Sewing Manager
About The Position
The Sewing Manager leads POLYWOOD’s industrial sewing operation in Roxboro, North Carolina, owning the department’s people, equipment, schedule, and product quality. This hands-on leadership role oversees a department of fewer than 30 team members, including sewing operators, pathfinders, and general production staff. The manager reports to the Director of Manufacturing | Sewing and partners with Cutting, Planning, Maintenance, Quality, Purchasing, and HR. The role is responsible for meeting safety, quality, output, and delivery goals; developing employees and supervisors; and maintaining effective staffing and production processes. The Sewing Manager will also help build the sewing training program, support new product launches, and drive continuous improvement across the department.
Requirements
- At least 5 years of experience in an industrial sewing or sewn products manufacturing environment.
- At least 3 years leading production teams as a supervisor or manager.
- Hands-on experience operating, setting up, adjusting, and troubleshooting equipment in an industrial sewing department.
- Strong knowledge of stitch types, needles, threads, and heavy-duty fabrics.
- 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, patterns, and work instructions and teach others to do the same.
- A calm, steady presence on the floor and the ability to make sound decisions under pressure.
- High school diploma or equivalent.
Nice To Haves
- 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 ability 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 while 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 maintain the flow of fabric, thread, and other materials to the 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.
- Help 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 runs.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
Education Level
High school or GED
