Job Description
A senior advisory role acting as a bridge between Western leadership and China-based teams. Not a sourcing agent, not a replacement for existing local supply chain staff. Functions as translator of intent, diagnostician, and founder sparring partner.
Responsibilities
- Diagnose on-the-ground supply chain reality via time with local team and key suppliers.
- Identify where/why NL–China communication and execution break down; speak bluntly including when issue is on Western side.
- Help design/test non-standard supply chain models against real feasibility, hidden costs, and ignored commitments.
- Translate low-context vs high-context communication both ways; coach early escalation of bad news.
- Flag risks (interest conflicts, compliance, supplier health) invisible from abroad.
Requirements
Must-Haves
- 10+ years living/doing business in China; personally managed suppliers/factories/operations (not just visited).
- Professional Mandarin (negotiate without interpreter).
- Comfortable delivering unpopular truths to Western founders.
- Full transparency: no undisclosed financial ties to introduced suppliers/agents/factories (hard gate; reference-checked).
- Chinese and English as working language
Pluses
- Experience with European (esp. Dutch/Benelux) firms and direct communication style.
- Built non-FOB supply/fulfilment architectures.
- EU last-mile/customs/VAT-IOSS knowledge.
Location
- (Shenzhen, Guangzhou, or wider Pearl River Delta preferred
Nature: Freelance / Fractional senior advisor, not a full-time perm role.
Phase 1: 4–6 week paid diagnostic project: visit China team and 1–2 key suppliers, deliver a frank written assessment (what works in the model, where it breaks, what HQ cannot see, whether the new supply chain concept is viable).
Phase 2: If mutual fit: convert to long-term fractional retainer (e.g. X days/month) as standing advisor and "bridge." Reports to: Directly to tje Founder.
Billing: By day rate or monthly retainer, quoted by candidate; client explicitly states "rather pay properly for a senior person than cheaply for someone who needs managing."
Deliverables: Written diagnostic assessment + ongoing bridge/diagnosis/coaching support.