Production Manager

What You'll Own
Sourcing & Vendor Management

Identify, vet, and onboard suppliers across apparel, headwear, and accessories categories — domestic and overseas (primarily China, Vietnam, Pakistan, Bangladesh).
Build and maintain a tiered vendor scorecard: pricing, MOQs, lead times, quality, communication, licensing experience, and capacity.
Negotiate pricing, MOQs, payment terms, and tooling/setup fees. Push for terms that protect cash and reduce risk on new programs.
Maintain redundancy — at least two qualified vendors per major category to avoid single-source exposure.

Product Development & Sampling

Translate design briefs and tech packs into producible samples. Manage sample rounds (proto, SMS, PP, TOP) with clear approval gates.
Source trims, hardware, fabrics, and packaging. Build BOMs and maintain accurate component-level costing.
Coordinate with the founder and designers on color, fit, and construction feedback. Drive samples to commercial-ready in the minimum number of rounds.
Build and maintain tech packs, spec sheets, and a centralized product library (Notion, Google Drive, or equivalent).

Costing & Margin

Build landed cost models for every SKU: FOB, freight, duty, royalty, 3PL/FBA inbound, and packaging. Flag programs that don't hit margin targets early.
Track cost movements (raw materials, freight, FX) and renegotiate when conditions change.
Own COGS accuracy — what we think a unit costs vs. what it actually costs landed.

Licensing & Compliance

Manage submissions and approvals with CLC, ASU, Realtree, and future licensors. Track approval status across art, prototype, and pre-production stages.
Ensure all production runs comply with licensor requirements: approved art files, hangtags, labels, royalty reporting, and audit-ready documentation.
Maintain a clean paper trail — licensor approvals, vendor agreements, NDAs, and compliance certifications (CPSIA, Prop 65 where applicable).

Production & Delivery

Issue POs, manage production calendars, and hold vendors accountable to ship dates.
Coordinate inspections (in-line and final) with third-party QC firms or our own protocols. Define AQL standards by category and enforce them.
Manage freight forwarders, customs brokers, and 3PL/FBA inbound logistics. Optimize between air, sea, and LCL/FCL based on margin and timing.
Own the production tracker — every SKU, every PO, every milestone, visible at a glance.

Quality Control

Define QC checklists by product category. Build a defect taxonomy and track defect rates by vendor over time.
Manage RMAs, claims, and remediation when product arrives out of spec. Recover value from vendor errors — don't eat costs we didn't cause.