Apparel Production Manager

Production Manager – Performance Activewear / Sportswear

Department : Production

Location : Newport Beach, CA

Reports To : Head of Production

Job Summary

We are looking for a highly-skilled Production Manager with 5–10 years of experience in performance activewear or sportswear / apparel production. The role will oversee the complete lifecycle of our product—from development hand-off through manufacturing to delivery. You will partner closely with merchandising, design, and operations to ensure product integrity, on-time delivery, margin targets, and vendor performance in a fast-paced environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the production calendar : develop, maintain and monitor the time-and-action schedule from design / tech-pack hand-off through PO issuance, cut, sew, finishing, packing and delivery.
• Manage domestic and overseas factory / vendor relationships : ensure milestone adherence, optimize lead times, negotiate costs / terms, and drive improvement in quality, productivity and cost-effectiveness.
• Monitor and enforce quality standards : ensure that materials, trims, finishes, workmanship and final goods meet company, brand and performance specifications (especially performance fabrics and applications).
• Manage BOMs, costing sheets and production data : maintain accurate cost-of-goods, labor and material metrics; monitor margin performance versus plan.
• Track raw material / fabric / trim procurement and ensure timely availability to meet production schedules.
• Travel (domestic and international, as needed) to vendor sites for factory visits, inspections, development reviews and troubleshooting.
• Collaborate cross-functionally : work with design, product development, sourcing, quality assurance, logistics and supply chain teams to ensure alignment of priorities, handoff, risk mitigation and delivery.
• Proactively identify and mitigate risks (e.g., vendor delays, quality issues, cost overruns) and communicate status and action plans upward.
• Drive continuous improvement : implement best practices, streamline workflows, raise vendor performance metrics (lead time, quality, cost), and strengthen production infrastructure.
• Provide periodic reporting on production status, vendor performance scorecards, cost variances, and timeline slippages.

Qualifications