Job Title: Business Development – Footwear (Marketplace)
Location: Bengaluru
Experience: 2–5 years
Employment Type: Full-time | Work from Office
About POP
We’re POP, a new-age fintech company that’s making payments fun, rewarding, and totally worth it! With POP UPI, you can pay anyone, anywhere and earn POPcoins every time you do. Those POPcoins aren’t just points, they're real rewards you can use to shop, save, and score deals from over 500+ awesome brands. Founded in Bengaluru in 2023, we’re backed by Razorpay and partnered with YES Bank to bring India’s most rewarding payment experience. At POP, we believe every payment should give something back so we’re on a mission to make spending smarter, shopping more exciting, and rewards a part of everyone’s daily life.
Pay. Earn. Shop. Repeat. That’s the POP way!
Who Is This Role For?
This role is for a results-driven professional who thrives on building strong brand partnerships and driving marketplace growth. You have a keen understanding of the footwear industry, enjoy negotiating commercial deals, and can identify high-potential brands. You are proactive, data-driven, and eager to take ownership of end-to-end brand sourcing, onboarding, and category strategy in a fast-paced startup environment.
What You’ll Do
1. Marketplace Brand Sourcing & Onboarding
- Identify, evaluate, and onboard Tier 1 and Tier 2 footwear brands across sports, casual, fashion, and value segments.
- Drive onboarding through direct brand tie-ups, authorized distributors, and aggregators, based on brand readiness and scale potential.
- Own the end-to-end onboarding lifecycle: outreach → commercials → documentation → catalog readiness → go-live.
2. Brand Targeting & Assortment Strategy
- Build a footwear brand roadmap aligned to marketplace demand, price-point gaps, and category growth goals.
- Ensure complete assortment depth (core styles, colorways, full size curves) to maximize conversion and discovery.
- Balance portfolio between high-scale Tier 1 brands and high-growth Tier 2 / emerging brands.
3. Decision-Maker Discovery & Relationship Management
- Source brand decision-makers using LinkedIn, seller ecosystem intelligence, MCA/GST databases, trade fairs, and industry networks.
- Engage with Marketplace Heads, Key Account Managers, Sales Heads, Founders, and Channel Partners.
- Act as the single point of contact during onboarding and early lifecycle stabilization.
4. Commercials, Margins & Pricing Ownership
- Lead negotiations on margins, commissions, funding structures, and commercials to meet category contribution targets.
- Ensure marketplace-competitive pricing, price parity, and alignment on MRP and discounting strategy.
- Finalize onboarding models including Marketplace (JIT), Consignment, or Limited Outright, based on brand scale and supply reliability.
5. Marketplace Model Evangelisation
- Educate brands on marketplace economics, scale benefits, demand visibility, and data-led decision making.
- Convince brands to list with complete selection and consistent inventory availability.
- Drive participation in platform events, campaigns, and promotional levers without brand dilution.
6. Cross-Functional Marketplace Execution
- Coordinate with Category, Catalog, Supply Chain, Finance, Pricing, and Ops teams for seamless go-live.
- Ensure compliance with catalog quality standards, size accuracy, packaging, SLA, and logistics norms.
- Track onboarding timelines and resolve blockers to enable faster activation.
7. Post-Go-Live Performance & Optimization
- Monitor brand performance on sell-through, fill rate, cancellations, returns, and pricing index.
- Work with brands to optimize assortment, pricing, inventory depth, and replenishment.
- Drive corrective actions to improve conversion and contribution margin.
8. Market & Competitive Intelligence
- Track competitor marketplaces, pricing benchmarks, and assortment gaps in footwear.
- Identify emerging footwear brands and white spaces for future onboarding.
- Share insights to influence category strategy and annual brand acquisition plans.
What We’re Looking For
- 2–5 years of experience in business development, marketplace operations, or category management (footwear/e-commerce preferred)
- Strong negotiation, relationship management, and stakeholder engagement skills
- Analytical mindset with ability to make data-led decisions
- Understanding of marketplace models, pricing, and catalog management
- Excellent communication and cross-functional coordination skills
- Proactive, curious, and comfortable working in a fast-paced startup environment
What We Offer
- Opportunity to work with top footwear brands and shape the category strategy
- Hands-on experience in brand sourcing, onboarding, and marketplace operations
- Exposure to end-to-end commercial and operational aspects of e-commerce
- Mentorship from experienced leaders and cross-functional teams
- Fast-paced startup environment with strong growth and learning opportunities
How to Apply
Share your updated CV and a short note on why you’re excited about fashion and this role at popsterwanted@popclub.co.
Subject line: Business Development - Footwear