Sourcing and Manufacturing Specialist

Company In 2019, we started building profitable startups from scratch. We brought together top engineering minds from places like Princeton and MIT to drive the highest success rate in the industry and turn company building into a science. During that time, we’ve built ten high-growth companies, driving $200M+ in revenue. Along the way, we’ve developed an engineering approach to entrepreneurship rooted in algorithms and advanced mathematics. Now, we’re working to automate company building to the point that we can press a button to launch profitable companies—ventures that can reinvest their own resources to become enterprises that help millions, or even billions, of people. The Role As our Sourcing & Manufacturing Specialist , you will own product sourcing, supplier relationships, procurement, and manufacturing execution for the fast-growing DTC e-commerce brands across our portfolio. You are not joining a single company. You are joining a venture studio that builds companies from scratch, and you will be the person who finds the right manufacturers, negotiates the right terms, and makes sure products are manufactured to spec, on time, and at the right cost. One week you may be sourcing a new SKU for an established home-cleaning brand that has already sold over a million units. The next, you may be qualifying manufacturers for a product line that doesn't yet exist. Your work compounds. The suppliers you vet, the relationships you build, and the playbooks you create become infrastructure the entire portfolio can leverage. As a hands-on individual contributor and the sourcing subject matter expert across our companies, you will partner closely with the Supply Chain Lead, fractional CEOs, Operations Engineers, and product teams. This is a full-time independent contractor role. What You’ll Do Source products and suppliers end-to-end for portfolio companies—identifying, vetting, and qualifying manufacturers (with an emphasis on China, plus the USA and other regions) to hit cost, quality, and lead-time targets Own manufacturer relationships day-to-day, coordinating production schedules, quality standards, lead times, and issue resolution as the primary point of contact with factories Distinguish factories from trading companies and negotiate directly at the source, protecting margin and ensuring you're buying from the right link in the chain Drive new SKU launches from a sourcing perspective—product development and feasibility, sample management and consolidation, packaging sourcing, and costing analysis from first quote to production-ready Run supplier negotiations and payment terms (deposits, balances, milestones), securing favorable pricing and terms while managing risk Run quality control and QA in coordination with inspection partners—setting standards, catching defects before they ship, and protecting the customer experience and the brand Coordinate product safety and regulatory compliance testing in partnership with our Compliance team (arranging third-party lab testing, certifications, and documentation) so that products are verified as market-ready before launch Manage international freight, logistics, and import coordination—partnering with 3PLs and freight forwarders on LCL/FCL and air freight, customs clearance, and on-time delivery to warehouses Drive margin improvement through packaging optimization, vendor negotiation, re-sourcing, and cost-down initiatives at the sourcing and manufacturing layer Build a vetted supplier network and reusable sourcing playbooks so manufacturing capability compounds across the portfolio rather than being rebuilt for each company Leverage AI, automation, and modern tooling to increase the speed and accuracy of sourcing, quoting, and supplier management Collaborate cross-functionally with the Supply Chain Lead, product, marketing, CX, and Operations Engineering teams to ensure seamless execution from factory floor to customer doorstep Who You Are Self-Governing & Hungry: You don't wait to be told what to do. You identify the highest-impact work, put yourself on it, and drive it to completion. You are energized by ownership and motivated to make a visible impact. Deeply Connected in Manufacturing: You have real, working relationships with factories and suppliers, or a demonstrated ability to build them fast, and you know how to earn trust and get responsiveness from manufacturers. Strategic & Systems-Oriented: You don't just place orders—you build a supplier network and repeatable process. You think in terms of infrastructure the whole portfolio can reuse, not one-off wins. Resilient Problem-Solver: Roadblocks don't deter you; a factory going silent, a failed inspection, or a shifting quote propels you to find creative solutions. You're comfortable making decisions with incomplete information. Data-Driven: You have a strong analytical mindset and prioritize data over intuition. You believe measurement—landed cost, defect rates, lead times—is the foundation of improvement. Highly Communicative: You share progress proactively, flag blockers early, and confirm assumptions before investing significant time. You write clearly and concisely, and you bridge time zones and cultures without friction. Collaborative but Independent: Working across teams energizes you, but you don't need constant direction. You leverage collective strengths while maintaining high autonomy. Relentlessly Resourceful: You leverage AI, automation, and your broader team to multiply your effectiveness—not just work harder. What You’ll Bring 5+ years of hands-on experience in product sourcing, procurement, or manufacturing , ideally supporting DTC e-commerce, consumer goods, or high-growth brands. Deep hands-on experience sourcing from Chinese manufacturers , including experience using platforms such as Alibaba and/or 1688 and understanding the major manufacturing ecosystems and supplier landscape. A demonstrated track record of finding, vetting, and qualifying legitimate Chinese manufacturers rather than simply managing an established supplier list. An existing network of Chinese factories and suppliers or a strong demonstrated ability to build one quickly. Experience running RFQs and supplier negotiations , including pricing, MOQs, Incoterms, payment terms, lead times, packaging, tooling, and production schedules. Hands-on experience calculating landed costs , including freight, HTS classification, duty rates, customs costs, and other import-related expenses. Experience working with freight forwarders and customs brokers ; an established network of reliable logistics partners is strongly preferred. Regulatory Awareness: General familiarity with U.S. regulatory requirements and agencies, with an understanding that products must undergo appropriate regulatory and compliance validation before being imported, sold, or distributed. Experience with purchase orders, supplier contracts, and procurement processes , including coordinating with legal or other internal teams on supplier agreements. Proven experience with quality control, product testing, supplier audits, inspections, defect management, and corrective actions . Experience coordinating international freight and customs clearance. Experience taking products from initial concept through sourcing, sampling, production, and launch . Strong supplier negotiation and relationship-management skills. Strong analytical and systems-thinking skills, with the ability to build sourcing processes and infrastructure from scratch. Ability to manage multiple products, suppliers, and portfolio companies simultaneously. Excellent written and verbal English communication skills, with the cultural fluency to work effectively with Chinese manufacturers and US-based stakeholders. Extreme grit, integrity, determination, resilience, and relentless resourcefulness. You are genuine and bring an enthusiastic, professional demeanor. We have a very strict no-jerk policy and do not tolerate intellectual arrogance. An intrinsic spirit of service, placing customer needs and satisfaction at the forefront of every decision and action. Nice to Have Time spent living in or regularly traveling to China, or fluency/proficiency in Mandarin—valuable for building supplier relationships Experience in a venture studio, holding company, or multi-brand environment where you supported sourcing across more than one business simultaneously Experience with product development and industrial design—taking a concept from idea to production-ready Experience sourcing across diverse product categories (home goods, textiles, consumables, hardware) rather than a single vertical Familiarity with AI tools and a demonstrated instinct for where automation can replace manual work in sourcing and supplier management Experience working within subscription-based business models Time Commitment This is a full-time contractor position . This role requires at least 4 hours/day overlap with U.S. Eastern Time to collaborate with our Supply Chain Lead and portfolio teams. As many of our manufacturers are based in China, you should also be comfortable operating across CST (UTC+8), particularly during sourcing pushes, sampling, production, and order placement. Location We are fully remote—you can work wherever you're most productive. Candidates based in or near China, or elsewhere in Asia with strong factory access and established supplier relationships, are especially well-suited. However, being based in China is not a requirement . What matters most is your ability to effectively source, vet, negotiate with, and manage Chinese manufacturers while maintaining the required US ET overlap. This role may also involve occasional travel to manufacturing sites, on an as-needed basis (less than 15% of the time). Business travel for MV projects will be covered by Mechanism. Mechanism does not sponsor relocation. Compensation Compensation for this position ranges from $35,000 to $40,000 per year, depending on experience and demonstrated expertise. Our compensation packages are designed to make this your dream job for the short and long term. Benefits include unlimited paid time off. The role also includes unlimited paid time off (PTO) to support balance and flexibility. Mechanism Ventures is an equal-opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.