Jeans Innovation Center Production Management and Innovation - Manager

UNIQLO•Gardena, CA

10d•$175,000 - $207,000•Onsite

About The Position

Jeans Innovation Center LLC, part of the Fast Retailing global family of companies, is hiring a Production Management and Innovation Manager. The role is based at 14725 S Broadway, Gardena, CA 90248, and focuses on denim research and development, wash and finishing technology, product development, and technical support for global mass-production factories. The manager will work with fabric mills and the Jeans Innovation Center team to develop denim fabrics and washing technologies, assess materials and production suitability, and ensure products meet requirements for color, strength, cost, capacity, durability, and function. The role also supports non-denim product development, coordinates technical matters among designers, mills, and factories, and oversees sample readiness and quality for products shipped to stores. The position includes factory visits and technical guidance in China, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Cambodia; training factory engineers and subordinate team members; and engineering analyses of factory capacity, productivity, equipment efficiency, cost, capital investment, and lead times. International travel is required 6–7 times per year. The annual base salary is $175,000–$207,000.

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 Sulzer, Rapier, Shuttle, and Air Jet weaving technologies.
Experience developing denim washing techniques, researching new materials and products, and developing denim and non-denim products.
Experience analyzing production-factory cost, capacity, and lead time.
Experience leading product development among 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 sustainable materials and implementing them in production; 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, durability, and suitability for bulk production.
Lead denim wash and finishing technology development, including bleach, ozone, 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 sample development meets requirements for color balance, fabric strength, cost, capacity, durability, and functionality.
Visit production factories in China, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Cambodia and provide technical guidance to ensure compliance with standards.
Train factory engineers on washing, 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 producing tens of millions of garments annually, ensuring quality, competitive cost, and on-time delivery.
Monitor the quality of mass-production items shipped to stores and ensure production guidelines, including factory 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 coordinate technical work among designers, fabric mills, and production factories.
Coordinate communication between global design teams and ensure sample readiness.
Manage and train subordinate team members who guide mass-production factories.
Travel internationally 6–7 times per year.