How to Become a Textiles Manufacturing Manager: Career Path Guide
To become a textiles manufacturing manager, you typically need an undergraduate degree in textiles or management (ideally, a field that combines both), combined with work experience in roles of progressive responsibility in areas that relate closely to the development and production of textiles, such as product technology, manufacturing, quality control, sourcing, design, or a similar area.
If you want to become a textiles manufacturing manager, you first need to determine if this career path is a good fit for your skills, interests and personality traits. If the following description sounds like you, then you’re probably well suited for a career in textiles manufacturing management:
• You have an understanding of the features, design, construction and components of textiles
• You have knowledge of manufacturing and management processes
• You are seen as trustworthy, accountable and responsible by others
• You are skilled at managing your own time, and the time of others
• You enjoy directing the work of others
• You have a customer-oriented approach to work activities
• You are able to recover quickly after change, disruptions, or mistakes
Below we've outlined what you'll need to begin a career as a textiles manufacturing manager. We've also included helpful information for this career, such as salary expectations, an outline of the skills you’ll need, educational requirements, a list of possible employer types, and much more!
Education Needed to Become a Textiles Manufacturing Manager
If you want to work as a textiles manufacturing manager, you will be expected to have knowledge, skills, competencies and experience in manufacturing, management and textiles.
For this reason, you typically need a bachelor’s degree in a field related to textiles or management, supplemented with work experience, if you want to become a textiles manufacturing manager.
Textiles Production Manager Job Description
Textiles production managers are responsible for overseeing all stages of the textiles manufacturing process. They must work with domestic and international suppliers and customers to agree on quality standards, price, delivery times and ethical production issues.
Textiles production managers must ensure that production operates smoothly, cost-effectively and that the final product is finished within the guidelines agreed upon with suppliers and customers.
Although generally the responsibility of a Logistics manager, textiles production managers may also be responsible for the management of supply chains extending across several countries.
Textiles Production Manager Job Duties
• Negotiate and communicate with wholesale and retail customers
• Manage retail and wholesale orders
• Plan and monitor production schedules, and make any necessary alterations
• Liaise with internal sales teams, purchasers, designers, and quality control personnel
• Work with suppliers to establish quality standards
• Work closely with maintenance technicians to solve production delays
• Work closely with maintenance technicians to ensure machinery is functioning at full capacity
• Ensure that the production process runs smoothly, is cost effective and delivers products within specified time frame
Who Creates Jobs for Textiles Production Managers?
Textile manufacturing managers are generally employed on a full-time or contractual basis by the following types of organizations:
• Fabric manufacturers
• Clothing design and manufacturers
• Housewares design and production companies (such as furniture, draperies, etc.)
• Technical textiles manufacturers (companies that produce textiles for industry, such as carbon fibre)
• Manufacturing consulting firms
Experience Needed to Become a Textiles Manufacturing Manager
The experience needed to become a textiles manufacturing manager largely depends on the size and staffing needs of your prospective employer.
As this is considered a mid-level career, employers will often look to hire textiles manufacturing managers that have experience in roles of progressive responsibility in areas that relate closely to the development and production of textiles, such as product technology, manufacturing, quality control, sourcing, design, or a similar area.
Their ideal textiles candidate would also have gained this experience by working with the product type that the employer produces. For example, a company that manufactures athletic clothing for women may prefer to hire a textiles manufacturing manager that has quality control experience with regards to athletic wear, or women’s apparel.
Skills Needed to Become a Textiles Manufacturing Manager
In order to become effective in a career as a textiles manufacturing manager, and perform your job duties with competence, you need to posses a certain set of managerial skills and product-specific knowledge, including:
Management Skills
• Able to carefully manage the time of employees
• Able to direct and motivate employees
• Able to work effectively with managers from other departments
• Able to immediately identify problems and solve them
• Able to effectively evaluate technical capabilities of manufacturing and development team
• Able to determine if defective products are a one-time issue, or the result of a production process flaw
• Able to increase efficiency of manufacturing practices, in partnership with other departments
Product Knowledge
• Understanding of the features, design, construction and components of textiles
• Extensive knowledge in fibers, polymer sciences, yarns, finishing, chemicals and machinery (as applicable)
• Ability to spot trends, as they relate to the product type
Characteristics of Successful Textiles Manufacturing Managers
In order to enjoy performing the duties of a textiles manufacturing manager, you need to have certain personality traits. Taking enjoyment from your job duties is important, as it helps you maintain a positive attitude towards your work, which can lead to having a long and successful career.
• Committed to customer satisfaction
• Committed to achieving mutually agreed upon individual and team objectives
• Collaborative and cooperative attitude when working with others to achieve shared goals and objectives
• Seen as trustworthy, accountable and responsible by co-workers, suppliers and customers
• Able to recover quickly after change, disruptions, or mistakes
• Can remain productive and focused in the face of error and disruption
• Enjoy directing the work of others
• Enjoy negotiating with other managers
• Enjoy finding innovative solutions to problems
• Enjoy taking a methodical approach to work
• Enjoy working as part of a team
Working Conditions for Textiles Manufacturing Managers
Work Setting: Textiles manufacturing managers typically split their time between the production area and a nearby office. They may have to travel domestically and/or internationally, for the purpose of visiting other production facilities in the organization, or meeting and negotiating with suppliers and customers.
Hours of Work: Textiles manufacturing managers usually work standard weekday office hours. Some managers however, may work on a shift-based schedule, meaning their hours could fluctuate, and they could work at any time during the day, based on the operating schedule of the production facility.
Regardless of specific schedule, they may be required to work overtime hours when their organization makes significant operational changes, when emergencies occur, or when facing tight deadlines.
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Textiles Production Manager Salary
The salary level of textiles production managers can vary, typically depending on the following factors:
• Their level of education
• Their level of experience
• The size and type of their employer
• The region in which they work
Textiles Production Manager Salary Alberta: According to the 2013 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey, Albertans working in the Manufacturing Managers occupational group earn an average salary of $99,671 per year.
Textiles Production Manager Salary Canada: According to Service Canada, the average salary level of Canadian workers in the Manufacturing Managers occupational group is $71,895 per year.
Textiles Production Manager Salary United States: According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary level of American workers in the Industrial Production Managers occupational group is $89,190 per year.
Careers Similar to Textiles Production Manager
Listed below are careers in our database that are similar in nature to Textiles Production Manager, as they may involve many of the same skills, competencies and responsibilities.
References: Textiles Production Manager Career Information
Please use the references below to find more information on the various aspects of a career as a textiles production manager.
Occupations in Alberta: “Operations Manager.” (January 28, 2013). ALIS website - Alberta Learning Information Service. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
Management: “Industrial Production Managers.” (September 4, 2019). Bureau of Labor Statistics - United States Government website. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
Explore Careers: “Textiles production manager.” (n.d.). National Careers Service website. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
Scholarships for Becoming a Textiles Production Manager
Scholarships in Canada and the United States listed for majors that apply to becoming a Textiles Production Manager can be found on the following pages:
Clothing, Textiles and Material Culture Scholarships
Success Tip: Be sure to apply for any scholarships that you even barely qualify for, as there are millions of dollars of scholarships that go unused every year due to a lack of applicants!
Becoming a Textiles Production Manager: Applicable Majors
Studying one of the university majors listed below is an excellent starting point to becoming a textiles production manager. Click on the links to find out what else you can do with these majors!
