Production Manager – Canvas & Sewing Operations (CMT)

Our client is South Africa’s leading manufacturer of premium outdoor umbrellas and shade solutions, supplying the hospitality, commercial and retail sectors locally and internationally. They are looking for an experienced Production Manager to take ownership of their Canvas Manufacturing Department, leading cutting, sewing and pattern-making operations while driving productivity, quality and operational excellence.

This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who enjoys being on the factory floor, developing people, improving systems and ensuring production targets are consistently achieved.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage all daily production within the sewing and canvas departments, planning and scheduling workloads across multiple sewing lines
• Monitor daily output and labour efficiency, identify bottlenecks and implement corrective actions
• Run the cutting room: marker layouts, fabric utilisation, minimal waste and dimensional accuracy
• Oversee pattern development for new products and maintain pattern libraries and revision control
• Lead sewing teams and supervisors, standardise sewing methods, reduce rework and drive operator training
• Implement quality checks throughout production, analyse defects and reduce rejects and warranty issues
• Coach and develop supervisors and operators, conduct performance reviews and enforce safety standards
• Drive Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement, and report on productivity, efficiency and labour utilisation

Requirements

• 5+ years’ experience managing a CMT, upholstery, industrial sewing or technical textile manufacturing environment
• Strong knowledge of industrial sewing machines and production processes
• Experience managing production planning and scheduling
• Experience with pattern making and fabric cutting operations
• Strong leadership and people management skills
• Excellent organisational and problem-solving abilities
• Computer literate (Excel essential)
• Ability to work under pressure and meet production deadlines

Advantageous

• Experience in outdoor furniture, awnings, umbrellas, marine canvas, tents or industrial textile manufacturing
• Lean Manufacturing or Continuous Improvement experience
• Knowledge of workflow balancing and line efficiency
• Exposure to ERP or production management systems

Remuneration

Market-related salary based on experience and qualifications.

If you have a passion for manufacturing, operational excellence and leading high-performing production teams, apply now.