China Supply Chain Coordinator

Role China-based Supply Chain Coordinator working with an 8-figure DTC brand scaling aggressively into Q4 2026. Reports to our Supply Chain Lead (based in Europe). This person is our on-the-ground representative in China — the bridge between our business and our factories. This is not a QC inspector role. QC can be outsourced through agencies as volume requires. This role is about supply chain coordination, factory relationship management, production oversight, and quality standard enforcement — not daily inspection of every drum. About the Company We are a fast-growing consumer hardware brand selling musical instruments globally, operating primarily through DTC (Shopify) and Amazon. Q4 represents the majority of our annual revenue. We're a 4 year old company, the biggest seller in the world of steel tongue drums, growing at a 3-5x year-over-year pace. Current production scale: 4 active factories in China producing steel tongue drums in 3 sizes (6", 10", 14") Year-round production cycle with heavy ramp April–October for Q4 holiday Factory network: Factory 1 (Guangdong) — main factory, best quality, only factory approved for Amazon Factory 2 (Wenzhou) — secondary factory, operational, expanding allocation Factory 3 (Guangdong) — newer factory, quality ramp-up in progress Factory 4 (Shandong) — newest factory, molds completed, ramping What This Person Actually Does Factory relationship management Primary point of contact for all factories on day-to-day execution Conducts regular factory visits (physical presence on factory floors) Builds direct relationships with factory production leads and owners Translates operational requirements between our Supply Chain Lead and Chinese factories 2. Production oversight and quality standard enforcement Monitors production progress against agreed timelines Enforces our quality standards — doesn't do inspection themselves (that's outsourced to QC agencies when needed), but defines what QC agencies should check for, reviews their reports, and escalates issues Investigates quality incidents, identifies root causes, drives corrective action plans with factories Maintains and evolves our quality acceptance criteria across sound quality, paint/finish, packaging, and accessories 3. Supply chain coordination Tracks PO status from factories through shipping to intermediary warehouse Coordinates container loading and inbound logistics Manages accessory sourcing logistics (drum bags, mallets, music books, etc.) Flags delays, capacity constraints, or supply issues before they become crises 4. Commercial discipline and cost validation Validates pricing on POs against contracted rates Supports negotiation of new pricing, payment terms, MOQs with factory owners Flags anomalies in invoicing proactively — not reactively 5. New product development support Coordinates sample requests, prototype iterations, and new SKU launches across factories Works with our product team on packaging, accessory specifications, and product improvements Talent Profile We're Looking For Industry background: Consumer hardware manufacturing experience is essential — Anker, DJI, JBL, Sonos, Bose, Harman, Xiaomi hardware ecosystem, Yamaha/Roland/similar musical instrument brands, or similar consumer goods with physical product QC depth Experience level: 5–8 years in factory-facing roles: supply chain, vendor management, supplier quality, sourcing, or procurement Has personally spent significant time on factory floors (not exclusively office-based) Has managed multiple factory relationships simultaneously (not single-factory specialist) Has dealt with production ramps, quality escalations, capacity constraints in past roles Location: Guangdong province preferred (Shenzhen, Dongguan, Guangzhou) Must be willing and able to travel regularly across factories Not based outside China Language: Native Mandarin Working professional English (written and spoken) — can handle email, Slack, and video calls with our international team independently English proficiency is non-negotiable — this role is the communication bridge between our factories and our HQ Skills and mindset: Commercial awareness — understands that our factories have profit motives that don't always align with ours, and can spot it Systems thinking — can see the end-to-end supply chain, not just task-level execution Logical problem-solving — can trace issues to root cause, not just report symptoms Direct communicator — comfortable pushing back on factories when needed, but diplomatic Pattern recognition — spots anomalies in data, pricing, or communication that others miss Execution orientation — moves fast on factory issues, doesn't wait for permission on routine problems Cultural/fit signals we prioritize: Proactive rather than reactive — flags problems before being asked Writes and communicates with clarity and brevity Strong professional reputation (we'll verify references) Significant factory travel, fully paid (flights + hotels). You'll be on the road regularly during peak You'll also organize and host visits for our team in China, 2-4 times a year Flexible schedule and work-from-home base between trips — how and when you work is up to you, as long as it ships Who you'll work with: A young, hungry team building the category leader Colleagues from all over the world — you'll meet and work with people across the globe