Logistics, Merchandising & Buying Manager

Vivida Lifestyle are looking for a Logistics, Merchandising & Operations Coordinator, a newly created role to provide administrative support and analytical data to the team, as well as ensuring the smooth purchase and flow of stock across the business. This role reports directly to the Production & Buying Manager, you will be central to the success of Vivida Lifestyle and our growth.

You are a self-starter, able to embrace granular work, whilst keeping in mind the bigger picture. You are conscientious and are enthusiastic about all the responsibilities (and rewards) that come with building a start-up.  You thrive in a meaningful role, in which you are rewarded by seeing the direct impact of your efforts. You are excited at the prospect of getting onboard a business with a raison d’etre that runs deeper than product. You appreciate this is an opportunity to be an integral part of a brand that has all the elements to go far, and is at the inflection point for takeoff. 

WHERE:
This is a remote position for somebody that is predominantly based in the UK. Proximity to Oxford/Bicester is a bonus

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

 MERCHANDISING:

•    Lead the creation of Monday Trade Reporting Packs, with the support of the Production & Buying Manager. Including:  weekly sales overview, best sellers, sell-through, returns analysis, recommendations for exiting slower moving stock, achieved sales margin (per channel)
•    Prepare product analysis & recommendations; analysing sales figures, sizing analysis and lessons-learnt for rest of the Vivida Team
•    Lead stock management activities, between UK, EU and Amazon warehouses
•    Approve & co-ordinate Amazon stock movements via the ERP system, through to book-in at FBA warehouse. 
•    Work closely with our Amazon agency to ensure SKU productivity
•    Create shipment splits for factories, to be shared 6 weeks prior to ex-factory date
•    Ad-hoc e-commerce assistance to keep the website updated eg: hiding out of stock items, pre-order status management
•    Coordinate product launches across departments
•    Responsible for accurate inventory management:  stock comparisons between ERP & warehouse stock, stock, adjustments, goods-in, resolving inventory discrepancies, downloading & processing monthly stock value reports 
•    Pricing – update the systems with price corrections
•    Follow the order fulfilment process, evaluate, propose & implement improvements
 

LOGISTICS:

•    Oversee the coordination of sea and airfreight, working closely with freight forwarders, 3PLs and factories.
•    Carefully plan and track the movement of POs from factories to warehouse delivery.
•    Estimate 3PL throughput and follow-up on discrepancies with 3PL and supplier
•    Actively identifying opportunities to reduce transport cost and improve margins
•    Confidently negotiate rates with freight forwarders for the best price and service
•    Maintain awareness of customs compliance updates, topical logistics issues, EU/USA trading and sustainability
•    Conduct monthly analysis on 3PL partner invoices, checking charges are correct and assigning costs to the correct financial account. Analyse costs vs orders, present learnings & actions to the wider team
•    Conduct yearly comparisons of freight providers to ensure Vivida Lifestyle is offering the best services for all channels.
•    Streamline shipping and transportation processes
•    Complete certificates of origin for routing, arrange further certification or legislative requirements
•    Be the main point of contact for our 3PL providers, dealing with any ad hoc issues
•    Ensure correct commodity codes are assigned to product in the ERP system, record duty rates in Range Plan for landed margin calculations
•    Liaise with the warehouse to prioritise orders and maximise efficient shipment of orders
•    Assist with sustainable packaging developments
 

BUYING:

•    Work closely with the Production & Buying Manager to proactively preempt stock shortages, forecast global & territory demand , and maintain lean stock efficiencies.
•    Contribute to Vivida strategy with involvement in Product concept meetings, landed cost & margin reviews, and budget planning
•    Maintain all production information on ERP system
•    Assist in the maintenance of critical range-plan sheets, chasing missing information and updating FOB prices as required
•    Raising and updating all Purchase Orders
•    Send out barcodes to factory, approve for production
•    Assist buy planning, considering budget, landed cost margins and other KPIs
•    Organise pre-shipment garments for quality inspection & sign-off prior to shipping 
•    Proactively update the business on status of stock/POs
•    Market research & competitive shopping
 

GENERAL:

•    Build strong internal and external working relationships with Vivida team, suppliers, freight forwarders and 3PL
•    Provide ad-hoc support to the wider team
•    Proactively identify improvement opportunities and effectively implement process change to achieve the best execution
•    Lead the creation and updating of departmental procedural documentation
 

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE 

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE: 
•    Minimum 3-5 years in a similar role for a consumer goods business - ideally fashion, lifestyle, sportswear 
•    Experience in e-commerce (Shopify) and/or wholesale trading reporting an advantage
•    Excellent computer skills, including MS Office and Excel (intermediate to advanced)
•    ERP system experience (Quickbooks)
•    Experience adapting to the needs of all areas of a business, which may require ad hoc tasks outside your outlined job description.
 

PERSONAL QUALITIES:
•    An enthusiastic & delightful team player with an entrepreneurial mindset
•    Organised, flexible, & hands-on; skilled at assessing priorities based on impact, effort & bandwidth (80/20 rule)
•    Capable of taking own initiative, confidence taking ownership & working independently
•    A highly analytical & data-driven approach with attention to detail & data accuracy 
•    Enjoys working in a collaborative 'best idea wins' environment
•    Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, confident in liaising at all levels of the business
•    Skilful data interpretation with a proven ability to summarise and present complex findings clearly & concisely
•    Inquisitive & keen to understand and improve the whole business 
•    A creative problem solver who proactively identifies roadblocks and demonstrates initiative. Conscientious and provides follow-through on all areas of responsibility
 

WHY YOU’LL LOVE WORKING AT VIVIDA:
•    A remote working position, creating a flexible work/life balance
•    Take pride in being part of a project that is truly out to make good things happen in the world
•    No micromanaging here. When we hire you, we trust your expertise and skills – we believe in you and support you in achieving your goals with full ownership & accountability
•    We support our employee’s wellbeing and want each person to be their best selves when they come to work each day – let us know what that means for you. Need an afternoon bike ride or surf session to feel rejuvenated and motivated – go for it!
•    As the company grows, so will your opportunities – the sky is the limit! A place to truly forge your own path as part of Vivida’s exciting journey. We hope to have you for the long haul.

SALARY DETAILS: 

Competitive salary + exciting opportunity to earn Ordinary Shares.

ABOUT VIVIDA:
The Vivida Lifestyle exists to inspire & empower one another to unlock our full potentials & live our best & healthiest lives doing what we love. Vivida Lifestyle was initially created as a purely passion-driven project, serving as a reminder & daily inspiration to live life to the fullest - always striving to find connection to & appreciation for the natural wonders that surround us. Our name, derived from ‘Viva la Vida’, is the basis of our philosophy in all that we do, support, & create. Our sportswear & gear is built to enhance your adventures, with travel-friendly, eco-conscious & built-for-you quality & style.

From humble beginnings of garage storage, our founder & his mum personally packaging & posting every order, to now being on track for £1.6M annual revenue, Vivida has come incredibly far. Vivida is no longer just a vision. It’s a reality with a momentum of its own. It’s not a story, a strategy, or an image with a manufactured message or purpose. Vivida is real. Those who know it, feel it, & keep coming back for more. Just as brands before us have pioneered new approaches to emerging markets & trends, so too will Vivida, at this perfect intersection of consumer awareness, a deep need for authenticity, sustainability, wellbeing & happiness… as a lifestyle.

Vivida has a small but growing well-balanced team made up of practical visionaries and sceptical optimists. We dream big but embrace change and failure and recognise that with every crisis comes an opportunity to learn and to grow – as individuals, as a team, and as a business. When something doesn’t go to plan, we learn from it and quickly move onwards and upwards. 

To take our Vivida story to the next level, we’re not looking to hire smart people and then tell them what to do; we’re looking to hire smart people, so they tell us what to do (and spearhead actions themselves).

Above & beyond your skill set & track history, what matters most to us is your character & your attitude. We’re a family dedicated to building the best workplace culture possible. If you share our vision of positively impacting the world, Vivida Lifestyle could be the dream place for you.