Head of Production

Great retail experiences do not happen because everyone worked harder at the last minute. They happen because the right people have a clear plan, know what they own, and catch issues before they become expensive problems. PORTER is looking for a Production Manager to lead our Project Management team and strengthen how work moves from production release through completion. This is a management role for someone who has led project delivery or production operations in a retail, fabrication, construction, or design-build environment. Rather than carrying a standard project load, you will focus on helping the team plan ahead, stay aligned, and deliver projects with greater consistency, clarity, and confidence. About PORTER PORTER is a strategy-led design build partner for brands that believe physical retail still matters. We bring strategy, design, engineering, production, and installation together under one roof, so ideas stay connected from concept through completion. From flagship stores and national retail rollouts to custom branded environments, we make places that are thoughtful, buildable, and worth experiencing. What You’ll Do You will lead PORTER’s Project Management function and create a consistent operating rhythm across active work. You will manage the PM team, set expectations, build better habits and judgement, and make sure the handoffs between Engineering, Production, and Build are clear. Directly manage the Project Management team, including workload planning, coaching, performance reviews, and development. Lead weekly project reviews focused on timeline, risks, dependencies, client commitments, financial exposure, and support needed. Make sure every active project has a clear accountable PM, working plan, timeline, and current view of what is at risk. Set clear standards for project documentation, client recaps, vendor communication, escalation, and follow-through. Oversee PM ownership of purchase orders, buying sheets, vendor updates, production approvals, photo documentation, shipping verification, and closeout. Confirm engineering releases are complete before they move into Production, and flag missing information, unresolved questions, or material risks for resolution before release. Partner with the Head of Engineering to resolve issues that affect cost, schedule, quality, fabrication, or installation before work moves forward. Partner with the Head of Build to ensure a clear, timely handoff from Production to Build, including project readiness, scope clarity, delivery sequencing, installation requirements, and known risks. Partner with Strategy and Design to protect approved intent and identify execution risks before they affect cost, schedule, fabrication, or installation. Turn repeated misses into clearer standards, better reviews, and stronger habits across the team. Address underperformance directly, reassign work when needed, and make recommendations on hiring or termination to the Production Director. What Success Looks Like A year from now, the Production function should feel noticeably more prepared, accountable, and predictable. Weekly project reviews are useful and consistent, not status meetings for the sake of having a meeting. PM ownership is clear. People know what they can decide, what they need to elevate, and when to raise a concern. Projects are planned earlier, risks are surfaced sooner, and client commitments are better protected. Vendor accountability has improved through clearer expectations, approvals, and documentation. The number of preventable omissions, rework, and last-minute recoveries has gone down. The Production Director is focused on key factory relationships, major commercial decisions, complex estimating, and true exceptions, not routine checking and fixing. Who You Are You have led people, not just projects. You are comfortable creating structure, holding people accountable, and stepping into a complex operating environment without needing to control every detail yourself. You understand that a good process should help good people make better decisions, not create paperwork for its own sake. You have experience managing project managers, production teams, or delivery operations in retail, fabrication, construction, manufacturing, or design-build. You understand project planning, production release, purchasing, vendor management, logistics, quality control, schedule management, and financial accountability. You can see a problem in a process, get to its real cause, and put a practical fix in place. You communicate clearly, give direct feedback, and stay calm when work gets complicated. You know when to make a decision and when a risk needs to be elevated. You have enough credibility in the work to coach PMs without taking their projects away from them. Experience & Qualifications 7+ years of relevant experience in project delivery, production, operations, construction, fabrication, manufacturing, or design-build, with meaningful people-management experience. Experience working on retail environments, branded spaces, fixtures, millwork, rollouts, or similar physical projects strongly preferred. Proven experience improving systems, standards, or operating rhythms across a project-delivery team. Strong organizational, written communication, and leadership skills. Comfort using project-management tools and working across multiple active projects and teams. Willingness to travel for factory visits or projects as needed. More Stuff to Know This is an in-office role based in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Please submit your resume and a brief note about a production or project-delivery team you have managed, including what you improved and how you approached it. PORTER is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We value diverse perspectives and are committed to building an inclusive workplace where talented people can do their best work. Employment decisions are made without regard to any protected characteristic under applicable federal, state, or local law. #J-18808-Ljbffr