Vice President of Operations

About the Company

Paired is an international staffing and recruiting firm focused on connecting remote professionals with high-quality employers. The organization values fresh, effective social media thinking and aims to help skilled candidates find meaningful roles regardless of geography.

About the Client

The hiring client is a fast-expanding direct-to-consumer lifestyle brand with a worldwide manufacturing and supply chain footprint and ambitious plans for continued growth. They are hiring a seasoned Vice President of Operations to create the operational backbone needed for the company’s next stage of scale. This role works closely with the CEO and has end-to-end ownership of sourcing, manufacturing, supply chain, inventory, fulfillment, customer experience, and broader operational direction. For the right candidate, there is a defined path to Chief Operating Officer.

Because this search is confidential, the company name and additional details will only be disclosed after the client approves the profile for interview.

Role Overview

This is a true builder position rather than a maintenance-focused one. The leader in this role will oversee everything outside of marketing, including sourcing, manufacturing, inventory, preorder execution, logistics, fulfillment, customer support, operational systems, and the operations team. The current setup is lean, and the expectation is to design the systems, processes, supplier partnerships, and team structure needed to support many times the current scale. The environment is highly accountable and calls for urgency, ownership, resilience, and a strong ability to solve complex operational challenges.

Key Responsibilities

• Directly negotiate with manufacturers and key supply chain partners to secure Net 60 or better payment terms that strengthen working capital.
• Own the full operational lifecycle, covering sourcing, production, inventory, preorder management, logistics, fulfillment, and customer service.
• Create scalable systems, processes, and infrastructure that can handle rapid business expansion.
• Manage inventory planning, forecasting demand, scheduling production, and coordinating preorder fulfillment.
• Reduce costs across manufacturing, freight, warehousing, fulfillment, and the wider supply chain through ongoing negotiation and vendor oversight.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with manufacturers, logistics companies, freight forwarders, and fulfillment partners while protecting product quality and operational standards.
• Recruit, lead, and grow high-performing Operations and Customer Experience teams.
• Assess and deploy operational technologies such as ERP and inventory management tools, and build reporting dashboards with meaningful KPIs.
• Support international supply chain activity and cross-border fulfillment as the company expands globally.

Requirements

• Demonstrated leadership of operations for a fast-growing DTC apparel, footwear, accessories, or lifestyle business.
• Direct experience negotiating and obtaining Net 60 or more favorable payment terms from manufacturers, with the ability to explain the approach and outcomes in detail.
• Proven ability to scale operations during periods of fast growth.
• Hands-on background working with overseas manufacturing and supplier networks.
• Strong commercial negotiation skills across manufacturers, freight forwarders, logistics providers, 3PLs, and related supply chain partners.
• Experience with inventory planning, demand forecasting, preorder or made-to-order processes, and operational scaling.
• Track record of improving supply chain efficiency while lowering costs.
• Experience implementing or enhancing ERP, inventory, or other operational systems.
• Leadership experience building and managing Operations and Customer Experience teams.
• International supply chain and cross-border logistics experience is strongly preferred.
• Existing relationships with overseas manufacturers are a major plus.
• Willingness to travel internationally when required.
• Availability to work mainly during U.S. business hours.

Benefits

• Fully remote role with the flexibility to work from anywhere.
• Competitive annual base compensation aligned to experience.
• Performance-linked bonus opportunity.
• Clear advancement track toward Chief Operating Officer.
• Equity may be available for outstanding candidates.

Additional Information

This is a full-time remote role based in Canada, with work expected primarily during U.S. business hours. The search is confidential and the client company name will be shared only after interview approval.