Head of Procurement & Product Sourcing — Solar, Energy Efficient & Home Appliances

Job Summary

The Head of Procurement & Product Sourcing will play a pivotal role in building a pioneering climate-tech venture focused on solar, energy-efficient products, and home appliances. This is a founding role responsible for establishing the sourcing engine from the ground up, working closely with the early-stage team to identify, evaluate, and develop supplier relationships across India and China. The successful candidate will translate consumer needs into commercially viable products, manage end-to-end supply chain processes, and support the company's goal to scale rapidly from 0→1 and then 1→10, contributing significantly to the venture’s growth and impact.

Responsibilities

• Build the procurement and sourcing function from inception (0→1) and develop supplier systems to support scaling (1→10).
• Collaborate with the founder, category, and product teams to convert customer needs into detailed product specifications and target costs.
• Lead OEM discovery and supplier development across India and China, including factory identification, evaluation, sampling, prototyping, and validation.
• Activate and leverage an established network of OEMs, manufacturers, and distributors to accelerate sourcing cycles, negotiate favorable terms, and facilitate product iteration.
• Decide whether to source existing white-labelled products, customize, or develop new products from scratch.
• Conduct should-cost analysis, negotiate MOQ, tooling costs, payment terms, lead times, and working capital requirements.
• Oversee product testing and certification processes such as BIS and BEE, ensuring quality standards and acceptable failure/rejection rates.
• Plan and manage warranty, repairs, spare parts, and after-sales support to ensure customer satisfaction and economic viability.
• Manage the end-to-end supply chain without owning manufacturing facilities, ensuring timely delivery and quality.
• Negotiate long-term OEM relationships, build supplier redundancy, and develop scalable supplier relationships.
• Work closely with category and marketplace teams to align procurement activities with demand forecasts, launch timelines, and inventory management.

Qualifications

• Minimum 7+ years of procurement/product-sourcing experience in solar, energy-efficient products, or consumer hardware such as small or large home appliances.
• Proven experience sourcing products from India and China, with an established network of OEMs, manufacturers, and distributors in both markets.
• Demonstrated success in taking products end-to-end from consumer need to scaled production, including specification, OEM discovery, sampling, negotiations, and certification.
• Hands-on experience in building sourcing bases and supplier processes for 0→1 and 1→10 product journeys.
• Strong understanding of early-stage product development realities: speed, low initial volumes, MOQ constraints, working capital discipline, rapid iteration, and supplier risk.
• Ability to assess and negotiate across white-label, ODM/OEM, and custom product development.
• Expertise in should-cost analysis, BOM economics, tooling costs, lead times, and payment terms.
• Familiarity with product testing, certifications (BIS, BEE), and factory-level quality control standards.
• Experience in planning for warranty, repairs, spare parts, and after-sales support.
• High ownership mindset, with the ability to operate independently and build the procurement function from scratch.

Preferred Skills

• Strong negotiation and relationship management skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, early-stage environment with limited resources.
• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Knowledge of the renewable energy and climate-tech sectors.
• Experience working with startups or in venture-building environments.

Experience

• 7+ years of relevant procurement and product sourcing experience, particularly in consumer hardware, energy-efficient products, or related sectors.
• Proven track record of sourcing from India and China and managing supplier relationships at scale.
• Experience in early-stage product development and scaling operations from 0→1 and 1→10.