A well-established Clothing Manufacturer in Cape Town is seeking an experienced Design Room Manager, who will be responsible for the oversight of departments and the people management of these departments, as well as the technical aspects and fitting of garments.

PRIMARY EXPECTATIONS
• Have a good knowledge & understanding of garment construction, pattern creation and development with application when fitting samples and seals
• Interact face-to-face with the customer, both the Buyers and technologists, in order to understand their needs and attend fit sessions and briefing where necessary
• Dealing and resolving all technical aspects relating to the garments
• Organize plan & prioritize work flow through the Design Centre, in conjunction with the in-house merchandiser and the critical path lead time

Responsibilities:
Pre-Production
• Sign off of all fits & seals before they go to the customer ensuring that they are made per the customer’s requirements
• Attending fits at the customer where necessary
• Holding a pre-production meeting for all styles ensuring the following occurs:
1. Garment is costed / made in the most production friendly way
2. Make up of garment matches the work sheet / tech pack
3. Any makeup concerns or quality recommendations have been highlighted in the minutes
4. Review of size trials (If required)

Managing of the Pattern & Sample Room
• Holding the key players in the Pattern & Sample Room responsible for deadlines and quality
• Holding all staff accountable for work performance
• Ensuring processes and systems are in place to ensure that required deadlines are met
• Ensure that Patternmakers and Machinist collaborate when working on a style
• Advising Designers at Pre-Production stage with regard to engineering or possible construction queries
• All worksheets processed will first be assessed for approval before moving onto the Patternmaker
• Any added costs to be discussed with the relevant merchandiser before being applied Fitting/Submissions
• Signing off of samples prior to being submitted to the customer
• Communicating with the customer on technical issues and finding solutions that are workable for both the company and customer
• Working in conjunction with Patternmakers to resolve technical problems
• Ensuring that amendments/changes to styles have been done and are correct once garments are made
• Attending post order meetings
• Ensuring that styles are correct in these meetings before being released for production
• Maintain the required quality standard throughout the process
• Absenteeism and discipline to be managed and, where necessary, action counselling sessions

Production
• Liaison between the factory and the customer should there be quality queries
• Advising the factory should they have any queries on any of the styles from the above mentioned departments
• Attending all post order meetings on styles in your department
• Signing off styles as “approved for production” once you have checked all info in post order meeting

Experience and characteristics required
• =10 Years’ experience in the clothing environment
• Diploma in Garment Production and/or Design
• Garment construction & pattern making knowledge essential
• Management experience required
• Ability to work with tight deadlines & demonstrate a high level of flexibility
• Excellent communication skills in order to gain a good understanding of the customer’s needs
• Driver’s Licence a necessity

Remuneration:
Because of the Seniority of the position, remuneration is based on experience and competency and includes benefits.