Jeans Innovation Center Production Management and Innovation - Manager

Fast Retailing•Gardena, CA

7d•Onsite

About The Position

Jeans Innovation Center LLC, part of the Fast Retailing global family of companies, is seeking a Production Management and Innovation Manager for its Jeans Innovation Center in Gardena, California. The role focuses on denim research and development, wash and finishing innovation, production engineering, factory guidance, product quality, and coordination between designers, fabric mills, and production factories. The position supports mass production of tens of millions of garments annually, with attention to quality, competitive cost, on-time delivery, and sustainability. International travel to factories in China, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Cambodia is required 6–7 times per year.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Industrial Engineering, Industrial Technology, Textile Engineering, or a related field.
Five years of work experience with mass production factory management, including denim fabric and material development and product quality control.
Experience with rope, slasher, continuous, batch, rapid, and dope dyeing.
Experience with weaving technologies using Sulzer, Rapier, Shuttle, and Air Jet looms.
Experience in denim washing technique development, new materials and product research, and denim and non-denim product development.
Experience analyzing cost, capacity, and lead time at production factories.
Experience leading product development processes between designers, fabric mills, and production factories.
Experience planning and executing research and development and coordinating patent-related activities.
Knowledge of garment washing machines and garment chemicals.
Experience providing instructions and guidance on sustainable washing technologies, researching and developing sustainable materials, and implementing them in production.
Experience implementing garment washing techniques and guiding and implementing garment production and quality systems.

Responsibilities

Conduct denim fabric research and development with fabric mills, evaluating yarn types and spinning systems, dye performance, fabric construction, physical durability, and suitability for bulk production.
Lead denim wash and finishing technology development, including bleach and ozone processing, laser technologies with 3D effects and DPI control, enzyme abrasion, potassium permanganate treatments, and industrial washing machine programming.
Develop sustainable wash technologies and improve existing technologies required by the Fast Retailing group.
Collaborate with the JIC team to ensure samples meet requirements for color balance, fabric strength, cost, capacity, durability, and functionality.
Visit production factories and provide technical guidance, ensuring compliance with standards.
Train factory engineers on wash, sewing, and garment handling processes for mass production.
Analyze capacity, productivity, equipment efficiency, cost structures, capital investment requirements, and lead times across sewing, washing, finishing, inspection, and logistics.
Support mass production factories in producing tens of millions of garments annually while ensuring quality, competitive cost, and on-time delivery.
Monitor the quality of mass-produced items shipped to stores and ensure production guidelines, including sustainability efforts, are met.
Coordinate technical matters related to patent applications, renewals, and substantiation of denim technologies.
Apply denim technologies to non-denim product development and serve as the primary technical authority coordinating designers, fabric mills, and production factories.
Coordinate communication between global design teams and ensure sample readiness.
Manage and train subordinate team members to guide mass production factories.
Travel internationally 6–7 times per year.