Luxury Marketplace Operations & High-Value Logistics Specialist

Description

VANDALUX is a pre-launch European marketplace for authenticated pre-owned luxury goods, including designer handbags, watches, jewellery and accessories.

We are looking for an experienced Luxury Marketplace Operations Specialist with practical experience in luxury resale, consignment, authentication, auction operations, high-value logistics/fulfilment or a related field.

This is not a general Project Manager or strategy-consulting role.

VANDALUX has already developed its proposed Commercial operating model and is in discussions with specialist providers covering authentication, secure logistics/custody, insured transport and related infrastructure.

We are not looking for someone to restart this work from zero. We need someone who can take the existing work forward, communicate directly with relevant providers/facilitators, close remaining operational gaps and help turn the different components into a simple, workable end-to-end transaction process.

Intended Transaction Model

Our proposed workflow is broadly:

Seller photos/details → preliminary remote authentication → transaction → secure collection/custody → controlled authentication evidence captured independently of Seller → final authentication → insured delivery to Buyer.

Where remote authentication is insufficient, an item may exceptionally require physical authentication.

The final workflow is still being validated with providers. The objective is a secure but operationally simple model suitable for initially low transaction volumes.

What We Need

The specialist may help:

coordinate directly with authentication, secure logistics, custody, insurance and other operational providers/facilitators;
close outstanding practical questions with those providers;
define responsibilities and handoffs between Seller, logistics/custody, authentication and Buyer;
establish practical item identity, intake, condition-recording and chain-of-custody procedures;
determine how controlled authentication photographs/evidence should be captured after an item leaves Seller control;
coordinate additional evidence requests and exceptional physical authentication;
define secure handling, dispatch, returns and failed-authentication/exception workflows;
consider custody and insurance continuity across handoffs;
identify and resolve genuine operational gaps without introducing unnecessary complexity or fixed costs.
Longer-Term Potential

We are not simply looking for a consultant to produce a report and leave.

If there is a strong fit, we would like this person potentially to continue with VANDALUX at Commercial Launch on a freelance, part-time or on-demand basis, coordinating real transactions/providers and potentially supporting the controlled physical-item workflow.

The specialist does not need to personally authenticate items. Authentication decisions will remain with specialist third-party providers. However, practical understanding of authentication operations, high-value item handling, evidence integrity and chain of custody is important.

Relevant backgrounds include luxury resale/consignment, auction houses, authentication operations, luxury inventory/quality control and high-value logistics/fulfilment. European/cross-border experience is particularly valuable.

Initial Paid Assignment

The initial assignment is deliberately limited. The selected specialist will:

Review a concise handover of our existing operating model and provider position.
Review the proposed transaction workflow.
Identify remaining practical operational gaps without repeating completed work.
Communicate with relevant providers/facilitators where clarification is needed.
Recommend the simplest workable Commercial transaction workflow, responsibilities and handoffs.
Identify any material operational blockers.
Discuss potential ongoing support at Commercial Launch.

We want practical, implementation-focused input, not a lengthy theoretical consultancy report.

The budget shown on this listing applies only to this initial assignment. It does not cover future Commercial Launch operations, ongoing transaction handling or a longer-term role. Any subsequent engagement will be scoped separately.

When Applying

Please briefly describe:

Your relevant luxury resale/consignment/authentication/auction/high-value operations experience.
Luxury categories you have worked with.
Experience with authentication, item intake, evidence/condition recording or chain of custody.
Experience coordinating logistics, authentication, custody, insurance or fulfilment providers.
Your location and European market experience.
Whether you could potentially provide ongoing/on-demand operational support at Commercial Launch.

Please focus on directly relevant operational experience rather than general project-management experience.