Business Operations Manager

<p><strong>About Us</strong></p><p><br></p><p><em>Location: On-site in Newburyport, MA. Candidates must be within practical commuting distance of the North Shore. This role is not remote or hybrid.</em></p><p><br></p><p>International Advisory Service (IAS) is a custom hardware manufacturer serving premium leather goods and accessory brands. We operate our own factory in Asia and a U.S. office responsible for sales, logistics, finance, and domestic fulfillment.</p><p><br></p><p>We also own and operate Buckleguy.com, a growing e-commerce business supplying brass hardware, leather, and craft materials to customers ranging from individual makers to global brands.</p><p>We are a 25-person team running a real product-based business:</p><p><br></p><ul><li>Physical inventory</li><li>100+ active vendors</li><li>Complex replenishment cycles</li><li>Warehouse operations</li><li>Meaningful margins and purchasing decisions</li></ul><p><br></p><p>This is not a large corporate structure. It’s a lean team where decisions matter and performance is visible. We are hiring a Business Operations Manager to own and improve how the business runs day-to-day.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Role Summary</strong></p><p><br></p><p>This role owns the operating system of the business.</p><p><br></p><p>You will be responsible for inventory planning, KPI visibility, operational oversight, and system improvement. Your job is to create clarity, improve performance, and reduce operational load on ownership.</p><p><br></p><p>This is a hands-on, systems-driven operations role inside a physical product company.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Core Responsibilities</strong></p><p><br></p><p><strong>1. Inventory Planning & Replenishment (Primary Initial Focus)</strong></p><p><br></p><ul><li>Own bi-weekly vendor reorder process (100+ vendors)</li><li>Improve reorder points, safety stock logic, and lead time accuracy</li><li>Reduce stockouts and excess inventory</li><li>Analyze category sales, margins, and inventory health</li><li>Fully transition inventory planning off ownership’s plate</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Product-based inventory experience is mandatory.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>2. KPI & Business Reporting</strong></p><p><br></p><ul><li>Build and run weekly KPI dashboard</li><li>Track warehouse performance (throughput, accuracy, productivity)</li><li>Track inventory performance (turns, stockouts, fill rate)</li><li>Provide visibility into category margins and sales performance</li><li>Ensure month-end reporting is timely and actionable</li></ul><p><br></p><p>We want measurable clarity — not more meetings.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>3. Warehouse & Customer Service Oversight</strong></p><p><br></p><ul><li>Ensure warehouse KPIs are tracked and enforced</li><li>Maintain pull-to-quota standards</li><li>Measure customer service response times and quality</li><li>Deploy and operationalize systems and apps</li><li>Establish clear service standards</li></ul><p><br></p><p>You are not micromanaging. You are ensuring accountability.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>4. Systems & Process Improvement</strong></p><p><br></p><ul><li>Improve NetSuite reporting and workflows</li><li>Optimize e-commerce and operational systems</li><li>Reduce inefficiencies and redundant apps</li><li>Document and standardize core processes</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Every change must improve performance.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>5. Operational Accountability</strong></p><p><br></p><ul><li>Run weekly KPI meeting</li><li>Surface issues early</li><li>Contain operational fires</li><li>Enforce deadlines across departments</li><li>Recommend performance improvements when needed</li></ul><p><br></p><p>You will report directly to ownership and oversee certain departments.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Required Experience</strong></p><p><br></p><ul><li>5+ years in a product-based company</li><li>Hands-on inventory planning experience</li><li>ERP experience required (NetSuite strongly preferred)</li><li>Experience managing physical inventory and vendors</li><li>Experience building KPI dashboards</li><li>Comfortable in warehouse environments</li><li>Financial literacy (margin awareness, cost analysis)</li></ul><p><br></p><p>If you have only worked in services or software, this is not the role.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>What Success Looks Like (3–6 Months)</strong></p><p><br></p><ul><li>Inventory planning fully owned and improved</li><li>Weekly KPI dashboard operational</li><li>Warehouse metrics clearly tracked</li><li>Zendesk live with defined standards</li><li>Fewer operational escalations to ownership</li><li>Clear visibility into margins and operational health</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>Compensation & Benefits</strong></p><ul><li>Salary range: TBD depending on experience</li><li>Performance-based bonus</li><li>60% employer-paid health coverage</li><li>401(k) with 4% match</li><li>Paid vacation and sick time</li><li>Life insurance</li><li>Profit sharing</li></ul><p><br></p><p>If you want to help run and improve a growing 25-person product business, and are ready to own performance, we’d like to hear from you.</p>

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