Operations Manager/Inventory Control

The Inventory Control & Operations Manager directs all inventory flow and decoration fulfillment operations to ensure accurate and timely completion of all orders with optimal efficiency and product quality. This role works closely with their embroidery operations team, the corporate sales teams, outsourcing partners, and the 3PL leadership teams to meet business goals. The Inventory Control & Operations Manager ensures their team is productive and safe and fosters a positive workplace while working ethically and modeling LT Apparel Group’s core values. This position is integral in managing an operating budget of typically $10 million, supported by up to 40 nonexempt indirect resources.

Principal Responsibilities: (provide bullet points of essential and substantive duties)

Business Profitability

• Contributes to French Toast's financial, operational, people, process, compliance, and service-related objectives to drive continuous improvement and efficiency gains to reduce overall cost-to-serve.
• Monitors operational fiscal performance including profit & loss and budgeting.
• Participates in business process improvement projects to optimize performance.
• Ensures the accurate and timely preparation of reports and records regarding operations.
• Monitors departmental purchasing to ensure adequate supply inventory and maximize cost savings for French Toast and customers.

Operational Excellence

• Analyzes operational performance to develop plans and successfully executes strategies designed to enhance decorative operations processes and ensures the production area consistently meets all 5S standards.
• Serves as the onsite Subject Matter Expert on the decorative technology and works in conjunction with the Facilities team and vendors to ensure the technology is operating at optimal output.
• Collaborates with the sales team on all projects to meet customer requirements and coordinates outsourced orders with vendor partners to ensure product availability, timely completion, and quality standards.
• Develops, tracks, and analyzes order processing data for both internal and outsourced orders to ensure order prioritization, efficiency, accuracy, and quality.
• Partners and communicates daily across shifts to ensure smooth workload handoff between shifts.
• Monitors and ensures key performance indicators (KPI) are met on time and in a cost-effective manner.
• Drives a culture of safety throughout the facility by following French Toast’s safety policies and procedures. Monitors safety and physical security on an ongoing basis. Complies with OSHA guidelines and other policies.
• Evaluates the effectiveness of and recommends alternatives for work methods, procedures, controls, and staffing to achieve accurate and timely processing of work orders and special projects.
• Manages decorative processes to ensure inventory integrity, operational efficiency, and labor productivity.
• Interacts with business partners to drive results and deliver quality solutions including internal departments such as Compliance, Finance, Human Resources, Customer Service, and Allocation and external partners such as the 3PL leadership team and outsourcing vendors.

• Employee Relations

  • Coaches, trains, and develops employees while fostering an employee-centered workplace that demonstrates inclusion and belonging for everyone.
  • Leads regular communications with team to ensure alignment of goals and objectives.
  • Provides both informal (e.g., on-floor coaching) and formal (e.g., written evaluation) job performance-based feedback.
  • Partners with Human Resources to address complaints and resolve people related issues in a timely manner and participates in the interview and selection process for vacant positions.

• Customer Relations

  • Engages with internal stakeholders and 3PL leaders, as well as vendors and customers to establish and accomplish goals.
  • Audits operations to ensure all service level agreement standards are met.
  • Responsible for ensuring that all account needs are met, service is managed to KPIs, and any account concern is handled promptly and completely; manages through emergency issues with sales team.
  • Some travel (< 10%) may be required to conduct vendor site visits
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  • Other duties and special projects may be assigned.
  • Qualifications:

    Education

    Required:

    High school diploma or equivalent.

    Preferred:

    Bachelor’s degree in Textiles, Supply Chain/Logistics, Business Management, or other relevant field of study

    Experience

    Required:

    5 years in salaried leadership position in manufacturing environment

    Preferred:

    2 years managing embroidery operations

    Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

    • Demonstrated understanding of apparel decoration industry and uses the knowledge and experience to make effective business decisions
    • Ability to proactively identify opportunities and root causes and use sound judgment and decision-making skills to adjust goals, plans, and direction
    • Uses strong written, verbal, and non-verbal skills to effectively communicate with all levels in the business
    • Possesses a continuous improvement mindset to develop and implement best practices using Six Sigma and 5S principles to drive lean operations and optimize team performance
    • Intermediate skills using general PC applications, MS Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, to include data collection and standardization, VLookup, data parsing, and pivot tables
    • Knowledgeable in Warehouse Management Systems (WMS)
    • Ability to enforce and drive safety policies, procedures and programs, act as a safety role model and champion, and hold the team to high safety standards

    Competencies and Behaviors

    • Develops teams through strong relationships with internal functions and develops direct reports through mentorship and growth opportunities
    • Motivates self and others while establishing an appropriate level of sense of urgency to meet business objectives
    • Maintains a positive outlook during high volume periods under demanding conditions
    • Results driven tactical leader with a strategic mindset
    • Acts with integrity and establishes trust, credibility, and rapport with internal and external partners
    • Serves as a change agent in a continuous improvement-oriented environment
    • Builds internal and external partnerships and works collaboratively with others to balance the needs of various stakeholders and meet shared objectives

    Other Abilities

    • Be able to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as business needs dictate
    • Be available on call as needed