Head of Sourcing and Product Development at The Foggy Dog

ABOUT US:

At The Foggy Dog, we believe your best friend deserves the best. That’s why we are passionate about making high-quality pet accessories that are as beautiful as they are functional. And, every order helps a pup in need: we are proud to have provided over 500,000 pounds of food to rescue shelters since our launch. Our products are available at www.thefoggydog.com and in over 800 brick and mortar retailers.

We are a small (but mighty!) female-founded team based in San Francisco. As a family-owned business, we are invested in finding the best people to join our tightly knit team. We are looking for candidates who thrive in a creative, energetic, data-driven environment and share our values of collaboration, communication, and positivity. This role is an exciting opportunity to make a huge impact on a fast-growing ecommerce company from the ground up.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

As the Head of Sourcing and Product Development, you will lead sourcing, product development and production across all aspects of The Foggy Dog’s premium pet products. The ideal candidate will build strong relationships with our existing domestic and international factory network while continuing to source additional partners to deliver our best-in-class products. S/he will be well-versed in developing a range of product categories and is motivated to lead a team where product line expansion is a key strategic initiative.

The ideal candidate will live near San Francisco, CA, where our office is located (we are currently hybrid and come into the office twice a week).

This is a key role at the company that reports to and works closely with our founder and CEO.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Own all phases of the product lifecycle for all product lines from product development to delivery, including technical development, sourcing, sampling, production, and quality control.
2. Establish a product development roadmap that accelerates the pace of development while also reducing costs, mitigating supply-chain risks, and improving quality.
3. Develop a comprehensive sourcing strategy, including evaluating current suppliers and sourcing new suppliers.
4. Partner with Design and Merchandising to deliver styles that meet our aesthetic and quality standards.
5. Develop a manufacturing plan to ensure production capabilities are aligned with our sales plan.
6. Own costing and optimize cost of goods. Partner with Design, Merchandising and Planning to drive margin targets and inform pricing and product mix decisions.
7. Own the time and action calendar for all vendors to ensure on-time, accurate delivery.
8. Work with vendors to build a robust and scalable QC program.
9. Travel domestically and internationally as needed to initiate and maintain strong vendor relationships, train factories on standards and troubleshoot issues (no more than 2 international trips/year).
10. Lead our production team to develop new products and continuously improve existing products and packaging in a way that results in on-time, on-budget products that improve our brand experience and delight our customers.
11. Manage the movement of goods, freight costs and manage our 3PL partner regarding the timely receipt of finished goods.
12. Provide training, development, and mentorship for the product team.

ABOUT YOU:

1. 10-15+ years of experience in Product Development, Production, and Sourcing with experience leading teams in these roles.
2. Strong experience in managing factory relationships with an existing network of overseas suppliers. Experience with both domestic and overseas production is a plus.
3. Experience with raw material sourcing and finished goods manufacturing in home, gifts, soft goods, and/or accessories. Pet goods experience a plus, but not required.
4. Experience with QC/QA strategy and ability to build processes and measure QC success.
5. Exceptional communication and negotiation skills.
6. An excellent project manager with strong time management and prioritization skills; exceptional ability to juggle many priorities across multiple timelines.
7. Strong passion for people and a strong instinct for managing and developing talent. A team leader who values collaboration, communication, mentorship and transparency.
8. Impeccable attention to detail and eye for quality. A strong grasp of The Foggy Dog’s brand standards and aesthetics.
9. Strategic thinker with a proven ability to execute and build scalable processes and systems.
10. Strong knowledge of import and export industry terminology, documentation processes and procedures.
11. Ability to travel internationally and domestically as needed (no more than 4x/year).
12. A dog lover, of course!

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

We offer a comprehensive package including:

1. Competitive salary.
2. Medical, dental and vision insurance.
3. 401(k) with matching.
4. Paid vacation, holidays and sick leave.
5. Generous Foggy Dog product allowance.
6. The ability to bring your dog to work (please do!).

TO APPLY:

To apply, please submit your resume and a cover letter to careers@thefoggydog.com with “Head of Sourcing and Product Development” in the subject line. We are a small team and every hire has a huge impact on the company, so tell us what inspires you to want to join our team. Please note that we will not evaluate resumes without cover letters.

We believe a diversity of viewpoints, experiences, and backgrounds make our team stronger. The Foggy Dog is proud to be an equal opportunity employer (EEO) that welcomes applicants and employees of all genders, races, backgrounds, orientations and nationalities.