Vegrow - Head - Exports & Imports Logistics

Exports and Imports Logistics Head

Vegrow focuses on matchmaking across demand and supply for fruits, aggregating multiple channels (wholesalers/semi-wholesalers, modern trade, and general trade) in 100 cities on the demand side and 30,000+ farmers on the supply side. Through its unique community advisory approach, Vegrow digitally engages with farmers across 400+ production pockets and helps them align with market expectations and get better yield, thereby higher income.

It processes more than 400 tons of fruits daily. The company has grown significantly in the last 12 months with industry leading gross margins of ~20%. The growth has been unlocked on the back of its deep tech and data stack across the value chain. It has built capabilities to harness farmer chatter, estimate farmland produce and measure demand across Tier-I, Tier-II and Tier-III markets.

Vegrow founders are extremely passionate about Agri-domain and come from a very strong pedigree of IITs and have a rich corporate and start-up experience along with domain expertise owing to their stint in ITC, Urban Company, AgroStar and Chronus. It is a fast-growing company and has scaled to over 450-member young and passionate team with a very strong leadership who are ex-entrepreneurs with a blend of Agri & non-Agri expertise coming from successful organizations viz. Godrej, Reliance, ITC, Microsoft etc.

The company has raised US$46M in its Series C primary and secondary funding in January 2024.This new funding round has been led by GIC, Singapore's sovereign wealth fund, with significant participation from existing investor Prosus Ventures and continued support from Matrix Partners India, Elevation Capital, and Lightspeed.

Role: Exports and Imports Logistics Head

Location: Mumbai / Bangalore

Key Responsibilities:

1. Strategy Development:

- Develop and implement strategic plans for sea logistics to support Vegrow's growth and business goals and objectives in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia

- Optimize order allocation to various sea carriers to ensure timely, cost-effective delivery and customer satisfaction

- Stay ahead of global shipping trends, adjust strategies to mitigate risks, and capitalize on opportunities

2. Relationship Management:

- Build strong relationships with sea carriers, freight forwarders, and other key operations partners

- Negotiate contracts and service agreements to secure the best terms and conditions

- Collaborate with internal teams to ensure alignment with overall supply chain and business strategies

3. Cost Management:

- Conduct regular cost analysis and benchmarking to maintain competitive advantage

- Identify and implement cost-saving initiatives

- Manage budget and financial planning

4. Operational Excellence:

- Monitor and manage the performance of sea logistics operations to ensure high service quality and efficiency levels

- Implement best practices and continuous improvement initiatives

- Ensure robust tracking and reporting mechanisms are in place to monitor logistics performance and key metrics

5. Compliance and Risk Management:

- Ensure compliance with all relevant regulations, standards, and best practices in sea logistics and international shipping

- Develop and enforce policies and procedures to mitigate risks related to the transportation of perishable goods

- Stay updated on global regulatory changes and their potential impact on sea logistics operations

6. Leadership and Team Development:

- Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team.

- Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement within the team

- Set clear performance expectations and provide regular feedback and development opportunities

7. Other capability development:

- Develop air capability wherever needed

- Deploy first-mile solutions to support procurement from seasonal sourcing pockets

Experience & Qualifications:

- Bachelor/Master's degree in Business Administration, International Trade, Supply Chain Management, or a related field.

- Minimumof8yearsofexperience in export-import operations, preferably within the fruits or perishable goods industry.

- Strong knowledge of international trade regulations, customs procedures, and logistics.

- Excellent organizational and problem-solving skills.

- Strong communication and negotiation skills.

- Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic start-up environment.

Why work with us :

At VeGrow we promise to maximize what you care about the most. You will get an opportunity to work in a highly collaborative, empowered environment which will allow you to learn , experiment and grow. Here every employee is encouraged to be audacious, innovative, entrepreneurial, purpose driven in order to create a legacy of their own.

So come and be a part of this exciting journey where you get an opportunity to unlock your potential so You Grow and together ' VeGrow'