Job Description

Custom Jewelry Gem Specialist

ABOUT THE COMPANY

At CustomMade, we believe engagement rings should be as personal as the relationships they represent. We make it easy to create a ring that's both one-of-a-kind and affordable. Turns out people really like that and word is really spreading quickly! We've created 30,000 pieces of custom jewelry and helped 12,000 couples get engaged, but we're still just getting started reshaping the jewelry industry.

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

Our offering is built on a one-on-one, specialized, and custom design experience and service. As a Custom Jewelry Gem Specialist, you'll be at the heart of our gem sourcing process, responsible for selecting and procuring the right stone for each customer's project. You'll serve as the company's internal gem expert and primary decision-maker on stone selection, gem procurement, supplier management, and gem quality — supporting our customer-facing teams on all things related to gems.

This role's primary duties involve: gem sourcing and selection, purchasing and procurement, supplier (vendor) management, and quality assurance for stones. You'll be evaluated primarily on your ability to select stones that fit each customer's budget and preferences while meeting our quality standard. Because every project is custom, no two sourcing decisions are identical — you'll exercise significant discretion and independent judgment in evaluating options across our supplier network, weighing quality against cost, and making purchasing and quality decisions that directly impact customers and the business.

Essential role duties look like:

Gem sourcing & selection

• Evaluate stones across our supplier network and select the options presented to customers, applying gem expertise and judgment on quality, value, and fit with the customer's budget and preferences.
• Serve as the internal authority on gems — advising Project Managers and customers, and resolving gem-related questions and concerns on behalf of the company.
• Exercise judgment in high-stakes situations — for example, a stone that fails inspection, breaks in setting, or becomes unavailable close to a customer's deadline — including deciding among substitution, re-sourcing, or customer communication strategies.

Purchasing & procurement

• Make purchasing decisions for center stones and other gems, selecting the stone and supplier within company guidelines.
• Manage the procurement pipeline from order through delivery and storage, coordinating with suppliers and our in-office team.
• Identify and resolve procurement issues — delays, out-of-stock items, and reorders for stones that break in setting — and determine when project plans need to be adjusted.
• Purchase inventory stones, deciding what to stock based on demand, pricing, and supplier availability.

Supplier management

• Manage the company's day-to-day relationships with gem suppliers, including supplier performance, responsiveness, and quality.
• Identify, evaluate, and onboard new gem suppliers to strengthen our sourcing network.
• Review supplier invoices for accuracy, approve them for payment, and resolve invoicing discrepancies with suppliers.

Quality assurance

• Evaluate stones against our quality standards and determine whether they are acceptable for use in customer projects.
• Determine the appropriate resolution for gem quality issues — accepting, returning, or replacing a stone — and negotiate remediation with suppliers.
• Investigate and resolve customer concerns regarding stones, deciding on the appropriate remedy on behalf of the company.

Pricing & continuous improvement

• Review and update our gem estimates and pricing to ensure they are accurate and cost-competitive, recommending changes to management.
• Evaluate, recommend, and implement improvements to our sourcing, procurement, and quality processes; update internal gem guidance based on project experience.
• Advise management on supplier performance, market pricing trends, and recurring gem issues.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with team members, suppliers, and cross-functional partners.

This is a full-time, salaried, remote role. Though this role occasionally involves communicating with customers, it is primarily a non-customer-facing role.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:

• $60,000 – $62,000/yr
• This is a full-time role with full benefits (health, vision, dental)
• 401k match
• Employee jewelry discount
• Paid federal holidays and paid time off
• Standard business hours, Monday–Friday schedule

QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, & ABILITIES

• Excellent written communication skills, ability to communicate clearly
• Excellent organization skills, and attention to detail
• Jewelry experience
• Resourcefulness — the ability to make good decisions in the absence of perfect information
• Graduate Gemologist degree or previous Gemological Institute of America (GIA) course work
• Preferred but not required
  • Project management experience
  • Experience in gem sourcing or purchasing
  • Customer experience skills
  • Bachelor's degree from a competitive college/university

Interested in this role but don't meet all the requirements listed? We'd still love to hear from you! Apply and share why you think you're right for the job and what sets you apart.

CustomMade is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.

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