OEM Sourcing & Merchandising Specialist
About The Position
The OEM Sourcing & Merchandising Specialist manages international OEM sourcing and merchandising, including identifying overseas manufacturers, developing products, negotiating pricing, and overseeing sourcing from sampling through final production. The role involves international travel to visit manufacturers and domestic travel to attend trade shows. The specialist also researches market trends and product opportunities, works with internal design and sales teams on product development, evaluates costs and margins, supports product assortments and launches, and analyzes competitors and market demand. Additional duties include assisting with wholesale assortments and catalog management and supporting B2B wholesale platform operations, including Faire, as the business expands.
Requirements
- At least 3 years of experience in international product sourcing, OEM manufacturing, purchasing, or merchandising.
- Hands-on experience working directly with overseas manufacturers.
- Understanding of OEM production processes, product costing, and supplier price negotiations.
- Experience managing product samples, production schedules, and supplier communications.
- Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
- Ability and willingness to travel internationally and domestically within the United States for business.
Nice To Haves
- Experience in toys, plush products, gifts, character merchandise, or consumer goods.
- Experience working with manufacturers in China and other Asian countries.
- Knowledge of international shipping, import procedures, and production quality control.
- Experience attending domestic and international trade shows.
- Familiarity with or experience using Faire or other B2B wholesale platforms.
- Proficiency in Mandarin Chinese or Korean in addition to English.
Responsibilities
- Identify overseas OEM manufacturers and suppliers and establish business relationships.
- Source new products and evaluate manufacturers’ production capacity, quality, and price competitiveness.
- Negotiate product costs, minimum order quantities, production lead times, and payment terms.
- Coordinate product samples, revisions, and production schedules.
- Manage OEM sourcing projects from initial product inquiries through final production.
- Monitor supplier performance, product quality, and on-time delivery.
- Research alternative suppliers to reduce costs, improve quality, and increase sourcing efficiency.
- Research market trends and identify new product opportunities.
- Collaborate with internal design and sales teams on new product development.
- Review product costs, selling prices, and profit margins.
- Support product assortment planning and new product launches.
- Analyze competitor products, pricing, and market demand.
- Visit overseas factories, meet with suppliers, and attend sourcing exhibitions.
- Attend U.S. trade shows to research products, suppliers, and market trends.
- Build and maintain long-term relationships with manufacturers and industry partners.
- Evaluate new sourcing opportunities and follow up with prospective suppliers.
- Assist with wholesale product assortments and product catalog management as needed.
- Support B2B wholesale platform operations, including Faire, as the business expands.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Education Level
No Education Listed
