Production Manager | Sewing Department

Polywood•Roxboro, NC

3d•Onsite

About The Position

POLYWOOD is hiring a hands-on Production Manager to lead its industrial sewing operation in Roxboro, North Carolina. The role owns the sewing department’s people, equipment, schedule, production, and product quality. The manager leads a department of fewer than 30 team members, including sewing operators, pathfinders, and general production employees, and reports to the Director of Manufacturing | Sewing. The role partners closely with Cutting, Planning, Maintenance, Quality, Purchasing, and HR. The Production Manager will lead daily operations to meet safety, quality, output, and delivery goals; develop and hold the team to clear standards; and resolve problems on the production floor. The manager will plan staffing and schedules, manage quality of sewn products, monitor and improve operating metrics, and drive continuous improvement. A key part of the role is developing a sewing training program, including work instructions, operator skills matrices, and cross-training. Sewing experience is a plus but is not required; the company will help the selected leader learn the craft. This role is based on the production floor and requires regular standing and walking, with lifting up to 50 pounds as needed. Flexibility to support multiple shifts and occasional overtime during peak season is expected.

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 achieving 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 production floor and ability to make sound decisions under pressure.
High school diploma or equivalent.

Nice To Haves

Experience in industrial sewing or sewn-products manufacturing.
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 meet 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 operating and drive preventive maintenance.
Work with Cutting, Planning, and Purchasing to maintain the flow of fabric, thread, and other materials to the production line.
Track and improve metrics including 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 department hiring, onboarding, performance reviews, and attendance in partnership with HR.
Support new product launches by partnering on samples, patterns, specifications, and first production runs.