Fashion Partnerships Manager (Buying/Merchandising Background) – Stealth Fashion-Tech Startup

Are you a Fashion Retail Insider ready to shape the future of tech-enabled styling? We are a well-funded, early-stage fashion-tech startup building a high-end, AI-driven discovery and virtual fitting platform. We are reimagining how South Africans shop—bridging the gap between independent boutique discovery and seamless, multi-store, single-checkout technology. We aren't looking for a typical salesperson. We are looking for a Fashion Partnerships Manager who understands the math of retail, the pain of inventory turns, and the real-world frustration of high return rates. The Mission: You will be the bridge between our platform and the South African retail ecosystem. You will onboard our first 50 "Founding Partners" (independent designers, boutiques, and curated retail labels) by speaking their language—GMV, conversion, basket size, and customer retention. What You’ll Own: Consultative Acquisition: You won’t be "pitching tech"; you’ll be solving retail problems. You will show boutique owners how AI-powered silhouette matching and virtual fitting can turn their "abandoned carts" into realized revenue. Strategic Outreach: Leverage your existing network of designers, buyers, and boutique principals to fast-track partnerships. Partner Success: Act as the internal champion for our retailers, ensuring their inventory is integrated seamlessly into our platform. Playbook Development: As an early team member, you will help us define the process for how we acquire, onboard, and retain high-value fashion partners. Who You Are (The "Retail Insider"): You speak "Retail": You have 3+ years of experience as a Fashion Buyer, Merchandise Planner, Allocator, or Brand Account Manager. You have the Rolodex: You have a warm, active network of independent designers, boutique owners, or retail category managers in South Africa. You have "Entrepreneurial Grit": You are comfortable in an agile, fast-paced startup environment. You enjoy building processes from scratch rather than just executing on a pre-defined script. You love Tech-Forward Fashion: You are passionate about how AI, virtual fitting, and digital platforms are solving the historical inefficiencies of traditional retail. Why Join Us? The Problem: You know how hard it is to move dead stock and reduce returns. We’ve built the solution. The Stage: We are currently in our founding phase. This is an opportunity to join at the ground floor and influence how South African fashion interacts with AI. The Impact: You will directly help independent designers and boutiques scale their digital footprint.