Senior Manager, Production - Sportswear

Department: Corporate Headquarters | Location: 63000 - Production

About the Role

The Sr. Production Manager is responsible for establishing, developing, and directing the production strategy for the Sportswear product category. This role involves effectively directing business relationships with finished product suppliers and agents to leverage lower costs and reduced lead time without sacrificing quality. You will hire, train, and develop a team to manage the business, improving gross margin, on-time delivery of samples, and providing exceptional customer service.

Responsibilities

• Promote adherence to the product pipeline calendar by ensuring efficient collaboration and coordination between cross-functional partners, including Design, R&D, Merchandising, and Materials.
• Embody the high standards of the Sourcing and Production department and actively represent the department in all calendar checkpoints and major milestone meetings.
• Deliver the highest quality product within sample and production deadlines by proactively planning, coordinating, and managing external sources while identifying and addressing issues that may impact timelines or cost.
• Protect True Religion's information integrity and reporting ability by ensuring all system maintenance and reconciliation for purchasing is complete and accurate.
• Ensure True Religion's margin and financial goals for product cost throughout the pipeline are understood and achieved by monitoring, reporting, and influencing cross-functional decision-making.
• Reinforce True Religion's core values by engaging all internal and external partners with professionalism and exhibiting confidence and resourcefulness when faced with challenges.
• Create a collaborative and positive team environment that encourages authentic and transparent contribution.
• Develop and nurture strong partnerships with vendors, driving business results and inspiring a culture of transparency, collaboration, and accountability.
• Maintain IMU, style adoption, and fabric projections, including fabric liability reporting.
• Maintain style/purchase order files, including accountability for PO revisions.
• Manage production timelines, review reports, and recommend solutions to exceptions.
• Initiate proactive external communications with vendors to ensure sampling, pre-production, and production processes are on schedule for timely shipment of orders.
• Monitor the status of purchase orders to ensure on-order and delivery exception reports reflect correct dates and comments.
• Initiate proactive internal communication for changes impacting other areas of responsibility, such as pre-ticketing, payments, or ship dates.
• Work directly with Merchants on reorders and delivery flow alterations.
• Develop time and action calendars for all managed programs.
• Continuously review and lead team progress to identify opportunities to improve speed to market, product execution, and efficiency.
• Research new sources of manufacturing and industry best practices to ensure continual process improvement and long-term vision.
• Own communication of cross-functional updates relative to Sportswear, sourcing, production, fit processes, strategies, and findings.
• Assist in building the sourcing strategy in collaboration with Product Development, Design, Merchants, and Inventory Management.
• Partner with Product Development, R&D, and Merchants to ensure the line developed aligns with the brand pricing architecture.
• Work with cross-functional business partners to enforce vendor policies that minimize and resolve potential financial liabilities.
• Ensure vendors are aligned on best practices that support True Religion’s cost management, product quality, and delivery requirements.
• Set the appropriate tone for teams; effectively manage through periods of change with a positive attitude despite ambiguity and uncertainty.
• Develop skills and build knowledge within the organization to increase bench strength and future succession capability.
• Recruit, identify, develop, and retain talent that delivers performance excellence.
• Serve as a leader of company culture, norms, and conduct.

Requirements

• 8-10 years of experience in Production/Sourcing and/or Supply Chain roles of increasing scope, complexity, and leadership responsibility.
• Knowledge of apparel and non-apparel industry businesses, strategies, and competitive marketplace operations.
• Ability to use industry knowledge to inform and influence strategies.
• Knowledge of Production trade regulations, testing protocols, product integrity, production cycle timelines, fabric, and garment construction.
• Understanding of apparel and fabric manufacturing economics and operations management (e.g., lead-times, transit times, garment and fabric construction, and apparel manufacturing operations).
• Analytical skills and proficiency with computer systems; ability to obtain information from systems.
• Ability to influence across multiple functions, areas, and geographies.
• Effective problem-solving and negotiation skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to develop and implement strategies according to plans, monitor progress, and make necessary adjustments to achieve objectives.
• Ability to anticipate and articulate future trends and consequences, responding with competitive and creative business solutions.
• Awareness of the impact and implications of decisions on other aspects of the business.
• Ability to negotiate skillfully and resolve conflict in tough situations while maintaining relationships.
• Experience creating and maintaining a positive environment that promotes high performance standards and goal attainment.