Company Description
Susan Alexandra is a vibrant brand founded in 2014 by Susan Korn, rooted in the belief that color, humor, and self-expression make life more joyful. The brand began as a small jewelry business and achieved viral success with its signature, made-in-NYC beaded bags. Over time, it expanded into diverse categories, including Judaica, homeware, pet, and baby accessories. Susan Alexandra has partnered with renowned brands like Vans, Disney, Sweetgreen, and Warby Parker, and is dedicated to continuing its growth and creative exploration.
New York City — Full-Time — In-Person
ABOUT THE ROLE
Susan Alexandra is a New York City-based accessories and lifestyle brand built on a radical
premise: fashion should bring joy. Known for its candy-colored beaded bags and custom jewelry,
handcrafted in NYC by a community of artisans, the brand has built a fiercely loyal following
through creativity, community, and the belief that sparkle is for everyone. With two NYC stores
— Lower East Side and Madison Avenue — a growing wholesale business, and a thriving
e-commerce channel, the brand is at an inflection point.
We're looking for a Head of Operations to own the operational and financial backbone of the
company. This is a hands-on leadership role reporting directly to Founder Susan Korn.
You'll be responsible for the systems, processes, vendor relationships, and financial discipline that turn a
beloved brand into a durable business. You'll manage the P&L, optimize the supply chain, build
the infrastructure for multi-location retail, and lead a small, dedicated team.
This is not a role where you inherit clean systems and maintain them. You'll be building from the
ground up — inventory tracking, operational dashboards, vendor management, forecasting, and
reporting. If you've done this before at a growing consumer brand and you're energized by the
challenge of creating order from creative chaos, this is your role.
This is a self-funded, founder-led company with a deeply intentional culture. We don't do cruelty,
elitism, or exhaustion. We do accountability, creativity, and genuine care for the people who
make this brand what it is.
WHAT YOU'LL OWN
Operations & Financial Management
This is the core of the role. You are accountable for the operational P&L and responsible for
Own the operating budget across all locations and channels. Manage spend against targets
and flag variances before they become problems.
Build and maintain financial dashboards and reporting for leadership — revenue by channel,
gross margin, expense tracking, and cash flow visibility.
Lead forecasting and planning processes. The business should never be surprised by a
number.
Manage all vendor and subcontractor relationships — including reviewing scope, negotiating
terms, and ensuring every dollar of outside spend is justified.
Manage legal and compliance engagements to defined budgets and timelines.
Identify and execute cost optimization opportunities across the business. You will be
measured on margin improvement and operational efficiency, not just activity.
Inventory, Supply Chain & Fulfillment
The brand's products are handcrafted by NYC-based artisans. The supply chain is not a
commodity logistics operation — it requires genuine care for the maker community and an
understanding that handmade means variable timelines. Within that reality, there's significant
room to improve forecasting, reduce waste, and tighten the operation.
Own inventory management and allocation across e-commerce, two retail stores, and
wholesale.
Build and improve demand forecasting and purchasing processes to reduce stockouts and
excess inventory.
Manage production scheduling and vendor relationships across raw materials, finished
goods, packaging, and freight.
Drive fulfillment performance — speed, accuracy, return processing, and shipping cost
optimization.
Reduce production backlogs and improve delivery timelines while honoring the handmade
nature of the product.
Multi-Location Retail Operations
Lead operational integration between Orchard Street and Madison Avenue — inventory
systems, staffing models, reporting, and SOPs.
Support omni-channel capabilities (ship-from-store, BOPIS) and ensure real-time inventory
accuracy across channels.
Develop standardized training programs, operational manuals, and processes that allow
each store to deliver the full Susan Alexandra experience — community events, Charmacie,
bead nights, the custom pet program — consistently and at a high standard.
Manage retail operational budgets and report on store-level profitability.
Systems & Infrastructure
Lead implementation and optimization of operational systems: inventory management,
merchandising platforms, financial tools, POS integration, and clienteling.
You'll be choosing, implementing, and maintaining the tools — not managing an IT team.
Comfort with Shopify, modern inventory systems, and financial tools is essential.
Ensure data flows cleanly between systems so that leadership has a single source of truth.
Customer Experience
Identify and resolve operational friction in the customer journey — online and in-store.
Partner with customer care to reduce inquiry volume through upstream operational fixes
(shipping visibility, order accuracy, return process).
Manage a small team across retail and operations. You'll own scheduling, performance
reviews, coaching, and day-to-day team leadership.
Partner with the Founder on hiring decisions, org design, and team structure as the
company grows.
Lead onboarding and training for new hires.
Handle employee relations matters directly and with care — including difficult conversations
when needed.
Foster a culture that is people-first, clear in expectations, and genuinely enjoyable to be part
of.
YOUR FIRST 90 DAYS
1. Audit everything. Understand the current state of inventory, vendor relationships,
subcontractor engagements, fulfillment operations, and financial reporting. Know where every
dollar goes.
2. Build the dashboard. Create a weekly/monthly operational and financial report that gives the
founder clear visibility into revenue, margins, expenses, and cash flow — by channel and by
location.
3. Quick wins on cost. Identify the 2-3 highest-leverage cost optimization opportunities (vendor
renegotiation, supply consolidation, fulfillment efficiency) and execute on them.
4. Map the team. Understand every role, clarify responsibilities, and identify gaps. Build a
12-month staffing plan.
MONTHS 4–12
Implement inventory management and forecasting system across all channels
Renegotiate key vendor and supplier contracts
Build SOPs for retail operations, fulfillment, and production management
Establish omni-channel inventory integration between stores and e-commerce
Develop onboarding and training frameworks
Own the 2027 operating budget and planning process
WHO YOU ARE
7–12 years of experience in operations, supply chain, or retail/e-commerce management at
a consumer brand. You've built operational infrastructure, not just managed existing
systems.
You've worked at a company in the $2–10M revenue range and understand what it means to
wear every hat. This isn't a big-company job with narrow lanes.
Deep knowledge of inventory management, fulfillment, and logistics — you've managed
vendor relationships, negotiated contracts, and optimized supply chains.
Financially literate. You can read a P&L, manage a budget, spot a margin problem, and build
a forecast. You don't need a finance team to tell you what the numbers mean.
Experience with Shopify and modern e-commerce/retail systems.
You've managed people and you're good at it — direct, caring, clear. You give honest
feedback and create an environment where people do their best work.
You love creative, founder-led brands. You understand that the founder's vision is the
product, and your job is to build the operational foundation that lets that vision scale.
You're energized by building from scratch. Ambiguity doesn't paralyze you — it motivates
you.