Head of Operations (Apparel company)

Job Title: Head of Operations (Apparel company)

Location: New York City

Industry: Apparel

Market: US

Channel: Large Retailers and Department Stores

Salary Range: (USD) Around $200k+ in annual base salary

Visa: No sponsorship possible. Must have valid work authorization

Job ID: ZR_9577_JOB

Remote work policy: On-site

Job Seniority: Executive Level

Company size: Medium (50-1000 ppl)

Company Ownership: Privately Owned

Industry(ies): Fashion & Apparel,

Function(s): Supply Chain,

Region(s): NORTH AMERICA, USA, New York City area

Company Description

Our client is a privately owned, family-operated apparel company with a long-standing position in the girls’ and juniors’ market. The company designs, merchandises, sells, and develops seasonal collections for major department stores and retail chains, with an established showroom in New York City and a highly product-driven operating model.

The organization has approximately 65 employees in its New York office, with in-house sample capabilities and long-standing overseas manufacturing partners. The culture is fast-paced, hands-on, and highly collaborative, with employees expected to operate beyond narrow job descriptions and contribute directly to the execution of the business.

Objective of the Role

Our client is creating a senior Operations role to support the company’s continued growth and increasing operational complexity. The Head of Operations will partner closely with the President/General Manager and ownership to ensure that teams, processes, systems, and resources are properly aligned as the business scales.

This role is intended for a hands-on operational leader who understands how a wholesale apparel or consumer goods business functions from sales through production, customer onboarding, internal communication, staffing, and execution. The successful candidate will help professionalize processes, improve accountability, and ensure that every department has the structure and support needed to operate efficiently.

Ideal Profile

The ideal candidate will have held a senior operations, business operations, general management, or COO-type role within an apparel, fashion accessories, consumer goods, or related wholesale business selling to major retailers such as Walmart, Target, Macy’s, Kohl’s, Nordstrom, Dillard’s, or similar accounts.

They should understand the operational realities of seasonal product businesses, including sales handoff, production timelines, customer requirements, showroom or market calendar pressures, cross-functional coordination, and the importance of clear internal ownership. Experience in a founder-led, family-owned, entrepreneurial, or mid-sized company environment would be particularly relevant.

The right person will be structured, pragmatic, and comfortable getting into the details while also operating at a senior leadership level. Strong communication skills, business judgment, and the ability to build trust with product, sales, finance, production, HR, and warehouse partners are essential.

Responsibilities

• Lead cross-functional operational coordination across sales, production, design, merchandising, finance, HR, and support teams.
• Improve internal workflows, communication routines, and handoffs between departments.
• Support the onboarding of new retail customers and ensure internal teams understand requirements, timelines, ownership, and deliverables.
• Assess staffing needs across departments and partner with leadership on hiring plans, role clarity, and resource allocation.
• Help ensure that each area of the business has adequate coverage, backup, and cross-training.
• Identify process gaps and propose practical improvements to increase efficiency, accountability, and scalability.
• Partner with finance to evaluate the cost and budget impact of operational plans and additional resources.
• Collaborate with the warehouse leadership team as needed, while focusing primarily on the broader corporate and cross-functional operating model.
• Support special projects related to systems, process improvement, organizational structure, and business growth.
• Serve as a senior operational partner to the President/General Manager and ownership.

Requirements

• Significant experience in operations, business operations, general management, or a similar leadership role within apparel, accessories, wholesale consumer goods, or a related seasonal product business.
• Strong understanding of wholesale distribution to major department stores, national retailers, and/or off-price accounts.
• Experience improving processes in a growing, entrepreneurial, or mid-sized organization.
• Ability to work effectively with product-led teams, including design, merchandising, sales, production, and sourcing.
• Strong organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Proven ability to manage cross-functional priorities without relying on heavy corporate infrastructure.
• Comfort operating in a hands-on, in-office, fast-paced environment.
• Experience with systems improvement, workflow design, reporting tools, or ERP-supported processes is preferred.
• Prior exposure to HR, hiring, team structure, or resource planning is a strong plus.
• Must be able to work primarily from the New York City office.