First Mile Manager

You’ll run day-to-day first-mile execution, moving inventory from vendor manufacturing sites in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Turkey, Peru, Mexico, and Italy to our warehouses in the US, China, and Europe. You’ll manage forwarders and logistics partners, keep shipments on time and on budget, and help onboard new vendors as our supplier base grows. You’ll work closely with Sourcing, Planning, Compliance, and Finance, and you’ll have real ownership over how the network performs.

• Coordinate air and ocean freight with forwarders, including rate negotiation, capacity planning, and delivery terms
• Manage VDDP and non-VDDP vendor shipments, including duty codes, export documentation, and customs requirements
• Track forwarder performance and escalate underperformance, and maintain redundancy in the forwarder network
• Monitor and hit first-mile SLAs: under 9 days P90 from ASN to stock-in, under 7 days P90 from pickup to warehouse delivery, and under 45 days P90 for ocean transfer
• Support drop-ship coordination, including routing, customs paperwork, and vendor SLA compliance
• Document logistics playbooks for new vendors, covering VDDP vs. non-VDDP requirements, documentation, and SLAs
• Build and maintain KPI dashboards, identify cost and process improvements, and help shift more volume from air to ocean
• Lead and coach a small team of coordinators

• 4+ years of first-mile, inbound, or freight operations experience (5+ preferred)
• Hands-on experience with air and ocean freight forwarding, including vendor coordination and rate negotiation
• Working knowledge of VDDP processes, customs documentation, HS codes, and India export/import regulations
• Experience managing 3P partners such as forwarders, warehouses, or transporters
• Fluency in Hindi, verbal and written, for daily work with vendors and partners
• Strong analytical skills and comfort using data and tools, including AI and automation, to solve operational problems
• Clear communication with internal teams and external partners across geographies

• Experience with customs or export compliance at an operational level
• Background in DTC, e-commerce, or retail logistics
• Experience with TMS or freight management platforms