Production Manager | Sewing Department
About The Position
POLYWOOD is seeking a hands-on Production Manager to lead its industrial sewing operation in Roxboro, North Carolina. The manager will own the sewing department’s people, machines, schedule, and product quality, leading a team of fewer than 30 sewing operators, pathfinders, and general production team members. Sewing experience is helpful but not required; the company will support the successful candidate in learning the craft. The role oversees daily operations and production goals, develops supervisors and operators, manages staffing and work assignments, and maintains quality and safety standards. The manager will partner with the Director of Manufacturing | Sewing and collaborate with Cutting, Planning, Maintenance, Quality, Purchasing, and HR. The role also leads development of the sewing training program and supports continuous improvement and new product launches.
Requirements
- At least 5 years of experience in a manufacturing or production environment.
- At least 3 years leading production teams as a supervisor or manager.
- A proven record of meeting production and quality goals through people.
- Comfort with production planning, metrics, and Excel or Google Sheets.
- Ability to read specifications and work instructions and teach others to do the same.
- Willingness to learn industrial sewing equipment and processes hands-on alongside the team.
- A calm, steady presence on the floor and ability to make good decisions under pressure.
- High school diploma or equivalent.
Nice To Haves
- Experience in an industrial sewing or sewn-products manufacturing environment.
- Experience building or leading a training program for production team members.
- Experience with outdoor, marine, automotive, upholstery, or furniture textiles.
- Experience with automated sewing or computerized cutting equipment.
- Bilingual in English and Spanish.
Responsibilities
- Lead daily sewing operations to achieve safety, quality, output, and on-time delivery goals.
- Lead, coach, and develop supervisors, leads, and sewing operators, building a culture of accountability and respect.
- Plan staffing, schedules, and work assignments to meet demand, including seasonal peaks.
- Own quality for sewn products, including seam strength, stitch consistency, pattern accuracy, and finished appearance.
- Partner with Maintenance to keep industrial sewing equipment running and drive preventive maintenance.
- Work with Cutting, Planning, and Purchasing to ensure fabric, thread, and other materials flow to the production line.
- Track and improve efficiency, units per labor hour, first-pass yield, scrap, downtime, attendance, turnover, and labor cost.
- Drive continuous improvement through standard work, line balancing, and root-cause problem solving.
- Develop the sewing training program, including work instructions, operator skills matrices, and cross-training.
- Champion safety and ergonomics on the production floor.
- Own hiring, onboarding, performance reviews, and attendance for the department in partnership with HR.
- Support new product launches by partnering on samples, patterns, specifications, and first production runs.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
Education Level
High school or GED
