Open role · Full-time
Category VP, Supplier Operations
Obten needs someone who can walk into an Ambala factory and walk out with the truth.
Ambala, and wherever the factories areFull-timeFounder energy requiredNo corporate HR
How to applyWhat to expect
You will spend a meaningful portion of your first three months calling factory owners who do not know who Obten is, do not want to fill in a form, and are entirely correct to be skeptical. This is not a problem. This is the job.
Obten connects buyers abroad with manufacturers in India. Buyers can't visit the factories. You can.
What you'll do
- Call 20 to 30 Indian manufacturers a week. Many won't answer. Some will answer and immediately assume you're trying to sell them something. You are not. You will get better at this.
- Ask four questions in order. Question four is the important one.
- Visit factories in person, with the owner's permission. Photos first, then a video call, then a site visit. Document what you see.
- Write exactly what you observed. Never rate a factory unless asked. Never promise a buyer order. Never give a buyer's name to a supplier.
What you'll bring
- Some prior time talking to Indian manufacturers, procurement teams or B2B supply chain people, in any context.
- The patience to explain "we are not IndiaMART" four different ways to four different kinds of skeptics, and mean it each time.
- A sense for when a factory owner is telling you what you want to hear, and when they are telling you what is actually true about their operation.
- Comfort with the phrase: "I don't know yet. I'll find out and come back to you."
- WhatsApp. Definitely WhatsApp.
What we won't ask you to do
- Vouch for a supplier you haven't seen for yourself.
- Promise pricing, timelines or outcomes on behalf of a buyer.
- Use IndiaMART leads as a shortcut.
Compensation
We'll tell you. It depends on what you bring and what the company can sustain. That is a true sentence.
How to apply
No recruiter. No cover letter template. Use the form below and tell us about one factory owner you spoke to and what you actually found out about them. We read every application and reply on WhatsApp.