Production Manager

Head of Production

Location: Manhattan, New York
Employment Type: Full-Time
Salary: Based on Experience

Position Overview

A growing apparel company in Manhattan is seeking an experienced Head of Production & Merchandising to lead and take ownership of the complete apparel production process, from initial product development and costing through bulk production and final delivery.

This is a senior, hands-on leadership position for an apparel professional who understands every aspect of the business, including product development, sourcing, factory management, costing, merchandising, quality, compliance, logistics, and customer requirements.

The ideal candidate is highly organized, commercially minded, and comfortable managing multiple factories, programs, customers, and deadlines simultaneously. This person must be able to identify problems early, make decisions quickly, negotiate effectively, and ensure products are delivered correctly, on time, and at the right cost.

Key Responsibilities Production Management

• Oversee the complete production lifecycle from initial development through bulk production and final shipment.
• Manage multiple apparel programs simultaneously while maintaining quality, cost, and delivery expectations.
• Communicate directly with overseas factories and suppliers on a daily basis.
• Manage production timelines and ensure all programs remain on schedule.
• Maintain and oversee WIP reports, T&A calendars, purchase orders, production status reports, and delivery schedules.
• Identify potential production delays or issues early and work directly with factories to develop solutions.
• Ensure bulk production accurately reflects approved samples and customer specifications.
• Establish accountability across factories, vendors, and internal production teams.

Product Development & Approvals

• Review and manage tech packs, BOMs, garment construction, fabric specifications, trims, artwork, labeling, and packaging.
• Oversee development samples, fit samples, pre-production samples, TOP samples, and final approvals.
• Manage fabric, trim, color, wash, print, embroidery, packaging, and other production approvals.
• Work closely with design and product development teams to ensure concepts can be executed commercially and efficiently.
• Ensure specifications and production requirements are communicated clearly to factories.

Sourcing, Costing & Factory Management

• Manage product costing, factory negotiations, margins, and production pricing.
• Negotiate with overseas factories to achieve competitive pricing while maintaining quality standards.
• Maintain strong relationships with existing factories and suppliers.
• Continuously identify opportunities for better pricing, fabrics, capabilities, lead times, and manufacturing options.
• Evaluate factory capabilities and determine the appropriate production partners for individual programs.
• Identify opportunities to improve margins without compromising product quality or customer expectations.

Merchandising & Commercial Strategy

• Partner closely with sales on new programs, customer requests, costing opportunities, and product development.
• Help merchandise collections according to customer needs, price points, trends, and market opportunities.
• Understand what products are commercially viable for off-price, mass-market, mid-tier, and department-store customers.
• Evaluate product opportunities from both a merchandising and production perspective.
• Help ensure assortments balance trend, quality, customer requirements, manufacturing capabilities, and target margins.
• Support the development of private-label and retailer-specific programs.

Quality, Testing & Compliance

• Establish and maintain appropriate quality standards across production programs.
• Ensure bulk merchandise meets approved specifications and samples.
• Coordinate product testing, inspections, compliance requirements, and customer-specific standards.
• Work with factories to resolve quality issues before they impact delivery.
• Monitor production execution to minimize defects, claims, delays, and costly rework.

Logistics & Delivery

• Coordinate closely with logistics teams regarding cargo-ready dates and shipment requirements.
• Monitor bookings, containers, air shipments, and final delivery schedules.
• Ensure production timelines align with customer delivery requirements.
• Address production and logistics issues that could impact delivery dates.
• Maintain visibility into programs through final shipment and delivery.

Team Leadership

• Lead, organize, and develop the production and merchandising team.
• Establish clear processes, responsibilities, and accountability.
• Work cross-functionally with sales, design, product development, logistics, customers, factories, and senior leadership.
• Improve production systems and processes as the business continues to scale.
• Take ownership of major programs and ensure consistent follow-through from beginning to end.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of apparel production and/or merchandising experience.
• Significant experience working directly with overseas apparel factories.
• Strong understanding of the complete apparel development and production lifecycle.
• Extensive knowledge of garment construction, fabrics, trims, printing, embroidery, washes, packaging, and manufacturing techniques.
• Strong apparel costing, margin management, and factory negotiation experience.
• Experience managing production calendars and large-volume programs.
• Experience with major U.S. retailers, off-price retailers, department stores, mass merchants, or private-label programs is strongly preferred.
• Experience with Men's, Young Men's, Juniors, Kids, or related apparel categories is a plus.
• Strong merchandising instincts and understanding of commercially viable product.
• Exceptional organizational skills with the ability to manage numerous programs simultaneously.
• Strong negotiation, analytical, and problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent communication skills and confidence communicating with overseas factories daily.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities.
• Strong leadership skills and ability to hold teams and vendors accountable.
• Willingness to take complete ownership of programs from development through delivery.
• Ability to travel internationally as needed.