Customization Manager

RHOBACK INC; Charlottesville (VA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

Rhoback Inc. is seeking a seasoned Customization Manager in Charlottesville, VA, to lead end-to-end decoration workflows for licensed, wholesale, and branded programs.

You will coordinate artwork, approvals, production routing, and vendor relationships to meet Rhoback’s high standards for quality and speed. You’ll manage the Embroidery Specialist and partner with Sales, Design, Product Development, and Operations to build scalable SOPs and a robust decoration catalog, ensuring on-time delivery

Qualifications

• 5-8+ years of relevant experience in decorated apparel, custom embellishment, or licensed merchandise operations.
• Experience with multi-channel customization programs and licensor approvals (NCAA, NFL/MLB, PGA Tour, or equivalent).
• Experience managing both 3PL and direct factory relationships, with production routing decisions based on order size, decoration type, speed, and cost.
• Strong hands-on knowledge of embroidery production processes and related file formats (.DST, .EMB, .AI).
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Apparel Production, Operations, or related field.

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end decoration workflow across all active customization programs, ensuring consistent process and quality.
• Manage artwork specs and technical direction from Design to external partners and licensors for approvals.
• Partner with Sales and Design to develop decoration concepts and produce spec packages for partners.
• Determine production routing for orders, directing to 3PL or factories as needed.
• Own vendor relationships with 3PL and factories; negotiate pricing, timelines, and capacity; enforce quality.

Skills

Customization management

Multi-channel programs

NetSuite ERP

Team leadership

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business

Tools

NetSuite (ERP)

PLM systems

Line sheet tools

Job description

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Customization Manager

FullTime Management Rhoback Office, Charlottesville, VA, US

15 days ago Requisition ID: 1016

Salary Range: $80,000.00 To $105,000.00 Annually

Company Mission:Rhoback is a community of passionate and motivated people looking to generate positivity, bring people together, and inspire activity by creating high quality products and engaging content for those who seek inspiration, motivation, and connection with a #craveactivity mentality.

The Role

Rhoback is seeking an experienced Customization Manager to lead and scale our growing customization business across an expanding portfolio of licensed, wholesale, and branded custom programs.

This role owns the full decoration workflow end-to-end — from initial concept approvals and artwork spec creation through production routing, vendor coordination, and delivery — ensuring every customized product meets Rhoback's brand, quality, and speed standards regardless of channel or partner.

The Customization Manager will determine the right production path for every order, routing quick-turn and small-batch jobs through our 3PL partner, and providing the product development and production teams support with embroidery and decoration needs that are on product coming directly from an overseas factory as needed, while managing the distinct approval requirements each channel demands.

You’ll directly manage the Embroidery Specialist, serve as the internal hub between Sales, Design, Product Development, and Operations, and build the systems and SOPs to support Rhoback's ambitions in custom decorated apparel as the business continues to grow.

What You’ll Do

• Own the end-to-end decoration workflow across all active customization programs — ensuring consistent process, clear ownership, and quality standards regardless of channel, partner, or decoration type.
• Receive artwork, decoration specs, and technical direction from Design and internal stakeholders; manage the end-to-end submission process to external partners and licensors for required approvals, tracking all revision cycles through final sign-off.
• Partner with Sales and Design to develop decoration concepts for each program; manage revision rounds and produce assortment decks, line sheets, and spec packages tailored to each partner's requirements.
• Determine production routing for all orders — directing quick-turn and small-batch jobs to our 3PL partner, and partnering with the product development and production teams on embroidery and decoration needs for products coming directly from an overseas factory as needed.
• Own day-to-day vendor relationships with 3PL and factory partners, as well as decoration vendors; negotiate pricing, turnaround times, and capacity commitments; set and enforce quality standards across all production channels.
• Manage decoration spec files, DIPs (Decoration Identification Packages), and artwork assets across all programs; maintain an organized, current decoration catalog for all active and approved decorations.
• Directly manage the Embroidery Specialist; serve as the escalation point for Sales, Design, Product Development, and Operations on all customization questions, timelines, and issues.
• Build and own scalable SOPs for every stage of customization — concept development, approval workflows, decoration spec creation, production routing, QC, and shipping — and track key metrics (on-time delivery, defect rate, cost per unit, approval cycle time) across all programs.

What We’re Looking For

• 5-8+ years in custom apparel production, decorated goods, or embellishment operations — ideally in golf, licensed apparel (collegiate, professional sports), or premium wholesale.
• Demonstrated experience managing multi-channel customization programs with external licensor approval requirements (NCAA, NFL/MLB, PGA Tour, or equivalent).
• Experience managing both 3PL and direct factory relationships, with production routing decisions based on order size, decoration type, speed, and cost.
• Strong hands-on knowledge of NetSuite (ERP): SKU/item record creation, BOM setup and coloring, PO processing, and inventory tracking; familiarity with other product-adjacent systems (PLM, line sheet tools, vendor portals) is a plus.
• Deep knowledge of embroidery production processes — digitization, file formats (.DST, .EMB, .AI), thread color matching, quality standards — and familiarity with other embellishment methods (screen print, heat transfer, patches).
• Prior people management experience; proven ability to develop and lead a small, high-performing team.
• Highly organized with the ability to manage a high-volume, deadline-driven workflow across multiple channels and vendors simultaneously.
• Experience building and maintaining decoration catalogs and managing DIPs or equivalent artwork spec packages.
• Strong communicator: able to translate technical production details for Sales, Design, and executive audiences; experience building SOPs and production systems from the ground up.
• Understanding of the golf retail market (green grass, off-course, collegiate, PGA properties) is a meaningful plus.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite; experience with project management or order management tools preferred.

What Success Looks Like

• Every customization order regardless of channel moves through a consistent, well-documented process with clear ownership and no dropped handoffs.
• External licensor approvals are secured on time, with zero surprises to the Sales or wholesale team.
• Production routing decisions are made confidently: on-time delivery, margin integrity, and quality that consistently meets Rhoback's brand standards across both 3PL and factory channels.
• BOMs, SKUs, and decoration data in NetSuite are accurate, current, and trusted by cross-functional teams.
• The Embroidery Specialist is supported and growing; the team operates with minimal escalations to leadership.
• A decoration catalog exists, is actively maintained, and is used to drive consistency and speed across all channels.
• Quick-turn capability is reliable, repeatable, and continues to expand as a competitive advantage for the business.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Apparel Production, Operations, or a related field — or equivalent work experience.
• 5-8+ years of relevant experience in decorated apparel, custom embellishment, or licensed merchandise operations.

Physical Requirement (if applicable)

This role may invole performing job-related tasks that occasionally require physical activity, such as lifting, pushing, or pulling items 10 lbs or more, with our without reasonable accommodation.