Senior Manager of Operations & Production

Company Description

Cotton & Rye Outfitters delivers a modern take on Western-inspired women’s apparel, designed for today’s confident, style-aware customer. Blending feminine silhouettes with Western heritage, the brand offers elevated everyday pieces that feel authentic, versatile, and distinctly premium.

The women’s collection focuses on refined styling, soft structure, and wearable versatility — from elevated fleece and modern tops to Western-inspired dresses and lifestyle essentials. Each piece is thoughtfully designed to balance comfort, style, and durability, allowing customers to move seamlessly from everyday life to outdoor and weekend settings.

With a cohesive aesthetic, premium feel, and strong storytelling potential at retail, Cotton & Rye is built to create emotional connection, drive newness, and build long-term brand loyalty within the growing lifestyle category.

Role Overview

Cotton & Rye Outfitters is seeking a hands-on Senior Manager of Operations & Production to lead and scale the operational backbone of a rapidly growing lifestyle apparel brand. This hybrid leadership role blends strategic operations management with deep production execution, owning the end-to-end flow from product commercialization through factory delivery and retail readiness.

Key Responsibilities

Operations Leadership

• Oversee day-to-day operational execution across product, logistics, and supply chain
• Build scalable systems, processes, and SOPs to support rapid growth
• Drive operational rigor across calendars, milestone tracking, and accountability
• Lead cross-functional planning across sales, production, and delivery timelines
• Establish KPI dashboards (OTIF, margin, inventory health, vendor performance)

Production & Supply Chain Execution

• Own production lifecycle from tech pack readiness through bulk delivery
• Manage global vendor relationships (Bangladesh, Asia, South America, and domestic partners)
• Ensure on-time, on-quality, and on-cost delivery across all product categories
• Drive factory communication, approvals, T&A adherence, and risk mitigation
• Oversee costing discipline, margin integrity, and landed cost accuracy
• Partner closely with product and design teams to ensure manufacturability

Operational Infrastructure

• Build and refine production calendars aligned with retail ship windows
• Implement best-in-class tools across PLM, ERP, and vendor communication
• Establish routing, compliance, and retailer operational readiness
• Improve operational transparency through reporting and workflow clarity
• Identify automation and process simplification opportunities

Financial & Operational Discipline

• Partner with finance on cash flow planning tied to production cycles
• Improve working capital efficiency across inventory and payables
• Support AR-driven planning and operational cash conversion
• Manage operational budgets and vendor spend optimization

Team & Cross‑Functional Leadership

• Lead and mentor a growing operations and production team
• Foster a culture of accountability, clarity, and executional excellence
• Act as the connective tissue between product, sales, and supply chain
• Serve as a key operational voice in leadership decision-making

Ideal Candidate Profile

• Proven experience in apparel operations and production leadership
• Deep understanding of global apparel manufacturing and supply chain dynamics
• Ability to operate at both strategic and executional levels
• Experience scaling processes within emerging or high-growth brands
• Strong vendor management and negotiation capabilities
• Highly organized with exceptional follow-through

Qualifications

• 10-12+ years experience in apparel operations, production, or supply chain leadership
• Strong expertise in Operations Management and process optimization
• Experience managing global production partners
• Analytical mindset with ability to translate data into action
• Experience managing budgets, costing, and margin optimization
• Excellent communication and cross-functional leadership skills
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, or related field preferred
• Systems power user – SPS, Micro Strategies, Microsoft 365, AI

Why This Role Matters

• This is a mission‑critical leadership role at an inflection point for Cotton & Rye. You will help build the operational engine that enables the brand to scale with discipline, clarity, and excellence while preserving the authenticity and craftsmanship that define Cotton & Rye.