Head of Factory — Knit & Woven Production

Job DescriptionHead of Factory — Knit & Woven ProductionNDS9 is a global, end-to-end garment design, manufacturing, and sourcing partner with 14 years of heritage in apparel manufacturing and a network of 30+ specialized production facilities across nine countries. Operating through merchandising offices and design studios in New York, Barcelona, Dubai, Delhi, and Dhaka, we work with leading international retailers and brands on a daily basis. To oversee production and operations across our affiliated factories, we are looking for a highly experienced, strategic, and hands-on Head of Factory with a proven command of both knit and woven garment manufacturing to drive efficiency, quality, and on-time delivery across our production network.Position DetailsPosition Title: Head of Factory

Department: Planning / Production / Factory Operations

Employment Type: Full-Time, PermanentReporting To: Management / CEOWork Location: Gazipur, Bangladesh (with travel across production units as required)Role OverviewThe Head of Factory will hold full ownership of production and operations across NDS9's affiliated knit and woven garment factories, ensuring output targets, quality standards, cost efficiency, compliance, and on-time shipment are consistently met.This is a senior leadership role for a seasoned production professional who has personally run large-scale factory operations across both knit and woven categories, and who can lead multiple factory teams, standardize best practices across units, and represent NDS9 confidently with buyers, compliance auditors, and senior management.

The ideal candidate combines deep technical manufacturing knowledge with strong commercial and people-leadership skills.Key ResponsibilitiesTake full ownership of day-to-day production and operations across affiliated knit and woven factories, ensuring targets for output, quality, cost, and delivery are consistently achieved.Develop and drive factory-wide production planning, capacity and line-balancing, and manpower/machine utilization strategies across both knit and woven manufacturing lines.Set and monitor key operational KPIs — efficiency, productivity, DHU/defect rates, on-time delivery, and cost per unit — and drive continuous improvement across all affiliated units.Lead, mentor, and hold accountable factory-level General Managers, Production Managers, and department heads (Cutting, Sewing, Finishing, Quality, Planning, Maintenance) across the network.Standardize processes, systems, and best practices across affiliated factories to ensure consistent quality and performance regardless of location.Oversee production budgeting and cost control, identifying opportunities to improve gross margin without compromising quality or compliance.Ensure full compliance with buyer codes of conduct, social and environmental compliance standards, and all applicable local labor and safety regulations (Accord/RSC, BSCI, WRAP, or equivalent) across all factories.Drive lean manufacturing, automation, and technology upgrade initiatives to improve productivity and competitiveness across knit and woven operations.Coordinate closely with Merchandising, Sourcing, and Quality Assurance teams to align production capacity with order intake, T&A calendars, and buyer requirements.Represent NDS9 in front of buyers, auditors, and senior leadership during factory visits, audits, and business reviews.Manage vendor and subcontractor relationships for affiliated factories, ensuring capacity, quality, and compliance standards are upheld.Proactively identify production risks and bottlenecks, and lead corrective action to protect on-time, first-quality shipment across the network.Qualifications & RequirementsEducationBachelor's or Master's degree in Textile Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Apparel Manufacturing, or a related field is required.Further certification or training in Production Management, Lean Manufacturing, or Industrial Engineering will be considered an advantage.ExperienceMinimum 15+ years of progressive experience in garment manufacturing, including at least 5–7 years in a senior factory leadership role (Head of Factory, Factory General Manager, GM Operations, or equivalent).Demonstrated, hands-on experience running production for BOTH knit and woven garment categories is mandatory — candidates with experience in only one category will not be considered.Proven track record of managing large-scale factory operations, ideally across multiple production units or affiliated/group factories simultaneously.Strong track record of delivering against buyer compliance, quality, and on-time delivery requirements for leading international retailers and brands.Skills & CompetenciesDeep technical command of both knit and woven garment manufacturing processes — cutting, sewing, finishing, and quality — along with machinery, layout, and line-balancing expertise.Strong production planning and control (PPC) skills, with the ability to manage capacity and priorities across multiple factories and order books.Solid understanding of costing, budgeting, and margin management at the factory level.Sound knowledge of social, environmental, and safety compliance standards applicable to garment manufacturing.Proven people-leadership skills, with the ability to manage, develop, and hold accountable senior factory management teams across multiple sites.Excellent English communication skills — confident and credible when presenting to buyers, auditors, and senior leadership.Proficient in MS Office and production/ERP management systems.Personal AttributesStrong strategic and operational leadership with a hands-on, floor-present management style.Decisive, accountable, and comfortable driving results under tight production and delivery timelines.High integrity and uncompromising on quality and compliance standards.Strong ownership mindset with the ability to work cross-functionally with Merchandising, Sourcing, and Quality teams.Compensation and BenefitsHighly competitive salary, negotiable for the right candidate based on experience and track record.Festival bonuses as per company policy.A senior leadership role with full ownership of production strategy across a growing, multi-factory network.The opportunity to shape and standardize manufacturing excellence across NDS9's affiliated factories.