Production Manager

Zola Advisory; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 1,200,000 - 1,900,000; Full time

Job summary

Zola Advisory in Bengaluru, Karnataka, is seeking an experienced Production Manager to lead knitwear manufacturing operations. This on-site role focuses on seasonal planning, workforce management, and process improvements to ensure on-time delivery and cost control during peak seasons.

Responsibilities include planning, capacity management, and coordinating with quality, procurement, and dispatch to maintain production efficiency and adherence to buyer standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or diploma in Textile Engineering or related field.
• 8–15 years in knitwear/hosiery/apparel production management, with 3–5 years in leadership.
• Proven ability to manage seasonal demand volatility and scale production.
• Experience with workforce planning, training, and multi-skilled teams.
• Knowledge of Indian labour and factory laws; experience with buyer audits.

Responsibilities

• Production Planning & Seasonal Capacity Management: prepare annual, seasonal, monthly plans with 2x off-season output.
• Handling Peak-Season Pressure: stay calm under high pressure; plan contingency and surge staffing.
• Manpower Planning & Training: hire, redeploy, and train operators; build multi-skilled bench.
• Technical & Process Expertise: hands-on knitting, dyeing, cutting, finishing; drive automation adoption.
• Quality, Cost & Compliance: ensure quality, monitor costs, and ensure compliance across stages.
• Statutory & Buyer Compliance: ensure labour laws, safety, and audit readiness; prepare CAPs.
• Coordination & Reporting: align with merchandising/planning/quality; report to senior management.

Skills

Leadership

People management

Production planning

Lean manufacturing

Education

Bachelor's degree/diploma in Textile Engineering or related field

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

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 flexible 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 modern 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.