Soft Goods Project and Operations Manager

📱 About Us

We are Mous. People deserve tech and lifestyle products that are fit for purpose, perform as promised and allow them to be their best. So we are building the go-to brand refreshingly focused on product so people can have just that. We have consistently built our in-house expertise and spent millions in research and development on our relentless pursuit to making the best products possible. Over the past ten years we have flipped the tech accessory market on its head, raising the standards and people's expectations. We've made cases that can protect phones dropped from cranes, engineered magnetic accessory ecosystems before MagSafe even launched, partnered with Google to make super thin cases, developed impact materials and waterproof constructions to make backpacks that confidently protect laptops and we're only just getting started!

We're creating products that empower people to be their best, whether they're on a wild adventure or commuting through the city. No matter what your everyday life looks like you can trust our products to remove frustrations, expand your experiences and help you to live without limits.

👨‍💻 About the Role

We're excited to announce an opportunity for a Soft Goods Project and Operations Managerto be a part of our expanding team, with a unique opportunity to be our first hire in Indonesia! As we grow both steadily and swiftly, we're embarking on numerous new projects. For these ventures, we require a dedicated individual who will play a pivotal role in managing and developing our soft goods projects, specifically luggage and backpacks. Please note that although this role is primarily based in Indonesia, there will be frequent travel to China and other Southeast Asian regions.

👋 About You

As Soft Goods Project and Operations Manager, you will be at the core of our innovative product development, ensuring projects are executed seamlessly from concept to completion. Your role will be pivotal in coordinating, managing, and overseeing projects, leveraging your technical understanding of production processes, planning, costs, quality standards, and supplier relationship management to secure additional support. You will collaborate closely with NPD teams, Designers, Engineers, Production Planning and Control, Sourcing, and Quality teams.

We have exciting projects lined up for you, so you'll need to hit the ground running and quickly familiarise yourself with our core project management and product development processes. This role requires a blend of technical acumen, organisational skills, and project management expertise. Your ability to manage supplier relationships and ensure quality standards will be crucial in driving our projects forward.

🔑 Key Responsibilities

• EPM Management: Lead the Engineering Project Management (EPM) function to implement best practices and ensure efficient project execution.
• Project Development: Act as the first point of contact in the production team that is responsible for supporting the development of soft goods projects, particularly luggage and backpacks.
• Continuous Improvement: Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance the product development process.
• Risk Management: Identify and assess risk areas for project completion, raising concerns to key stakeholders promptly.
• Issue Resolution: Monitor ongoing issues, support the organisation of key meetings, and ensure timely resolution of problems.
• Project Delivery: Ensure all projects are delivered on time and meet specifications.
• Product Lifecycle Management: Manage product lifecycle, monitor customer experience (CX) and quality control (QC) data, and communicate any concerns to the process engineering team.
• Cross-Functional Support: Provide key support to the Engineering team, ensuring accurate recording and communication of project details across functions.

➕ Additional Responsibilities

• As our China office's eyes and ears on the ground with our manufacturing partners, this role will also support various functions from time to time, including:

Sourcing:

• Vendor Sourcing and Qualification: Assist in identifying new suppliers within Indonesia. Help in preliminary supplier qualification by reviewing available information - product catalogues, company profiles, etc. Support initial contact with potential suppliers to gather necessary information, including capabilities, capacities, certificates, etc.

• Vendor Evaluation and Reporting: Post training of process and standards, help plan on-site evaluations. Conduct or participate in on-site evaluations of manufacturing facilities, process control, QMS, etc. Provide detailed reports of findings from on-site evaluations.

Quality:

• Product Development: On-site support testing in locations such as Tasindo or ULI. Sample review and collect feedback to vendors. Review quality documentation for new projects and share inspection guidance with vendors' quality team. Follow up on ad-hoc issues such as RoHS and REACH testing failures.

• Bulk Inspection: Inline inspection, raw material inspection, finished goods inspection, and third-party QC dotted line management. Communicate third-party inspection results and perform on-site verification.

Planning and Control Support:

• Production Coordination: Work with the supplier to understand current production status and timelines. Ensure daily production output aligns with the current allocation dates promised. Track material arrival timelines, help with communication on invoicing and payment requirements, check material stock levels, and raise any issues to our Production Manager.

🤝 Team Responsibilities:

• Initially, this role will not include direct management responsibilities, but this may evolve within the year. Work closely with the NPD (New Product Development) team, Designers, Engineers, Production Planning and Control, Sourcing, and Quality teams. Consult with key stakeholders for each project and communicate directly with suppliers to understand development and production timelines.

First 3 Months Expectations:

• Extended Onboarding Trip: Spend a minimum of one month in China for extended onboarding. This will involve integrating with the team and understanding all current projects.

• Team Integration: Learn more about each function and the potential support that may be required.

• Process Familiarisation: Get up to speed with our NPD process, product development timelines, and software.

• Communication and Process Assessment: Identify any current communication issues or process inefficiencies.

• Supplier Relationships: Begin building strong relationships with our current suppliers.

First 6 Months Expectations:

• Project Leadership: Take full responsibility for managing soft goods projects from concept to completion.
• Continuous Improvement: Implement improvements in the product development process based on initial observations.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Ensure seamless collaboration with NPD teams, Designers, Engineers, Production Planning and Control, Sourcing, and Quality teams.
• Process Optimization: Address any identified communication and process issues, implementing solutions to streamline operations.
• Supplier Management: Strengthen relationships with suppliers and ensure they meet our quality and timeline standards.
• Reporting and Feedback: Provide regular updates to stakeholders and gather feedback to drive further improvements.

✔️ How will success be measured?

• All projects delivered within agreed timelines.
• Effective resolution of issues between all stakeholders in a timely manner.
• Proactive risk management, with concerns raised about product timeline or quality.
• Clear understanding and prioritisation of projects.
• Efficient management of timelines and project details using PM tools (Wrike, Teams).
• Implementation of best practices across different categories.

🤓 Skills Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, or a related field.
• Strong project management skills with a deep understanding of project management methodologies.
• Proficiency in project management software tools (e.g., Wrike, Trello, Microsoft Project).
• Knowledge of soft goods development, particularly luggage and backpacks.
• Strong cross-functional team communication and coordination abilities.
• Problem-solving and analytical skills, with an innovative and proactive approach.
• Attention to detail, with the ability to lead data collection and analysis to reduce variation.
• Ability to work in an international environment and willingness to travel, primarily in Southeast Asia.
• Effective communication skills and self-motivation.
• Fluent in English, both verbal and written.
• Strong teamwork abilities.
• Confidence to lead a team independently based on project requirements.
• PMP certification (nice to have).
• Knowledge of product life management (nice to have).

Impact:

This role is critical in ensuring the timely delivery of our development projects. It directly influences the timeline for tooling development and first allocation.

Application Process:

If you are a dedicated and skilled project manager with a passion for soft goods development and a desire to work in a dynamic, international environment, we would love to hear from you. Apply now to join our team and contribute to our success.

🎉 About Our Offer

Here's some more information about working at Mous:

• Competitive Compensation: We offer a competitive starting salary that reflects your experience and the value you bring to Mous.

• Dynamic Work Culture: Mous has fun yet focused work culture. Join a team of friendly professionals committed to fostering a high-performance, data-driven environment. Here, innovation thrives, and teamwork is paramount.

• Growth and Development Opportunities: At Mous, we encourage you to dream big, work diligently, and actively make things happen. We support radical growth and development through new experiences, fostering an environment where innovative thinking is the norm.

• Professional Development Perks: Professional growth is a priority at Mous. We run regular 'Mousterclasses' where teams share their expertise across the business.

• Seamless Remote Collaboration: Working with Mous means you're an integral part of the team, no matter where in the world you are. We've streamlined communication between our global teams for efficient collaboration, ensuring you're a key participant in weekly company-wide meetings and virtual social activities (Pictionary, anyone?!).

• Long-Term Benefits: Loyalty and commitment are greatly valued at Mous. We reward this with one month of paid leave after 5 years of service, as a token of our appreciation for your dedication.

🐭 About Our Values

We have established 3 core values, which inform and enhance the way we work. We expect anyone joining the business to embrace these values as essential parts of Mous life, and we’re looking for people who will build upon them in fresh and inspiring ways.

• Get Results

By comprehending our business plan, each person can ensure that they are taking accountability for their contribution towards it. We value strategic prioritisation, ensuring that everyone is enabled to deliver their best work. We also champion traits such as innovation, grit and resilience – we think differently and aren’t afraid to fail.

• Work Together

We value collaboration highly, recognising that there’s a lot to be learned from each other, and are always prepared to listen. We encourage regular peer feedback, readily praising great work as well as challenging one another candidly. We like to celebrate what makes us both unique and united, committing to regular IDEA initiatives and finding opportunities to support our local communities.

• Enjoy The Ride

We invite everyone at Mous to grab new opportunities and find ways to make each role their own. Things can change fast in an unpredictable industry like ours, so we always want to stay agile. And of course we don’t just work hard – we also like to let our hair down and enjoy the more social aspects of being part of our brilliant team!

🌈 About Our Commitment

Mous is an equal opportunity employer, and as a brand, we value authenticity and integrity. We strive to be different and know that if we are to create the most innovative products and deliver the best customer experience, we need to build a diverse team of individuals who can bring a variety of skills, experiences, and perspectives to the table. No matter your age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, or physical ability, at Mous, your individuality is celebrated.

As a D2C business and heavy user of plastics, we understand (and take very seriously) our responsibility to the planet. To stay true to our word, we've placed "Planet" firmly in our key business objectives and have formed a dedicated team, alongside our cofounders, to build an ESG plan we're proud of. Ultimately, we want to create a better world through our actions and we're doing so across our products, how we transport from A to B, and socially.