Operations Lead

Job Description This is a remote position. Role Summary The Operations Lead owns the customer order lifecycle end to end — from the moment a purchase order lands to final delivery. This role treats every order as a project: setting milestones, tracking owners and deadlines, and proactively managing timelines across finance, supplier, shipping, and logistics phases. It keeps the Order Pipeline accurate at every stage, coordinates between customers, suppliers, and internal finance, and prepares the documentation needed to ship product across 100+ export markets. It is a detail-heavy, process-driven role suited to someone comfortable managing multiple concurrent order-projects, strict documentation standards, and cross-border logistics. Key Responsibilities Order Setup & Filing • Log new customer orders (PO, email, or price sheet) and assign the next order number per TTRG numbering convention. • Create and structure the order file and required subfolders (COG, Communication Notes, Old Files, Payment, PO from Customer, POs to Supplier/Vendors, Proforma to Customer, Shipping Docs). • Build the brand-specific Internal P&L file and save the customer PO to the correct folder. • Update the Order Pipeline with order number, customer, country, product/brand, received date, status, and owner. Internal Finance & Approval • Populate the Internal P&L with cost, pricing, and margin details specific to the customer's brand. • Route the Internal P&L to leadership for approval and hold the order until sign-off is received. • Create the Proforma Invoice and Supplier PO in QuickBooks once approved. Customer & Supplier Alignment • Send the Proforma to the customer and track their confirmation before releasing the PO to the supplier. • Dispatch supplier/vendor POs and follow up on sales quotes and acknowledgments. • Review supplier sales quotes for pricing, spec, and lead-time accuracy before approving production. • Confirm production schedules and communicate lead times to the customer (standard 2–4 weeks; custom/artwork orders 6–8 weeks). • Manage the artwork approval loop between customer and supplier on custom orders, logging all communication. • Collect supplier production documents (Invoice, Packing List, Pallet Photos) once production is completed. Shipping Document Preparation • Upload supplier documents to the Shipping Docs folder. • Generate the Commercial Invoice (CI) and Packing List (PL) in QuickBooks. • Format CI/PL to include Certificate of Origin, company stamp, payment terms, and customer-specific formatting requirements. • Send finalized CI and PL to the customer with the standard order-ready notification. • Flag payment reminders to Accounting according to each customer's payment terms. Logistics Coordination • Coordinate the correct freight path per order: EXW (customer-arranged pickup), TTRG-booked trucking to customer warehouse, or CIF/full freight booking (air, sea, or road). • Provide pickup instructions, shipping schedules, and tracking/AWB/BOL details as applicable. • Keep the Order Pipeline current through final delivery and order completion. Project Management — Order-as-Project • Treat every order as an individual project: set milestones and target dates for each of the workflow phases (setup, finance/approval, supplier alignment, shipping docs, logistics, etc) • Track task ownership and due dates in Zoho Projects, keeping status current for every order in flight. • Proactively identify at-risk timelines (e.g. delayed approvals, slow supplier quotes, artwork loops running long) and escalate before they impact the ETA. • Manage dependencies between phases — no order should stall waiting on an unassigned or unflagged task. • Provide a regular rollup/status view of all active orders (stage, owner, next action, risk flags) to the CEO and COO. Additional Responsibilities • Maintain accurate, audit-ready records across all order folders for compliance and customer service follow-up. • Flag pipeline bottlenecks or delayed approvals to the Operations Director/COO proactively. • Support export documentation as needed (e.g. SLI/EEI forms) for shipments requiring additional compliance paperwork. • Assist with onboarding new customers or suppliers into the order workflow. • Suggest process or automation improvements as recurring bottlenecks are identified. Requirements Qualifications • Experience in order management, logistics coordination, export/trade operations, or supply chain support – preferable. • Comfortable working across Zoho One (CRM, Projects, WorkDrive) or other project management tools. • Strong Excel skills; comfortable with cost/margin/P&L calculations. • High attention to detail — this role directly affects invoicing accuracy and shipment compliance. • Clear written communication for coordinating across customers, suppliers, and internal teams in different time zones. • Comfortable managing multiple concurrent orders at varying stages without dropping details. • Project management experience or mindset — comfortable setting milestones, tracking dependencies, and driving timelines to completion. Nice to Have • Prior experience in product export/import. • Familiarity with international shipping terms (EXW, CIF, FOB) and export documentation. • Experience with Project Management tools and MS Office Proficiency.