Senior Production Manager
Position: Senior Production Manager
Location: New York, NY
Reports to: Operations Leadership
Overview
A New York-based wholesale and design company is seeking a highly organized, experienced, and detail-oriented Senior Production Manager to take ownership of complex, high-volume production programs from purchase order through final shipment and delivery. This individual will oversee multiple product categories and serve as a key point of contact for overseas factories and suppliers.
The Senior Production Manager will be responsible for driving production timelines, managing supplier relationships, resolving issues, and ensuring orders are delivered on time and to company and customer specifications. The ideal candidate is proactive, highly accountable, and comfortable managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment while communicating across international time zones.
Key Responsibilities
Production & Order Management
- Take senior-level ownership of assigned orders from PO placement through final shipment and delivery
- Manage high-volume orders and multiple SKUs across various consumer product categories
- Maintain and update detailed Work In Progress (WIP) reports on a daily basis
- Monitor production timelines, approvals, shipment schedules, and delivery deadlines
- Oversee all stages of production, including:
- Sample development
- Pre-Production (PP) samples
- Mass Production (MP) samples
- Top of Production (TOP) samples
- Packaging approvals
- Inspection coordination
- Shipment execution
- Ensure all approvals, revisions, and follow-ups are completed accurately and on schedule
- Establish priorities and proactively manage critical deadlines and production milestones
Factory & Supplier Management
- Serve as a senior point of contact for overseas factories and suppliers, including China and other international partners
- Communicate regularly with factories and suppliers, including off-hours as needed
- Build and maintain strong supplier relationships while holding partners accountable for timelines, quality, and performance
- Negotiate pricing, timelines, MOQs, production schedules, and other key production terms
- Proactively follow up on approvals, testing, packaging, labeling, and shipping requirements
- Identify supplier risks and escalate significant delays, quality concerns, or production issues to leadership
Sample Review & Product Execution
- Lead the review and approval process for production samples, packaging, and shipment samples
- Provide clear, detailed, and actionable feedback to factories and suppliers
- Ensure products meet company quality standards, customer specifications, and approved samples
- Identify potential production, quality, or packaging issues before they impact shipment
- Coordinate revisions and approvals while keeping internal stakeholders informed
Reporting & Operational Support
- Oversee production trackers, shipment logs, and product data records
- Ensure production labels, packaging details, carton markings, and shipping documentation are accurate
- Provide regular production updates and communicate risks, changes, and delays to leadership
- Ensure internal systems, reports, and documentation remain accurate and current
- Collaborate closely with Sales, Product Development, Design, Logistics, Compliance, and Warehouse teams
- Help improve production processes, tracking systems, and operational workflows
Leadership & Problem Solving
- Proactively identify and resolve production delays, supplier challenges, quality issues, and shipment risks
- Serve as a resource and escalation point for production-related issues
- Manage multiple complex projects and competing priorities while maintaining accuracy
- Take ownership of critical production issues and drive them through resolution
- Operate effectively under pressure in a fast-moving environment
- Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, communication, and production execution
Qualifications
- 5–9+ years of experience in production, sourcing, supply chain, or operations
- Strong experience managing overseas factories, particularly in China
- Proven experience managing high-volume production programs and multiple SKUs
- Strong knowledge of WIP management, production timelines, quality control, and international shipping processes
- Extensive experience reviewing and approving production samples
- Strong supplier management and negotiation skills
- Excellent organizational, multitasking, and problem-solving abilities
- Strong communication skills with the ability to work effectively across departments and time zones
- Ability to work independently, prioritize effectively, and take ownership of projects
- Proficiency in Excel, Google Sheets, ERP systems, and production tracking tools; A2000 preferred
- Consumer product experience in categories such as tech, beauty, home, kitchen, or outdoor is a plus
- Experience mentoring or overseeing junior production team members is a plus
- Willingness to work flexible hours to support overseas communication