Production Manager

Okapi is a South African luxury brand creating sustainable, artisanal leather goods and accessories for a global clientele. Our products celebrate African craftsmanship, responsible sourcing, and timeless design.

We are looking for a highly organised, systems-focused Production Manager to own the end-to-end production function - from product development support through sourcing, costing, manufacturing, quality control, and final delivery. This is a pivotal operational role. You will be the central co-ordination point between our Creative Director and our network of 3rd-party suppliers, manufacturers, and artisans, ensuring the creative vision is translated into exceptional product, delivered on time, on budget, and to spec.

You will not manage an internal production team, but you will manage and hold accountable all external production partners in the supply chain. Success in this role depends on your ability to build robust systems, maintain disciplined calendars, and communicate with clarity across internal teams and suppliers.

Own and manage the master production calendar across all collections, including development, bulk production, and repeats. Build clear critical paths, set realistic lead times, anticipate dependencies between materials, hardware and assembly, and proactively resolve bottlenecks before they impact delivery.

Source, evaluate, and onboard 3rd-party manufacturers, tanneries, hardware suppliers, and packaging partners. You will be the primary point of contact for all production vendors - setting expectations, issuing timelines, following up relentlessly, and building long‑term, reliable partnerships that support our sustainability values. Maintain an up‑to‑date vendor database with lead times, capabilities, and performance.

Work closely with the Creative Director and Product Developer during R&D to advise on feasibility, lead times, material availability, and costing. Coordinate sampling, material sourcing, and hardware development to move designs from concept to production‑ready efficiently.

Own accurate Bills of Materials, product costing, and SKU setup in Business Central. Manage the purchasing process for leather, hardware, trims, and packaging — from quotations and purchase orders through to invoice reconciliation with Accounts. Negotiate competitive pricing and payment terms while protecting quality, and maintain cost consistency on core/repeat items.

Define and uphold Okapi’s quality standards. Approve bulk materials and colours, conduct QC checks on incoming materials and finished goods, and manage any corrective actions with suppliers. Keep approved samples and material records meticulously organised.

Maintain oversight of raw material stock, including stock held at supplier premises. Coordinate material movements between vendors, plan material requirements for production runs, and support quarterly cycle counts and annual stocktakes. Coordinate receipt of finished goods with Stock Control, ensuring QC and quantity checks are completed before goods are booked into stock.

Establish and maintain best‑practice production systems and documentation — spec sheets, BOMs, purchase orders, production status reports, and material allocations. Ensure product information is accurate and shared on time with Sales, E-commerce, Marketing, and Stock Control to support launches, wholesale orders, and the product catalogue. Support the sales team with technical product queries and coordinate repairs/refurbishment as part of our aftersales offering.