Role OverviewThe Director of Sourcing will lead the supplier, manufacturing, costing, production, and quality functions for VeeFriends' physical products. This role is focused on the front half of the product supply chain, making exceptional products with exceptional partners at the right cost and quality. The ideal candidate combines deep sourcing and manufacturing expertise with a commercial mindset.
What You Will Do
Key responsibilities include owning global sourcing and manufacturing strategy, leading RFQs/RFPs, supplier selection, sampling, and production negotiations. The Director of Sourcing will also build a resilient supplier network, develop sourcing capabilities, and implement tools and systems to make sourcing and purchasing processes more efficient.
Why It Might Be a Fit
The ideal candidate should have 8+ years of progressive experience in sourcing, manufacturing, product development, procurement, or supply chain, with significant experience managing domestic and international manufacturers and suppliers. Experience in collectibles, trading cards, toys, games, publishing, or adjacent categories is highly valuable.
Requirements
- 8+ years of progressive experience in sourcing, manufacturing, product development, procurement, or supply chain
- Significant experience managing domestic and international manufacturers and suppliers
- Demonstrated success negotiating manufacturing costs and commercial terms and delivering measurable COGS improvements
- Deep understanding of product development and manufacturing from concept through finished goods
- Strong experience with supplier qualification, factory evaluation, quality assurance, inspection, and corrective-action programs
- Experience managing multiple concurrent production programs with aggressive launch timelines
- Strong understanding of manufacturing economics, MOQs, tooling, capacity planning, payment terms, and production lead times
- Experience sourcing across multiple product categories strongly preferred
- Experience in collectibles, trading cards, toys, games, publishing, premium print, promotional products, or adjacent categories is highly valuable
- Familiarity with collectible quality standards, grading considerations, limited-edition manufacturing, serialization, randomized products, or mystery/chase mechanics is a major plus
- Experience in an entrepreneurial, high-growth, or founder-led consumer business strongly preferred
- Comfortable traveling domestically and internationally as needed
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