking.
• Stay updated with market trends in MRP and assortment.
• Knowledge of certifications for softline category.

Responsibilities

• Develops, manages and coaches a high-performing vendor team to meet business needs.
• Oversees inventory control and stock-turn optimization.
• Tracks sales, returns and customer ratings to enhance customer experience.
• Ensures timely PO cycles and generates periodic reports.
• Coordinates with Design/Marketing for new product launches.
• Manages domestic and international business demands and gaps.
• Conducts negotiations with suppliers and vendors.
• Ensures packaging content and artwork compliance.
• Maintains site listings for new items and launches.

Skills

Inventory control

Sourcing

Buying

Negotiations

Vendor management

Forecasting

Merchandising

Market knowledge

Job description

Develops, manages and coaches a high-performing vendor team, ensuring current and future business needs are met

Inventory Control: To have a close eye on inventory holding, To ensure zero stock outs of the existing range, Review ageing and slow moving inventory with plans to improve stock turns, New Range Inventory planning, do devise means of better inventory planning

Top line & Bottom Line Management: Knowing the numbers Vs target, devising plans to meet/better them. Provide inputs to Design team for new products design/prints development

Meeting & Maintaining Timelines: Ensuring that the PO cycle is maintained, all weekly monthly reports are made and read

To work closely with the team and ensure better management of their daily operations

Reviewing Sales, Sales Return & Customer ratings for all Items, making the metrics better; and, to ensure better customer experience

Identifying Assortment gaps and plan new launches.

Executes seasonal and short-term sourcing & buying plans

Executes QC & Testing process with all vendors.

Fulfill Domestic business as well as International business demands/gaps

Negotiations

Screening the content and artwork for the final packaging of the product

Tracking To Go Live cycle; Ensuring all details have been put up on site; All new items are a part of ARS

Planning for New Launch with Marketing & Merchandising team

Modifying the products as per customer feedback

Price Management :Competition Bench-marking for discounts

Market Knowledge: Being updated with new trends in the market competition's MRP and Assortment

Knowledge of Certifications required softline category and ensuring those are in place