Knitting Mill Operations Manager

Job description

We are looking for a Knitting Mill Operations Manager to lead our knitting mill operations and help connect our manufacturing capabilities with the product vision and production needs of our HQ team. The Knitting Mill Operations Manager is responsible for the overall performance of the knitting mill, including production planning, team leadership, quality, purchasing, equipment maintenance, and day-to-day operations. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone with deep technical knowledge of circular knitting, yarns, fabric construction, dyeing, and finishing, as well as a strong understanding of how to effectively plan and execute textile production. ### Responsbilities: - Lead daily knitting mill operations, ensuring production runs efficiently and according to plan. - Develop and manage production schedules to consistently meet deadlines and future production requirements. - Lead, develop, and support the knitting team while establishing clear expectations around productivity, quality, and accountability. - Oversee circular knitting operations, including machine capabilities, fabric construction, troubleshooting, and production processes. - Manage yarn purchasing, availability, and inventory levels to support production. - Coordinate dyeing and finishing processes and ensure finished fabric meets Buck Mason quality and technical standards. - Partner with HQ teams across Product Development, Design, Production, Merchandising, and Operations to plan upcoming production needs. - Evaluate future production requirements and translate them into mill capacity, material, staffing, and scheduling plans. - Monitor production progress and proactively address delays, quality issues, and capacity constraints. - Establish and maintain quality control processes throughout knitting, dyeing, finishing, and fabric production. - Oversee preventative maintenance, repairs, and upkeep of knitting equipment and mill facilities. - Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, production capacity, quality, and overall mill performance. - Maintain accurate production, purchasing, inventory, and operational records. - Ensure the mill operates safely and in accordance with company standards and applicable regulations. - This role is required to be in person, 5 days per week ### Required Skills: - 5–10+ years of experience in textile manufacturing, knitting, or mill operations. - Proven experience leading a knitting or textile production team. - Strong technical knowledge and hands-on experience with circular knitting. - Experience with dyeing and finishing processes. - Strong understanding of yarns, fibers, fabric construction, gauges, weights, and fabric performance. - Experience with production planning, scheduling, capacity planning, and meeting production deadlines. - Experience with yarn purchasing and inventory management. - Strong understanding of fabric quality control and inspection. - Experience overseeing machinery maintenance and mill equipment. - Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration skills. - Highly organized with strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities. - Comfortable working in a hands-on manufacturing environment.