Sr. Manager, Production Planning and Logistics

Job Description

Job Description

The Director of Production Planning & Logistics is responsible for developing and managing labor plans for the company’s apparel print-on-demand manufacturing operation while overseeing the flow of blank apparel and finished goods into and out of the facility.

This position serves as the critical link between production requirements, labor capacity, inventory availability, and logistics execution. The Director will translate sales forecasts, order demand, and production requirements into actionable staffing and labor plans while ensuring blank apparel, supplies, and finished goods move efficiently through receiving and shipping.

The role will work report to the VP of Production, who oversees apparel manufacturing; and work closely the Warehouse Manager, who manages warehouse operations and inventory movement; and the Director of Inventory Planning, who manages blank apparel inventory requirements and purchasing plans.

What You'll Do:

Production Planning

• Develop daily, weekly, monthly, and peak-season labor plans based on order volume, production forecasts, capacity requirements, and service-level expectations. 
• Partner closely with the VP of Production to translate production forecasts and manufacturing requirements into appropriate staffing levels by shift, department, and production function.
• Establish annual, monthly labor budgets, identify KPI (UPH, Labor $/hour), and weekly/daily tracking of performance
• Build labor models that align staffing requirements with production volume, productivity standards, equipment capacity, and expected order mix.
• Monitor actual labor utilization versus plan and identify opportunities to improve productivity, overtime, scheduling, and overall labor efficiency in partnership with the production leadership team.
• Anticipate labor requirements for seasonal peaks, major customer programs, promotional events, product launches, and unexpected changes in demand.
• Coordinate labor requirements with Production leadership and HR to ensure to ensure appropriate staffing levels.
• Develop reporting and KPIs for labor productivity, units per labor hour, overtime, staffing versus plan, capacity utilization, and labor cost.
• Identify potential labor or capacity constraints before they impact customer service or production output.

Inbound Logistics & Receiving

• Oversee inbound logistics planning for blank apparel, packaging materials, production supplies, and other materials required to support print-on-demand manufacturing.
• Partner with the Director of Inventory Planning to understand purchase order timing, inbound inventory requirements, and priorities.
• Coordinate inbound shipments from domestic and international suppliers to ensure materials arrive in accordance with production and inventory requirements.
• Work closely with the Warehouse Manager to ensure receiving capacity is aligned with expected inbound volume.
• Monitor inbound purchase orders and shipments, identifying delays, shortages, or transportation issues that could impact production.
• Improve inbound freight planning, shipment consolidation, carrier utilization, and transportation costs.
• Establish visibility and reporting for inbound shipments from purchase order through delivery and receipt.

Outbound Logistics & Shipping

• Oversee and coordinate outbound transportation planning for finished apparel coming from Asia and Mexico to Amazon and other retailers.
• Coordinate with production and warehouse leadership to prioritize shipments based on customer commitments and required delivery dates.
• Manage relationships and performance with freight carriers and transportation providers.
• Monitor freight costs, delivery performance, shipment accuracy, and carrier service levels.
• Support parcel, LTL, truckload, and other transportation requirements based on customer and business needs.
• Identify opportunities to reduce transportation expense while maintaining customer service and delivery performance.

Cross-Functional Planning

• Serve as a key planning connection between Sales, Production, Inventory Planning, Warehouse Operations, and Logistics.
• Participate in sales, production and operational planning meetings to ensure labor, inventory, receiving, and shipping capacity are aligned.
• Partner with the VP of Production on production schedules and capacity requirements.
• Partner with the Director of Inventory Planning to understand future blank apparel requirements and inbound inventory flow.
• Partner with the Warehouse Manager to coordinate receiving, inventory movement, staging, and finished-goods shipping.
• Develop contingency plans for demand spikes, inventory delays, transportation disruptions, and labor shortages.

Leadership & Continuous Improvement

• Manage and develop the Traffic Coordinator, establishing clear responsibilities, priorities, and performance expectations.
• Develop standardized processes and reporting for labor planning, inbound transportation, and outbound logistics.
• Establish and monitor KPIs across labor planning and logistics.
• Use data and operational trends to identify opportunities for productivity improvement, cost reduction, and increased capacity.
• Support continued growth and scalability of the print-on-demand operation through improved forecasting, planning, and execution.

What You'll Need:

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Operations, Logistics, Business, Industrial Engineering, or related field preferred.
• 7+ years of experience in production planning, workforce planning, logistics, supply chain, or manufacturing operations.
• 3+ years of leadership or management experience.
• Experience in apparel, print-on-demand, e-commerce fulfillment, consumer products, or high-volume manufacturing strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience developing labor and capacity plans in a variable-demand manufacturing or fulfillment environment.
• Strong understanding of inbound and outbound transportation, receiving, shipping, and warehouse operations.
• Experience working with parcel, LTL, truckload, and international/domestic freight providers.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate forecasts and operational data into staffing and capacity requirements.
• Advanced Excel and reporting capabilities; experience with ERP, WMS, production planning, and business intelligence systems preferred.
  

Hybrid Apparel is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.