Job Description / Duties

Role: Senior Manager, Production (NOC 0911)
Salary: $90,000- $180,000/annum and Benefits (Extended Health, Dental, Vision, Disability, Life Insurance) + may be eligible for bonuses and salary increases, if applicable
Hours: 45 hours/week, Full-Time, Permanent
Location of work: Aritzia Support Office (#118-611 Alexander St. Vancouver, BC, V6A 1E1)
Number of positions: 1

The Senior Manager, Production, will play a pivotal role in the delivery of our Design Team’s vision, exemplifying the guiding principles of accurate allocation, informed negotiation, and flawless execution.

PRODUCTION STRATEGY
To optimize our supplier’s capabilities with our product strategy
• Production Capabilities Strategy – Determine the production capabilities that are required from our suppliers and how to best apply seasonal allocation to these vendors
• Production Lead-Time Strategy – Determine the optimal production lead-time
• Production Coverage Strategy – Support in organizing Aritzia Production team members to best support production coverage requirements
• Negotiation Strategy – Support to define and deliver Aritzia’s approach on how much to spend on production
• Production Sustainability Coverage – Maintain partnerships with suppliers to ensure Aritzia sustainability goals and objectives are met from a social and environmental perspective

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
To develop high quality product that fulfills the design vision
• Development Samples – Manage the successful execution of mock-ups, wash samples and garment dye samples, ensuring allocation does not exceed supplier sample development capacity thresholds
• Product Element Options – Identify commercially viable options for product elements including fabrics, construction, textile design, trims and washes based on quality, time to production and cost

LEAD-TIME MANAGEMENT
To secure and deliver on optimal production lead-times
• Purchase Order Management – Release, review and vet purchase orders throughout the production lifecycle, ensuring PO’s are kept up to date as the product or situation changes
• Work internally with Buying and externally with raw materials suppliers to meet production deadlines and optimize speed to market, without impacting the product quality
• Cut & Make Timing – Work with finished good suppliers to meet product calendar deadlines and optimize speed to market, striving for improvements in lead-time without impacting the product quality
• Performance Standards – Define supplier performance standards, managing improvements, and ensuring suppliers execute on corrective action plans

COSTING
To effectively negotiate to maximize our margin without compromising quality or lead-time
• Negotiation – Analyze product costs and negotiate the best price for assigned styles to achieve financial targets
• Raw Materials – Vet and optimize raw material agreements including fabric, yields, componentry and minimums, taking into account consumption of fabric per garment, and partnering with the Fabric & Trim team to optimize the cost of materials
• Labour – Optimize labour costs taking into account cut & make, processing, applied graphics, and rates and exchanges, leveraging efficiencies for high-volume or carry-over production
• Initial Markup – Work with suppliers to maximize initial mark-up on orders, collaborating cross-functionally with the Merchant department as they determine retail price
• Surcharge – Work with suppliers to minimize surcharges as part of supplier agreements, review and approve surcharges as required
• Duty & Trade Benefits – Analyze duty and trade agreements, ensuring the team stays up to date on new trade agreements and enabling flexibility in allocation strategy to take advantage of new agreements to minimize the cost of duty and trade tariffs
• Transportation Costs – Work with suppliers to minimize the cost and t imeline of transportation from Raw Materials Suppliers to Finished Goods Suppliers, and from Finished Goods Suppliers to Freight Forwarders

PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT
To ensure the high quality, timely, and cost-effective delivery of all fabric, trims and finished goods once they are in production
• Quality Management – Identify potential execution risks to ensure successful mass production of agreed prototypes that are in line with Aritzia standards
• Timeline Management – Meet product calendar deadlines and optimize speed to market, ensuring that production is proceeding on schedule and according to plan without impacting the product quality
• Partner Management – Ensure supplier relationship development and ongoing management to enable understanding of supplier expertise and adjust vendor strategy accordingly in order to maximize supplier competitive advantage and ensure their product offering meets Aritzia’s needs
• Financial Management – Manage ongoing supplier costs in order to maximize margins and minimize lead-time without compromising quality
• Process Management – Manage production against the established process, problem solve in-production issues, and improve process to ensure industry leading practices
• Tools/System Management – Manage production using Aritzia tools and systems, and identify opportunities for improvement

Additional duties and responsibilities may be added or modified as required throughout the course of employment.

Qualifications / Required Skills

The Senior Manager, Production will possess the following qualifications:

• Completion of a university degree or college diploma in engineering, business administration, textile manufacturing, fashion merchandising or other related field
• 5+ years’ sourcing, planning, production, product development experience with a fashion apparel retail organization
• 3+ years’ supervising/overseeing an apparel production team experience
• Strong understanding of and experience with garment and factory manufacturing/production methods, fabrication, and sourcing
• Experience with and proven ability to plan costing, negotiation and sourcing strategies
• Experience in cost negotiations with domestic and international vendors/manufacturers
• Management skills and proven ability to work effectively with cross functional/departmental partners and teams (i.e., Sourcing, Planning, and Technical design teams)
• Proven leadership abilities and excellent interpersonal and communication skills – both verbal and written
• Excellent organizational and time management skills with ability to prioritize and manage deadlines
• Ability and willingness to travel internationally

Salary: $90,000- $180,000/annum and Benefits (Extended Health, Dental, Vision, Disability, Life Insurance) + may be eligible for bonuses and salary increases, if applicable

Contact Information

Apply Now: If you are interested in an exciting career in the fashion apparel industry, please forward your cover letter, resume and portfolio, if applicable (PDF or website link) to careers@aritzia.com. PLEASE NOTE THE JOB TITLE AND WEBSITE IN THE SUBJECT LINE.

NOTE: Only those applicants under consideration will be contacted. If you are not contacted for this position, please accept our sincere thanks and appreciation for your interest in Aritzia!

Aritzia believes in providing an inclusive workplace where all individuals have opportunity to succeed. We are committed to doing so by providing accessible employment practices. Requests for accommodation due to a disability can be made at any stage of the recruitment process and applicants are asked to make their accommodation needs known.

Employer Profile

Working at Aritzia: Aritzia’s Support Office is located on the edge of downtown Vancouver (611 Alexander St. Vancouver, BC, V6A 1E1), a city consistently recognized as one of the world’s best cities to live. Much like our boutiques, our workspace is modern and unique, and reflects our love of contemporary design. Our team consists of creative and dynamic industry professionals who love to design and promote Aritzia’s in-house brands, scope out the latest global trends, and continue learning and sharing their passion for fashion with our valued clientele – all in an environment that fosters long-term career planning and personal growth. Check us out at www.aritzia.com