Head of Production and Operations
The Head of Production and Operations leads the Company’s end-to-end production and operational function across the US and EMEA, with accountability for delivering work on time, within budget, to the required quality, and in accordance with client, regulatory, and compliance standards. This leader will modernize the function by embedding AI, automation, and data-driven decision-making into production planning, costing, workflow management, capacity forecasting, vendor oversight, risk identification, and performance reporting. As a strategic partner to commercial leadership, the Head of Production and Operations will provide clear, actionable visibility into capacity, cost, quality, delivery performance, and business risk.
The role requires a hands-on, solutions-oriented leader who can translate creative and commercial objectives into executable production plans. This individual will also serve as a visible senior resource and trusted strategic partner to high-priority accounts, strengthening client confidence and reinforcing the Company’s authority and reputation within the industry. Success requires sound judgment, operational discipline, and decisive cross-functional leadership in a fast-paced, complex, and client-focused environment.
Key Responsibilities
Production Strategy and Execution
- Own production planning, operational workflows, and delivery readiness across the Company's portfolio.
- Establish and enforce stage gates from development handoff through sampling, approvals, manufacturing, quality inspection, shipment, and final delivery.
- Drive reliable execution across complex, multi-SKU merchandise and packaging programs while balancing speed, quality, cost, and client commitments.
- Establish and execute an AI-enabled production and operations strategy that improves speed, predictability, quality, scalability, and margin performance.
- Identify and implement practical AI and automation applications across production planning, capacity forecasting, costing, scheduling, vendor selection, quality management, compliance, and logistics.
Supplier and Vendor Partnership
- Oversee supplier selection, allocation, capacity planning, costing, purchase orders, production schedules, and vendor performance.
- Partner with Head of Merchandising and Head of Sourcing to set clear performance expectations for suppliers and production partners; use scorecards, corrective actions, and escalation protocols to improve accountability.
- Build resilient sourcing and manufacturing plans that reduce concentration risk, protect continuity, and support growth across regions and categories.
Quality Compliance and Risk
- Partner with Compliance and QA/QC at project kickoff to embed testing, labeling, documentation, product safety, and quality requirements before production begins.
- Ensure production teams understand product, material, supplier, testing, labeling, documentation, and regulatory risks relevant to each program.
- Identify and mitigate risks across cost, quality, capacity, timing, materials, compliance, and delivery; lead escalations, root-cause reviews, and corrective actions.
Commercial and Delivery Performance
- Protect gross margin through disciplined costing, purchasing controls, change management, waste reduction, freight planning, and early issue resolution.
- Balance client priorities with operational realities, making timely decisions that protect delivery, quality, margin, and long-term relationships.
- Provide leadership with accurate reporting on production status, capacity, cost performance, delivery risks, and required decisions.
- Serve as a visible senior resource and strategic partner to high-priority accounts, strengthening client confidence and reinforcing the Company’s authority and reputation within the industry.
Logistics and Delivery Operations
- Own the logistics strategy from factory release through final delivery, including transport mode, routing, consolidation, lead times, and delivery milestones.
- Select and manage freight forwarders, customs brokers, third-party logistics providers, warehouses, and fulfillment partners against clear service, cost, and compliance expectations.
- Oversee freight budgets and landed-cost performance, making informed tradeoffs between air, ocean, ground, expedited, and consolidated shipping options.
- Maintain shipment visibility, identify delays and capacity constraints early, and lead contingency plans, escalations, and recovery actions through confirmed final delivery.
Organization and Operating Model
- Build, lead, and develop the Production and Operations organization, with clear roles, strong technical capability, and consistent accountability.
- Develop scalable processes, systems, reporting, and operating standards across regions and business verticals.
- Automate repetitive administrative work and reporting to increase team capacity and allow greater focus on problem-solving, vendor management, and client delivery.
- Create a culture of proactive risk management, continuous improvement, and ownership at every stage of delivery.
What You Bring
- 12+ years of experience in production, operations, manufacturing, or supply chain within merchandise, packaging, consumer products, or related product-led business.
- Demonstrated ownership of complex global production from development handoff through manufacturing, quality release, logistics, and delivery.
- Demonstrated experience applying AI, automation, analytics, or other emerging technologies to improve production, supply chain, logistics, or operational performance.
- Strong commercial judgment, including hands-on responsibility for costing, margin protection, purchasing controls, change management, and freight decisions.
- Deep understanding of supplier management, manufacturing processes, materials, quality systems, product testing, labeling, and compliance requirements.
- Strong working knowledge of global freight, customs readiness, trade documentation, third-party logistics, warehousing, fulfillment, and landed-cost management.
- Experience building high-performing teams and scalable operating processes across regions, categories, or business units.
- Ability to make clear decisions with incomplete information, surface risk early, and lead cross-functional teams through high-pressure delivery challenges.
- Client centric communication skills with the ability to translate operational detail into clear priorities, tradeoffs, and decisions for clients and internal commercial partners.
- Proven ability to lead process transformation and drive adoption across teams with different levels of technical experience.
- Working knowledge of the data privacy, confidentiality, intellectual-property, accuracy, and governance considerations associated with using AI in a client-facing business.