Operations Manager – Founder/Entrepreneurial Experience

Manage a Team of Ops Associates for a fast-growing NYC-based custom apparel start-up (Remote)

Hi, this is Arpana , one of the founding members of Fresh Prints.

In December 2016, I came across a job post on Naukri from Jacob Goodman, one of the co-owners of Fresh Prints. They were looking for someone to lead Operations in India. The post had already been taken down, but I decided to send Jacob an email anyway. To my surprise, he replied, and soon I found myself stepping into what would become a life-changing opportunity.

During the interview process, it became clear just how new everything was. There was no office, no payroll system, no established infrastructure. But what stood out was Jacob and Josh's unwavering belief in the vision they had for Fresh Prints. They didn't have all the answers, but their passion was contagious, and I knew I wanted to help build something from the ground up.

So I jumped in. I found an office, figured out payroll, and even brought in my childhood best friend to help get things started. Those early days were full of unknowns, but that's what made them so exciting. I got to wear multiple hats, solve problems on the fly, and help build something tangible. What started as a team of two soon grew into teams across Finance, Tech, and Marketing.

As the first employee of Fresh Prints India, I've had the privilege of helping shape the company from its earliest days. After taking a short break to have my daughter, I returned to lead HR and Recruiting. Since then, we've grown from a scrappy startup into a team of 400+ people across three countries. But even today, we still believe it's day one.

One of the moments I'm most proud of was how we navigated COVID-19 together. Overnight, universities shut down, events stopped, and we went from million-dollar months to zero revenue.

But we'd spent years preparing for uncertainty. From day one, we believed our balance sheet had to be a strength, so we always planned to be able to operate for at least a year without revenue or layoffs. When COVID hit, we were scared, but we were prepared.

Then we adapted. As demand for PPE surged, we pivoted from custom apparel to supplying protective equipment. It wasn't just about keeping the business alive—it was about meeting a real need. That willingness to move quickly and solve problems together helped us come out stronger while many companies were simply trying to survive.

The opportunities that were available to me when I joined as the first employee are still here today—in fact, they're even bigger. We're at an exciting point in our journey, and we're looking for people who want to have a real impact on what comes next.

If you're someone who sees opportunity and isn't afraid to chase it, this is the role for you. We're looking for people with an entrepreneurial mindset who take ownership, challenge the norm, and enjoy solving problems without a playbook. At Fresh Prints, there are no limits—but if you're looking for a role with a clear set of instructions, this probably isn't it.

If our story resonates, we want to hear from you!

Here's more about the Operations Manager role:

The operations team handles the most crucial part of the business and is directly responsible for every step in delivering the end product to our customers.

How do we build a team that drives the business forward?

How do we motivate Operations Associates to respond to a higher volume of tickets at an even higher quality?

How do you most efficiently manage incoming requests from printers, customers, and Campus Managers?

How can we reduce our costs and increase our profit margins overall?

As a member of the Operations Leadership team, you’ll be a driving force behind moving our Operations team forward. You will own an entire area and have a team of people to lead and motivate. You will set and track metrics by which your success will be measured.

We’re looking for someone who has fantastic people management skills, is a quick learner, and isn’t afraid to take on challenges daily. This is a high-impact role that requires excellent leadership and prioritization abilities. We’re on a remarkable growth trajectory and as Fresh Prints grows, you will too. You will be given the autonomy and guidance to have a tremendous impact on your role.

You’ll be managing a talented team of 3 to 7 associates, depending on which team you lead.

Responsibilities

Fully own a part of our supply chain. That includes any projects, requests from other functions, headcount planning, helping the team realise its full potential and making it future-proof

Managing a team of Ops Associates