Department - Production / Manufacturing

Reports To - Chief Operating Officer / Managing Director

Location - Devanahalli, Bengaluru, Karnataka

Company Profile - Knitwear manufacturing company | ~300 employees | Annual turnover ~20 crore

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced Production Manager to lead shop-floor operations at our knitwear manufacturing unit. This is a high-accountability, hands-on role for someone who can run a knitting-to-finishing operation efficiently through sharp seasonal swings, build and train a capable workforce, and keep pace with evolving knitwear manufacturing technology and processes.

Key Challenge of the Role

Knitwear is a strongly seasonal business. Peak-season output requirements can run at roughly double the volume of the off-season, with the same or a proportionately ramped-up workforce and infrastructure. The Production Manager must be able to plan for, absorb, and deliver against this demand volatility consistently, quarter after quarter, without compromising quality, cost, or on-time delivery.

Key Responsibilities

- Production Planning & Seasonal Capacity Management

Prepare annual, seasonal, and monthly production plans that anticipate peak-season demand running at roughly 2x off-season output. Build versatile capacity plans covering manpower, machine hours, shifts, and sub-contracting to scale up and down without loss of efficiency.

Drive de-bottlenecking across knitting, dyeing/processing, cutting, stitching, and finishing to protect on-time delivery during peak load.

Proactively plan raw material, yarn, and trims procurement in line with the production calendar to avoid stock-outs during ramp-up.

- Handling Peak-Season Pressure

– Stay calm and decisive under sustained high-pressure conditions; manage multiple priorities and tight deadlines without loss of quality or team morale. – Set up contingency and surge plans (extra shifts, temporary manpower, job-work outsourcing) well ahead of the season.

– Track daily/weekly output vs. plan and take corrective action immediately when gaps emerge.

- Manpower Planning & Training

– Plan seasonal manpower requirements, including hiring, redeployment,



and contract labour, to meet peak-season output. – Design and run structured on-the-job and classroom training programs for operators, supervisors, and new joiners on machines, processes, and quality standards.

– Build a bench of multi-skilled operators who can move across knitting, checking, and finishing stations as load shifts.

– Mentor and develop shift supervisors and line in-charges into future team leaders.

- Technical & Process Expertise

– Bring hands-on expertise in up-to-date knitwear manufacturing processes: circular/flat knitting, yarn selection, dyeing/processing, cutting, stitching, checking, and finishing. – Stay current with the latest knitting machinery, automation, and process technologies, and lead their evaluation and adoption.

– Drive continuous improvement in productivity, first-time-right quality, and wastage reduction using lean/industrial engineering methods.

- Quality, Cost & Compliance

– Ensure consistent adherence to quality standards and customer specifications across all production stages. – Monitor and control conversion cost per piece, machine utilisation, and manpower productivity.
- Statutory & Buyer Compliance

– Ensure full compliance with applicable Indian labour, factory, and industrial laws, including the Factories Act, minimum wages, working hours, overtime, PF/ESI, and occupational health & safety norms, especially during peak-season surge staffing. – Maintain statutory documentation, registers, and licences required for factory operations, and liaise with labour/factory inspectorate as needed.

– Ensure the factory consistently meets international buyer social- and technical-compliance requirements (e.g. BSCI, SEDEX/SMETA, WRAP, Sedex, or specific buyer codes of conduct),



including standards on working hours, wages, fire and building safety, chemical/effluent handling, and grievance mechanisms.

– Prepare the factory for and lead buyer compliance audits and inspections, ensure timely closure of corrective action plans (CAPs), and maintain audit-ready records.

– Ensure any overtime or extended shifts used to meet peak-season output stay within legal and buyer-mandated limits, without compromising worker welfare.

– Keep abreast of evolving statutory and buyer compliance requirements and update factory practices accordingly.

- Coordination & Reporting

– Coordinate closely with merchandising, planning, quality, and dispatch teams to ensure order commitments are met. – Report production performance, capacity utilisation, and key issues to senior management on a regular cadence.

Requirements

- Bachelor's degree/diploma in Textile Engineering, Textile Technology, or a related field.
- 8-15 years of production management experience in a knitwear/hosiery/apparel manufacturing environment, with at least 3-5 years in a leadership role.
- Demonstrated expertise in current knitwear manufacturing processes and machinery.
- Proven track record of managing seasonal demand volatility and scaling production up and down efficiently.
- Strong experience in workforce planning, training, and building multi-skilled teams.
- Ability to work under sustained pressure during peak season while maintaining quality and team stability.
- Strong planning, problem-solving, and people-management skills; comfortable driving output through others.
- Working knowledge of production planning tools/ERP systems is preferred.
- Sound working knowledge of Indian labour and factory law, and hands-on experience managing international buyer compliance audits (e.g. BSCI, SEDEX/SMETA, WRAP, or similar buyer codes of conduct).

What We Offer A central, high-ownership role in a growing knitwear manufacturing company, with direct influence over how the organisation plans for and delivers through its seasonal peaks, and the opportunity to build and shape the production workforce.

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