Apparel Production Manager

About the role

Michael Gerald LLC is an established, 30+ year young men’s apparel company with a strong industry reputation. We design, source, and produce apparel for major national retailers and private label customers. Our team is collaborative, fast-paced, and committed to delivering quality product on time, every season. We are seeking an experienced and detail-oriented Production Manager to own the full production lifecycle from costing through shipping. You will work cross-functionally with design, sourcing, product development, sales, and operations while serving as the primary contact with overseas vendors, factories, and QC partners. The ideal candidate is a hands-on problem solver who thrives in a deadline-driven environment and takes ownership of their book of business.

Responsibilities

• Production Management and Vendor Relations
  • Manage end-to-end production from costing through shipping; maintain daily tracking and follow-up on all open orders
  • Manage WIP and CAP reports; conduct weekly vendor calls via Zoom/Teams to troubleshoot issues and ensure on-time delivery
  • Send cost inquiries to vendors; review allocations with Director of Sourcing/Production to align with IMU requirements
  • Present open order status at weekly production meetings with senior leadership
• Purchase Orders, Costing, and Systems
  • Complete style setup, PO creation, and Costing Sheet submission in AMT; issue POs to factories and internal teams for tech pack distribution
  • Review and update shortage/overage charts; adjust POs accordingly
  • Assist Director of Production with costing projects
• Quality Control and Compliance
  • Oversee T&A calendars for all open production; work with tech and design on garment callouts and issues
  • Monitor Inline and Final Inspection timelines; review and comment on inspection reports to assess shipping readiness
  • Review test reports from third-party labs (Intertek, Bureau Veritas, SGS) for fiber content, care instructions, and attribute testing
  • Work with overseas QC teams and factories to resolve quality issues before shipment
• Shipping and Logistics
  • Follow up on ship requests for FOB and DDP shipments; communicate delivery issues to Sales and Operations
  • Approve vessel bookings; monitor container bookings with steamship lines and freight forwarders; update shipping charts
  • Send monthly open shipment reports to the Hong Kong sourcing team
• Trims, Samples, and Packaging
  • Submit comments for UPC stickers, carton stickers, ticket layouts, care labels, polybag stickers, hangtag placements, and packing/folding instructions
  • Review TOP and AD samples for labeling/trim accuracy; track and process production samples (FIT, PP, AD, TOP) per order timelines
  • Order trims for domestic orders and price tickets via Fineline/PaxTag; send production packages to customers as required
• Customer, Portals, and Financial
  • Communicate with private label and non-private label customers on approvals, status updates, and portal submissions
  • Upload customer attributes and tracking information on retailer portals (Kohl’s, BJ’s, Marks, licensed brand accounts, and others)
  • Review customer compliance manuals and create internal cheat sheets for each account
  • Process commercial invoices and chargebacks; maintain master invoice and chargeback tracking charts by season
  • Follow up on all invoice payments for import and domestic factories

Requirements

• Minimum 5 years of hands-on apparel production management experience, preferably in men’s or young men’s categories
• Demonstrated experience managing the full production cycle from costing through shipping
• Strong knowledge of import/export processes, FOB and DDP terms, and freight logistics
• Experience working directly with overseas factories, vendors, and QC teams
• Proficiency with retailer compliance portals and customer requirements
• Strong understanding of garment construction, trims, labeling, and packaging
• Excellent organizational skills; ability to manage multiple seasons and accounts simultaneously
• Strong communication skills for vendor, customer, and cross-functional coordination
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Excel for tracking and reporting

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with AMT (Apparel Management Technology) system
• Experience managing production for major national retailers (e.g., Kohl’s, BJ’s, Burlington)
• Familiarity with third-party testing labs and testing protocols

Pay

Salary range: $90,000 to $120,000, commensurate with experience. Discretionary annual bonus in December.

Benefits

• 401(K) with $1,000 company match & profit sharing (eligible after 1 year)
• 5 PSST days, 10 Vacation Days
• Company holidays including closure between Christmas and New Year's

Schedule

Hybrid schedule: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm (on-site Monday through Thursday, remote Friday). Business casual work environment.