Posted 1w ago
Head of Operations
Remote (Latin America-based)
Compensation: $6,000 to $7,000 USD/month
Full-time, overlap with US working hours, Contractor.
Tech Stack: ERP (Luminous or similar, e.g. SAP), ClickUp, Excel / Google Sheets
At Near, we connect top talent in Latin America with exciting remote opportunities at U.S.-based companies. Our mission is to create better lives by fostering a remote work culture that transcends borders.
Our client is a growing consumer products company that makes eco-friendly paper products for the food service industry across the U.S. and Canada. They sell through two channels: large distributors that receive full truckloads, and an e-commerce channel where cafes and restaurants place smaller orders. Products are made by third-party manufacturers in Asia and the Dominican Republic and shipped to 4 outsourced warehouses (2 in the U.S., 2 in Canada). The team is lean and founder-led, and operations are the backbone of the business.
We're looking for a hands-on Head of Operations who combines strong supply chain expertise with an owner-operator mentality. You will take complete ownership of day-to-day operations, from demand forecasting, inventory planning and overseas manufacturing to freight, 3PL management and customer fulfillment, without needing constant oversight from the founders. You'll report directly to the co-founders, lead a small existing team (including a supply chain project manager in Asia and the order operations function), and be the person who runs operations better than the founders can. This is a builder role: you anticipate problems, decide, and own issues through resolution.
Own demand forecasting and inventory planning across both channels, setting safety stock, reorder points and lead-time assumptions to prevent stockouts.
Manage production schedules and POs with third-party manufacturers in Asia and the Dominican Republic, including periodic travel to Asia.
Run inbound logistics end to end: freight bookings from Asia to the U.S. and Canada, landed costs, and resolving shipment issues personally when they come up.
Manage the 4 outsourced warehouses (3PLs), holding them accountable for inventory accuracy, timely shipments and costs.
Oversee order fulfillment for distributor truckloads and e-commerce orders, protecting customer relationships when issues arise.
Lead and develop a small team, setting clear processes, priorities and accountability.
Build and maintain the operational systems, spreadsheets and reporting the founders rely on to make decisions.
Your Background:
7 to 15 years of experience in operations and supply chain, ideally at a growing consumer products company with international manufacturing, outsourced warehousing and a lean team.
Hands-on experience managing overseas manufacturing (Asia required), POs, freight and 3PLs yourself, not only through others.
Strong analytical skills: you're comfortable building forecasts and inventory models in spreadsheets and understand lead times, safety stock, logistics costs and their downstream consequences.
Experience leading a small team and putting processes in place.
Commercial mindset: you know that preventing stockouts and protecting customers matter more than optimizing a single supply chain metric.
Independent and decisive, comfortable making calls without waiting for approval.
Excellent communication in an English-speaking environment and availability to overlap with U.S. working hours. Willing to travel to Asia periodically.
A corporate executive who has managed hundreds of people, or a profile whose main strength is consulting or strategy, is not the profile.
Nice to Have:
Experience in food service, packaging or paper products.
Experience with both distributor (B2B) and e-commerce channels.
Previous experience in a startup or small company that scaled.
Experience with ERP systems such as Luminous or SAP.
Compensation: $6,000 to $7,000 USD/month (final offer depending on experience and background)
Benefits: Unlimited PTO, U.S. holidays, fully remote.