Packaging Lead

FirstClub; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 1,200,000 - 2,000,000; Full time

Job summary

FirstClub is seeking a Packaging Lead to own the end-to-end movement of products from warehouse to doorstep, balancing cost efficiency and packaging innovation. The role combines mid-level leadership with execution, supervising a small team and driving vendor collaboration.

You will manage packaging costs per order, lead material planning across warehouses, and partner with CX on packaging specs while ensuring regulatory compliance.

Qualifications

• 8 years in packaging, supply chain, procurement, or ops with team management experience.
• Experience with vendor negotiation in packaging, converting, or FMCG/D2C supply chain is highly valued.
• Data comfort to build cost models and analyze trends.
• Exposure to both vendor/ops management and material/product evaluation is preferred.
• Familiarity with food-safety or regulatory packaging norms where applicable.
• Comfort with driving ROI and business cases for pilots and innovations.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of 3 across vendor coordination, inventory, and quality/damage tracking; set priorities and oversee output.
• Own end-to-end packaging vendor management: sourcing, negotiation, contracting, and performance across primary, secondary, and shipping packaging.
• Own packaging cost per order; track, defend in reviews.
• Plan inventory for packaging materials across warehouses/dark stores to avoid stockouts or overstock.
• Address damage-in-transit and quality issues; perform root-causes with vendors and ops; drive corrective actions.
• Define category packaging specs with category and CX teams; ensure compliance with applicable norms.

Skills

Team leadership

Vendor management

Cost management

Quality management

Inventory planning

Packaging knowledge

Job description

FirstClub is looking for a Packaging Lead to own how our products physically move from warehouse to doorstep — balancing two things that don't always pull in the same direction: running a tight, cost-efficient packaging operation through a team of 3, and personally driving packaging innovation on cost, sustainability, and customer experience.

This is primarily a Mid-leadership + execution role (~70%: managing the team, owning vendor/cost/quality outcomes) with a protected mandate to drive innovation (~30%) — not a pure R&D or design position.

What you'll do:

Team leadership & execution (majority of the role)

• Lead and develop a team of 3, split across vendor coordination, inventory, and quality/damage tracking — set priorities, run reviews, own their output
• End-to-end packaging vendor management: sourcing, negotiation, contracting, and performance management across primary, secondary, and shipping packaging
• Packaging cost per order — own the number, track it, defend it in reviews
• Inventory planning for packaging materials across warehouses/dark stores, avoiding stockouts and overstock
• Damage-in-transit and quality issues — root-cause with vendors and ops, drive corrective action
• Category-specific packaging specs (e.g., temperature-sensitive, fragile, liquid) in partnership with category and CX teams
• Compliance with food-safety and regulatory packaging norms where applicable
• Day-to-day escalations when packaging issues affect fulfilment or customer complaints

Innovation & exploration (protected minority of the role)

• Evaluate and pilot new materials (sustainable, cost-down, or CX-improving) on a defined cadence — not ad hoc
• Build a business case (cost, MOQ, vendor readiness, environmental impact) before any pilot scales
• Track industry and competitor packaging trends (Blinkit, Zepto, Swiggy Instamart, D2C brands) relevant to quick commerce
• Partner with sustainability/brand stakeholders on packaging as a customer-facing signal, not just a cost line

What we're looking for:

• 8 years in packaging, supply chain, procurement, or ops, with at least 1–2 years managing a team — this role has real people-management load, not just individual execution
• Ideally exposure to both vendor/ops management and some material or product evaluation work
• Comfortable owning a hard cost number and being measured on it
• Genuine curiosity about materials and packaging trends, but pragmatic about ROI — this is not a role for someone who wants to run sustainability pilots full-time
• Vendor negotiation experience, ideally in packaging, converting, or FMCG/D2C supply chain
• Data comfort — can build a cost model, read a damage-rate trend, size an MOQ decision
• Quick-commerce, D2C, or FMCG background strongly preferred given the speed and SKU-variety involved