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Cut and Sew Production Manager

AXL Advanced

Wylie, TX

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JOB DETAILS
SKILLS
Accounting Software, Apparel Manufacturing, Bill of Materials (BOM), Capacity Management, Clothes Making, Communication Skills, Construction, Continuous Improvement, Corrective Action, Debugging Skills, Dental Insurance, Documentation, ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), Establish Priorities, Forecasting, Health Insurance, Home Networking, Identify Issues, Law Enforcement, Leadership, Lean Manufacturing, Lean Six Sigma, Manufacturing, Manufacturing Analysis, Manufacturing Management, Manufacturing Operations, Manufacturing/Industrial Processes, Materials Planning, Mentoring, Metrics, Military, Multilingual, Needs Assessment, Operations Management, People Management, Physical Inventory, Problem Solving Skills, Process Improvement, Procurement Planning, Product Costing, Product Design, Product Development, Production Control, Production Management, Production Schedule, Production Systems, Prototyping, Purchasing/Procurement, Quality Assurance, Reseller Channel, Scalable System Development, Schedule Development, Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), System Operations, Systems Administration/Management, Team Lead/Manager, Time Management, Training/Teaching, Vision Plan, eCommerce
LOCATION
Wylie, TX
POSTED
24 days ago
Benefits:
  • 401(k)
  • Company parties
  • Competitive salary
  • Dental insurance
  • Employee discounts
  • Health insurance
  • Opportunity for advancement
  • Paid time off
  • Training & development
  • Vision insurance

We are seeking a highly capable Production Manager with real-world cut-and-sew manufacturing experience who can help run our production operation.


This is a leadership and management role, not a purely task-based role. You will own the performance of production through managing people, systems, and processes.


However, this role requires someone who is willing and able to step into the trenches when needed, whether to solve problems, support the team, and fill gaps.

We operate a hybrid manufacturing environment utilizing:
  • In-house production
  • Home sewers
  • Independent contractors
  • Distributed manufacturing partners

Position Summary

The Cut & Sew Production Manager is responsible for overseeing and scaling AXL’s sewn-product manufacturing operations across internal staff and distributed production channels.

This role combines:
  • Production leadership
  • Workforce coordination
  • Quality assurance
  • Scheduling
  • SOP development & execution
  • Labor optimization
  • Costing support
  • Continuous improvement
The ideal candidate understands sewn-product manufacturing at a deep level and has experience with products such as:
  • Tactical gear
  • Bags
  • Packs
  • Apparel
This is a hands-on leadership role. The right person is equally comfortable:
  • Managing production schedules
  • Improving systems
  • Training sewers
  • Conducting time studies and costing products
  • Troubleshooting manufacturing issues
  • Stepping onto the production floor to assist the team
This role has strong long-term growth potential into broader Operations leadership.


Key Responsibilities

Production Leadership & Scheduling
  • Own daily and weekly sewing production schedules
  • Coordinate production priorities across:
    • DTC / Shopify orders
    • Dealer orders
    • Military / Agency orders
    • Inventory replenishment
  • Allocate work and production priorities across internal production resources
  • Identify bottlenecks and proactively solve production issues
  • Ensure production targets and deadlines are met
  • Maintain visibility into work-in-progress (WIP) and production status
Contractor & Home Sewer Oversight
  • Ensure distributed production operations run efficiently with independent contractors
  • Support alignment between in-house production, home sewers, and independent contractors
  • Monitor production capacity, turnaround times, quality performance, and workflow visibility across all sewing channels
  • Assist in prioritizing and allocating work based on:
    • production schedules
    • contractor capacity
    • product specialization
    • operational priorities
  • Collaborate on training standards, documentation, SOPs, and quality expectations for all external sewing resources
  • Ensure communication and production expectations are aligned between internal operations and the contractor/home sewer network
  • Help identify bottlenecks, production risks, and scaling opportunities within the distributed sewing network
Sewing Standards, SOPs & Documentation
  • Develop and maintain:
    • SOPs
    • Build instructions
    • QC standards
    • Workflow documentation
    • KPIs
  • Standardize sewing methods and construction techniques
  • Type this code in the question asked when you submit your resume or include in your cover letter: 3391
  • Improve repeatability and scalability across all production channels
  • Support multilingual communication using translation tools when needed
Quality Assurance
  • Ensure all products meet AXL’s “Gold Standard”
  • Oversee:
    • Pre-inspection of cut kits
    • In-process inspections
    • Final inspections
  • Analyze defects and implement corrective actions
  • Reduce rework and improve consistency across the sewing network
Time Studies, Costing & Process Improvement
  • Conduct labor time studies
  • Assist with:
    • Product costing
    • Labor costing
    • Manufacturing efficiency analysis
  • Help improve BOM accuracy and production standards
  • Identify opportunities for:
    • Labor reduction
    • Workflow optimization
    • Waste reduction
    • Increased throughput
  • Apply lean manufacturing principles where appropriate
Inventory, Production Coordination, Purchasing & Systems Oversight
  • Coordinate with inventory and purchasing teams to ensure material readiness
  • Assist with forecasting production needs and capacity planning
  • Maintain visibility into WIP (Work In Progress)
  • Support efforts to minimize stockouts and production delays
  • Coordinate material flow between production, kitting, and fulfillment operations
  • Support inventory accuracy across physical inventory, ecommerce systems, and operational platforms.
  • Support purchasing and replenishment planning for raw materials, production components, packaging supplies, and products we resell to ensure alignment with production demand and customer orders.
  • Assist in identifying purchasing needs, monitoring stock levels, and coordinating with leadership and approved vendors to help prevent stockouts and operational disruptions.
  • Identify and resolve disconnects between website inventory, physical inventory, production capacity, purchasing status, and fulfillment operations.
  • Support cleaner data flow between ecommerce, inventory, production, purchasing, and accounting systems.
  • Help implement, maintain, and improve ERP/MRP systems, inventory platforms, purchasing workflows, and operational reporting tools.
Team Leadership
  • Lead by example in a fast-paced manufacturing environment
  • Train and mentor sewing staff
  • Help establish accountability, quality culture, and operational discipline
  • Support future growth into larger-scale production operations
  • Assist management in building scalable manufacturing systems and processes

Qualifications

Required
  • 3+ years experience in cut-and-sew manufacturing, apparel, tactical gear, bags, or soft goods production
  • Strong understanding of industrial sewing operations and manufacturing workflows
  • Experience managing sewing staff, contractors, or production teams
  • Ability to read and interpret build documentation and production requirements
  • Strong organizational and problem-solving skills
  • Comfortable in both leadership and hands-on production roles
Preferred
  • Experience with tactical nylon products, body armor, or military soft goods
  • Experience with:
    • Time studies
    • Labor costing
    • BOM development
    • Production forecasting
    • Production Pattern Drafting
    • Co2 Laser Cutting
    • Fiber Lasers
    • Marker Making
    • Nesting
    • Product Design
    • Tech Pack Creation
    • Familiarity with lean manufacturing / Six Sigma concepts
  • Experience with distributed manufacturing or contractor-based production
  • Experience prototyping or assisting with product development
  • Familiarity with Shopify, ERP/MRP systems, inventory systems, or production tracking systems

Success Metrics

  • On-time production completion
  • Reduced defect and rework rates
  • Improved production throughput
  • Increased production capacity
  • Reduced stockouts
  • Improved labor efficiency
  • Accurate production forecasting and scheduling

Compensation

Expected compensation range (Depending on experience and capability):
  • Base plus performance incentive bonuses
Additional Information
  • Growth opportunity into senior leadership
  • Direct involvement in product innovation and manufacturing strategy
  • Employee discounts and industry access are available after 90 days
  • Eligible for Medical, Dental, and Vision after 60 days of employment
  • 401k with company match after 1 year
  • PTO & Holidays after 90 days of employment

Hiring Company Description

AXL designs and manufactures high-performance upgrades and stand-alone products for Military and Law Enforcement for use with gear made by Crye Precision®, Spiritus Systems, FirstSpear®, Velocity Systems, Mayflower, S&S Precision, Ferro Concepts, LBT (London Bridge Traders), Eagle Industries, and other respected Military and Law Enforcement gear brands.


AXL is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.
www.AXLadvanced.com
www.instagram.com/AXLadvanced


About the Company

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AXL Advanced