Vice President, Operations

About This Role

As Vice President of Operations, you will be a key member of Mixbook’s leadership team, driving operational excellence to support our growth. You’ll lead end-to-end operations, supply network design,  supplier relationships, and fulfillment execution strategies to deliver premium quality, seamless customer experience and economies of scale. This role is critical in ensuring we meet and exceed customer expectations while scaling operations efficiently and sustainably.

Why now? Mixbook has reached a level of scale where more senior leadership is needed to build out the team, tools and processes to enable our next level of growth. Mixbook is now the #1 in photo books, and our investment in AI the past few years has paid off in accelerated growth. This reports directly to the CEO.

What are we looking for? We need a strategic and hands-on builder and leader to create the team, tools and processes for our next level of scale: hiring the best talent, leading change in close partnership with the rest of the executive team, designing new tools & processes, and driving results that drive the business.

What You’ll Do

• Strategic Leadership: Define and execute the long-term global operating strategy, aligned with Mixbook’s growth and customer-focused objectives.
• Global Supplier Network Management: Build, manage, and optimize relationships with a global network of suppliers and manufacturers to ensure quality, cost-efficiency, and reliability.
• Financial Responsibility: Responsible for operational and financial performance for our products, driving economies of scale that translate into increasing margins and profitability. 
• Fulfillment & Logistics: Oversee end-to-end fulfillment operations, ensuring on-time delivery, superior quality, and seamless customer experiences.
• Process Optimization: Apply expertise in Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain Management, and Operations Research to develop scalable and cost-effective systems to drive operational efficiencies.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Leverage data and analytics to develop long-range operational plans, optimize demand & supply planning, investigate root causes of performance gaps, identify improvement opportunities,  and proactively mitigate risks across the global supply network.
• Sustainability Leadership: Implement sustainable practices in procurement and logistics, supporting Mixbook’s commitment to environmental stewardship.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Finance, Product, Customer Experience, and Marketing teams to align operations with customer expectations and business goals and drive results.
• Team Leadership: Build, lead and mentor a high-performing team, fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.

What You’ll Need

• Extensive experience in operations management, including experience in internal operations, supplier operations, transportation management, preferably 15+ years with increasing responsibility.
• Proven track record in managing global supply networks, particularly in the ecommerce, publishing or retail industries.
• Experience in on-demand printing is a strong plus.
• Deep expertise in inventory management, demand forecasting, and logistics optimization.
• Experience with enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and supply chain analytics tools.
• Demonstrated ability to negotiate and manage relationships with international partners and suppliers.
• Strong leadership skills, with experience managing large, diverse teams across multiple locations.
• Exceptional strategic thinking capabilities, able to align supply chain operations with overall business goals.
• Strong relational abilities - able to establish strong working relationships with CEOs and owners of our partner companies and lead a network of strong personalities to drive results.
• Knowledge of international trade regulations, customs procedures, and global shipping practices.
• Excellent hands-on problem-solving skills, particularly in handling supply chain disruptions,optimizing efficiency and active risk management.
• Financial acumen, including experience with budgeting and cost management for large-scale operations.
• Ability to build solid business cases to support operational improvements, staffing, technology expenditures.
• Familiarity with sustainability practices in supply chain management.
• Advanced degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations Research, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Certifications such as APICS CSCP (Certified Supply Chain Professional) or CPSM (Certified Professional in Supply Management) could be beneficial.