Freelance Production Manager
Employment Type: Freelance / Temporary
Location: New York, NY
Work Schedule: Hybrid; Monday–Thursday in office
Assignment Timing: Late July or early August through mid-January
Position Overview
Our client is seeking an experienced Freelance Production Manager to provide temporary coverage for a Director of Production on maternity leave. This manager-level assignment is ideal for a highly organized, hands-on production professional who can quickly step into an active apparel production environment with minimal ramp-up time.
The Production Manager will support end-to-end production coordination across product development, sampling, costing, factory communication, and approval workflows. The successful candidate will be comfortable managing multiple priorities, maintaining visibility into production status, and collaborating closely with cross-functional partners.
Key Responsibilities
- Track work in progress (WIP) across development and production timelines.
- Coordinate sample management, including sample status, routing, and approvals.
- Follow up on costing submissions, revisions, and outstanding production details.
- Serve as a key point of contact for factory communications and production updates.
- Manage approval routing to ensure timely decisions and milestone completion.
- Maintain accurate production documentation and status reporting.
- Partner with internal teams to identify risks, resolve issues, and keep production moving forward.
- Use B Product, NetSuite, and Slack to manage workflows, data, and team communication.
Qualifications
- Demonstrated apparel production experience in a fast-paced retail or fashion environment.
- Experience in menswear and/or tailored categories strongly preferred.
- Women’s wear production experience will also be considered.
- Ability to work independently, prioritize effectively, and make sound decisions with limited onboarding.
- Strong knowledge of production calendars, costing processes, sample workflows, and factory communication.
- Excellent organizational, follow-up, and cross-functional communication skills.
- Comfort working with production and business systems; experience with B Product and NetSuite is preferred.
