Product Team Manager

Location: London 

Department: Product (design & production)

Reports To: Katy

Job Type: Full-Time

 

About the Role

We are seeking a highly organised, experienced and proactive Product Team Manager to oversee our full design and production cycle across partner factories and artisanal suppliers (weavers, dyers, printers etc). The role is hands-on and central to ensuring smooth, timely, and ethical creation of our items, while strengthening the long-term relationships we value deeply with our partners.

The Product Team Manager will report directly to the founder and work closely with our design, wholesale and ecomm teams. 

Must be based in London as this is a full time in-studio role, and must be comfortable and excited to travel to suppliers regularly each season. 

Above all, we need someone who is experienced, quick thinking, comfortable in a fast-paced setting, brings solutions with problems and can think outside of the box, and can understand the intricacies of working with craftspeople and ethical production.

 

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What you'll be doing

Product Team Management

• Manage the product team members and external freelancers, overseeing everything from critical paths and sample reviews, to well-being and workload.

• Oversee design for garments, weaves, prints, trims and tech packs, and ensure all design deadlines are met. 

• Oversee seasonal sample reviews and occasionally amend or stitch samples.
  
  

Production Management

• Reporting to Katy, you’ll be responsible for production problem solving, factory allocation, production organisation and ensuring production delivery dates are met.

• Act as the main point of contact with manufacturers on all matters relating to sample and bulk development and production.

• Regularly liaise with suppliers to track progress, resolve issues, and ensure quality and timelines are upheld.

• Regularly visit suppliers in person to develop new styles, check and QC production, discuss costings and strengthen the relationships. 

• Ensure all production information is accurate, up to date and communicated clearly across the wider team

• Arrange and oversee cross-border movement of goods from suppliers to warehouses.

• Manage shipment and logistics processes with urgency and accuracy (time-sensitive).

• Oversee supplier payments with an extremely reactive, problem-solving approach to ensure timeliness.

• Place all sample and production orders, across garments, trims, labels and fabrics. 

• Always be on the lookout for new partners, suppliers, and manufacturers.
  
  

Quality Control & Product Development

• Take the lead and support with quality control of production, both in house and externally at factories.

• Implement preventative quality assurance processes, identifying technical risks early and ensuring appropriate testing and approvals before bulk production.

• Communicate and problem solve any technical or production issues as they arise.

• Work closely with Product team, manufacturing partners and external freelancers to ensure fits, patterns and grading are of high quality and in line with company standards

• Work closely with Product team and content teams to request production samples when needed for reviewing or shooting

• Review and amend strike offs, pp samples, top of production and size sets with Product team.
  
  

Systems & Processes

• Take ownership of Zedonk production software, production trackers, and invoice trackers: inputting costings, trims, material info; creating order confirmations, packing lists, and production orders.

• Ensure all production information is accurate, up to date and communicated clearly across the wider team, maintaining a single source of truth across all production systems and trackers.

• Provide regular production updates to the wider team, highlighting delivery timelines, risks, delays and key actions.

• Provide fabrications, pricing, and style descriptions to retail and eCommerce teams.

• Review seasonal wholesale orders to ensure minimum order quantities are met, and discuss cancellations and creative solutions with Wholesale, Product team and founder. 

• Run seasonal production allocation meetings post-order confirmation, using Zedonk costings to plan production per factory.

• Oversee the management of stock levels of fabrics, trims, packaging held at supplier factories throughout the season
  
  

What we're looking for

• Proven production management experience within fashion or textiles.

• Proficiency in production software, especially Zedonk and Excel/Google sheets. 

• Proficiency in CAD, Illustrator and Photoshop

• Comfortable in a fast-paced, hands-on role at a small company where nimbleness and thinking outside the box is essential.

• Strong garment construction, sewing and fabric knowledge

• Pattern cutting knowledge is preferable but not essential

• Experience in designing both men’s and women’s collections preferential

• Strong understanding of garment production processes, supply chains, and artisanal methods.

• Experience managing multiple factories and international suppliers.

• Experience managing shipping, logistics, duties, imports and exports

• Highly organised, with ability to multitask and manage time-sensitive processes.

• Strong communication and relationship management skills.

 

To apply please send CV and cover letter to careers@storymfg.com with the subject line ‘Product Team Manager’