Strategic Operations Manager (PupGum)

Who We Are

Spot & Tango is an innovative pet health & wellness brand that delivers personalized meal plans on a subscription basis. Our recipes are developed by leading animal nutritionists and are made with only real, human-grade ingredients... and nothing artificial! We have lofty goals (to make every dog in the country healthier, and every pet parent happier!) and we are looking for the right people to help us get there. This is an exciting opportunity to join a VC-backed, high-growth, e-commerce startup and have an outsized impact in an extremely fast-paced environment. Plus, you get to think about dogs all day! 

Who You Are

You’re a builder. You’re analytical and naturally curious - you’re constantly looking for ways to improve processes. You are extremely scrappy and willing to roll up your sleeves to get things done. You’re equally comfortable with high level strategic thinking and detail oriented operations work. You’re highly organized and comfortable working with unstructured data sources, undeterred by ambiguous problem-solving. You thrive in an independent role, taking ownership of projects and driving them forward without needing hand-holding. You are an exceptional cross-functional collaborator who can spearhead complex projects with many different stakeholders. You’re excited about the opportunity to own the operations of a fast-growing, innovative brand end-to-end.

The Role

You will be responsible for owning the end-to-end operations of our recently launched dental chew brand, PupGum. PupGum is our first-of-its-kind dog dental chew with clinically proven compounds that freshen dog breath and clean teeth. You will be responsible for ensuring that we can scale the brand efficiently, collaborating closely with stakeholders across the organization and working hands-on with partners across our supply chain. This is the first strategic operations role dedicated to PupGum and is an incredible opportunity to build a high-differentiated and fast-growing brand from the ground up.

Responsibilities: 

• Strategic Operations Roadmap - Develop and execute roadmap of strategic initiatives to improve margin, support scale, and improve the product and customer experience; initiatives may span product innovation, research and development, procurement strategy, price-pack architecture, fulfillment optimization, and more. Partner with cross-functional teams to support broader initiatives for the brand, including product portfolio expansion, new channels, and geographic expansion.
• Sales & Operations Planning - Lead the S&OP process in close collaboration with marketing, finance, and executive leadership to support short and long-term growth objectives. Drive scenario planning and demand modeling to evaluate the impact of key initiatives (e.g., marketing promotions, budget scaling, new channel launches). Translate those key inputs and supply considerations to provide clear recommendations to senior leadership and drive cross-functional alignment.
• Inventory Management - Develop and manage inventory and purchasing plans using historical sales data, demand forecasts, and supplier lead times. Own purchase order execution end-to-end, including ERP entry, supplier coordination, problem solving when unexpected issues come up, and shipment scheduling. Partner with logistics and fulfillment teams to ensure inventory availability aligns with demand.
• Vendor Management - Manage strategic relationships with manufacturing and supply partners to support production planning, product development, and continuous improvement. Identify and execute cost-saving opportunities, lead contract negotiations, and collaborate on long-term capacity planning; travel on-site as needed.
• Customer & Consumer Insights - Translate customer and consumer insights into actionable improvements across product quality and innovation. Analyze feedback and performance metrics such as retention, NPS, and claims data, and combine with qualitative and quantitative consumer research to inform product innovation and R&D roadmaps. 

Qualifications:

• 2+ years of experience at a top-tier management/strategy consulting firm; experience working in the consumer goods, food, or retail industry is a plus 
• 2+ years of experience in an operating role at  a growth-stage startup (e.g., strategic operations, product manager, product innovation / development); experience with consumer and/or subscription businesses is a plus
• Exceptional analytical abilities (experience in Excel required, familiarity with data visualization tools like Omni or Tableau preferred) 
• Experience building and owning demand forecast and inventory models preferred
• Bachelor's degree or higher from top-tier university; ideally majoring in business, statistics, mathematics, engineering, economics, or a related field
• Proven ability to manage multiple initiatives independently, prioritize effectively, and drive projects from concept to execution
• Exceptional work ethic and ability to independently create and drive workstreams in a fast-paced, deadline-driven startup environment
• Comfortable working and communicating with employees at senior levels of the organization, including the CEO, COO, and other senior leaders
• Self-starter who is comfortable with ambiguity and able to react quickly to changing priorities
• Dog lovers are a plus!

This is a hybrid position based in our Midtown Manhattan office. In office presence is required on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.