Jeans Innovation Center Production Management and Innovation - Manager

UNIQLO; Gardena (CA); On-site; USD 175,000 - 207,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Vision insurance

Dental insurance

401(k)

Paid maternity leave

Paid paternity leave

Commuter benefits

Disability insurance

Job summary

Jeans Innovation Center LLC, part of the Fast Retailing group, seeks a Manager for Production Management and Innovation in Gardena, CA. You will lead denim fabric R&D, manage wash/finishing tech development, and coordinate with mills, designers, and factories to deliver mass‑production garments.

You will travel internationally (6–7 times/year) and guide factory engineers, optimize capacity and cost, and ensure sustainable, high‑quality production for tens of millions of units annually.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field plus five years of work experience with mass production factory management (including denim fabric and material development) and product quality control.
• Experience with rope dyeing, slasher dyeing, continuous dyeing, batch dyeing, rapid dyeing, and dope dyeing; weaving technologies; denim washing technique development; sustainable materials research; garment production and quality systems.

Responsibilities

• Conduct denim fabric research and development in collaboration with fabric mills; evaluate yarn types and dye performance.
• Lead denim wash and finishing technology development, including bleach processing, ozone processing, laser technologies with 3D effects, and DPI control.
• Develop new sustainable wash technologies and improve existing wash technologies for the Fast Retailing group.
• Coordinate among designers, fabric mills, and production factories to meet sample development requirements and cost targets.
• Visit and guide production factories in China, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Cambodia; train factory engineers for mass production.
• Perform engineering analyses of capacity, productivity, costs, CAPEX, and lead times for sewing, washing, finishing, inspection, and logistics.
• Support mass production factories to produce tens of millions of garments annually; ensure quality, cost competitiveness, and on‑time delivery.
• Monitor mass production quality and ensure compliance with guidelines and sustainability efforts; coordinate patent applications and renewals.
• Apply denim technologies to non‑denim product development and coordinate among global design teams.
• Travel internationally 6–7 times per year.

Skills

Mass production management

Denim fabric development

Quality control

Dyeing technologies

Project coordination

Patent coordination

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Industrial Engineering, Industrial Technology, Textile Engineering, or related field

Job description

Position: Production Management and Innovation - Manager

Job Location: Jeans Innovation Center LLC, 14725 S Broadway, Gardena, CA 90248

Jeans Innovation Center LLC is a leading apparel and denim development company that is part of the Fast Retailing global family of companies. We believe people are the key to achieving our overall success. We are a company that is committed to developing and growing our talent to align with business growth and objectives.

What you’ll do day-to-day

Conduct denim fabric research and development in collaboration with fabric mills. Evaluate yarn types and spinning systems, indigo and sulfur dye performance, fabric construction, physical durability, and suitability for large-scale bulk production. Lead denim wash and finishing technology development, including bleach processing, ozone processing, laser technologies with 3D effects and DPI (Dot Per Inch) control, enzyme abrasion processes, potassium permanganate treatments, and industrial washing machine programming. Develop new sustainable wash technologies and improve the existing wash technologies required by Fast Retailing group. Collaborate with other JIC Jeans Innovation Center (JIC) team to ensure the color balance, fabric strength, cost analysis, capacity, durability, and functionally meets group requirements for sample development. Visit and provide technical guidance to production factories in China, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Cambodia, ensuring compliance with standards. Train factory engineers on wash, sewing, and garment handling processes for mass production factories. Perform engineering‑based analysis of capacity, productivity, equipment efficiency, cost structures, capital investment requirements, and lead times, covering sewing, washing, finishing, inspection, and logistics for mass production items. Support mass production factories to produce over tens of millions of garments every year, ensuring quality, competitive cost, and on‑time delivery. Monitor quality of mass production items shipped to the store and ensure guidelines, including production factory sustainability efforts, are met. Coordinate technical matters related to patent applications, renewals, and substantiation of denim technologies. Apply denim technologies to non‑denim product development and serve as the primary technical authority coordinating among designers, fabric mills, and production factories. Coordinate communication between global design teams. Ensure readiness of samples. Manage and train subordinate team members to guide mass production factories. International travel is required 6-7 times per year.

Who we’re looking for

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Industrial Engineering, Industrial Technology, Textile Engineering, or a related field of study plus five (5) years of work experience with mass production factory management (including denim fabric and material development) and product quality control; rope dyeing, slasher dyeing, continuous dyeing, batch dyeing, rapid dyeing, and dope dyeing; weaving technologies utilizing Sulzer, Rapier, Shuttle, and Air Jet looms; denim washing technique development; new materials and product research; denim and non‑denim product development; analyzing cost, capacity, and lead time at production factories; leading the product development process between designers, fabric mills, and production factories; planning and executing research and development; coordinating patent related activities; utilizing knowledge of garment washing machine and garment chemical; providing instructions and guidance on sustainable washing technologies; research and development of sustainable materials and implementation in production; implementing garment washing techniques; and guidance and implementation of garment production and quality systems.

The annual base salary for this position is $175,000 - $207,000.

Featured benefits: medical insurance, vision insurance, dental insurance, 401(k), child care support, paid maternity leave, paid paternity leave, commuter benefits, and disability insurance.

The Company is committed to equal pay initiatives and will not ask candidates for their current or past salary.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, Fast Retailing does not discriminate against applicants or employees because of race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, veteran status, disability, age, citizenship, marital or domestic/civil partnership status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or because of any other status or condition protected by applicable federal, state or local law.