Saks Global Associate Vice President (AVP), Production

About Saks Global

A leading luxury fashion house within the global luxury goods sector, operating across design, sourcing and global manufacturing. The employer maintains close partnerships with ateliers and strategic suppliers to deliver seasonal collections and made-to-order pieces, combining artisanal savoir-faire with industrial production standards.

Role & Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end production operations for seasonal collections, coordinating sampling, pre-production, bulk manufacturing and final delivery to wholesale, retail and e‑commerce channels.
• Establish and manage the production calendar, capacity planning and order follow-up to ensure on-time launches and inventory targets.
• Own factory relationships and vendor selection, negotiating lead times, MOQs, costing and capacity allocation while enforcing brand quality standards and social compliance.
• Collaborate tightly with design, product development, sourcing, quality assurance, merchandising and supply‑chain teams to translate technical packs into manufacturable product.
• Define and monitor KPIs (OTD, yield, defect rates, cost per unit) and deploy continuous-improvement initiatives to optimise cost, lead-time and quality.
• Implement production risk mitigation (dual-sourcing, capacity buffers) and drive traceability and sustainability objectives across the supplier base.
• Line-manage and develop a multidisciplinary production team; set objectives, conduct performance reviews and hire talent where required.

Qualifications

• Proven leadership capability with experience managing production teams and cross‑functional stakeholders in a luxury apparel or leather goods environment.
• In-depth knowledge of apparel/leather manufacturing processes, tech packs, grading and fit iterations.
• Strong commercial acumen with hands-on experience in cost modelling, margin protection and vendor negotiation.
• Track record of implementing production planning and continuous-improvement programmes in multi-supplier, multi-country networks.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills; ability to influence designers, merchandisers and external partners.

Skills

Experience

8–12 years of progressive experience in production or manufacturing within the luxury fashion or premium apparel sector, including multiple seasons of collection production and a minimum of several years in a senior or managerial production role overseeing external factories.

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Textile/Fashion Technology, Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain Management, or equivalent professional experience.

Workplace

Culture

The organisation blends atelier craftsmanship with international production scale, prioritising product excellence, meticulous attention to detail and respect for artisanal processes. The workplace values cross-disciplinary collaboration and operational rigor to protect brand standards while scaling seasonal output.

About Cerulean

Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.