Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Textile Production Coordinator

🎯 Role Definition

The Textile Production Coordinator oversees end-to-end production planning and execution for textile and apparel manufacturing lines. This role coordinates production schedules, monitors quality and yield, liaises with internal teams and external vendors, manages material and inventory flow, enforces compliance and safety standards, and drives continuous improvement initiatives to meet cost, quality, and on-time delivery targets. Ideal candidates combine textile manufacturing knowledge with strong organizational, communication, and data-driven decision-making skills.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Textile Production Assistant / Junior Production Planner
Quality Control Technician (Textiles)
Materials Coordinator / Inventory Clerk

Advancement To:

Senior Production Coordinator / Production Supervisor
Production Planning Manager / Supply Chain Manager
Operations Manager / Plant Manager

Lateral Moves:

Quality Assurance Analyst (Textiles)
Vendor & Supplier Manager
Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Develop, maintain and execute master production schedules for multiple textile product lines, ensuring alignment with sales forecasts, purchase orders, and capacity constraints to achieve on-time delivery targets.
Coordinate daily production activities across weaving/knitting, dyeing, finishing, cutting and assembly operations, proactively resolving bottlenecks and re-sequencing workloads to preserve throughput.
Prepare and release accurate production tickets, work orders and BOMs (bills of materials) in ERP/PLM systems; ensure all production documentation is complete and traceable.
Monitor real-time production KPIs (throughput, yield, scrap rate, OTD) and generate actionable reports for plant managers and cross-functional stakeholders to drive performance improvements.
Collaborate with sourcing and procurement to confirm fabric, trims and packaging availability; expedite critical raw materials and manage lead times to avoid production disruptions.
Conduct capacity planning and line balancing analyses, advising on staffing, shift patterns and equipment allocation to optimize labor productivity and machine utilization.
Implement and enforce quality control checkpoints at critical process stages (incoming inspection, in-process, pre-shipment), working with QC teams to reduce defects and rework.
Audit and maintain compliance with industry standards (ISO, Oeko-Tex, GOTS, REACH), social compliance audits (SA8000, BSCI), and customer-specific requirements across production processes.
Manage sequencing and scheduling for contract manufacturers and satellite factories; communicate technical packs, tolerances and finishing requirements to external vendors.
Lead root cause investigations for production failures, non-conformances and customer complaints; define corrective and preventive action (CAPA) plans and follow up to closure.
Drive cost control initiatives by monitoring material utilization, minimizing waste, negotiating with suppliers and advising design on manufacturability and yield-improving changes.
Facilitate pre-production meetings and technical handoffs between product development, pattern making, and production teams to ensure production readiness and first-run success.
Oversee sample approval and pilot runs, documenting deviations and updating process parameters to reflect approved settings for full-scale runs.
Maintain accurate production status updates for sales and customer service teams, ensuring transparency on lead times, delays, and partial shipments.
Coordinate maintenance windows and downtime scheduling with engineering teams to minimize production impact while ensuring preventive maintenance is executed.
Train and mentor shop-floor supervisors and production staff on standard work, SOPs, safety protocols and continuous improvement tools (5S, Kaizen).
Manage inventory of production consumables, spares and tooling; initiate purchase requests for critical items to prevent line stoppages.
Support new product introduction (NPI) by creating production routings, time studies and floor layouts; estimate labor costs and cycle times for capacity planning.
Implement data-driven process improvements using statistical process control (SPC), Pareto analysis and Lean Manufacturing methodologies to boost yield and reduce variability.
Coordinate pre-shipment inspections and packaging verification; ensure correct labeling, barcoding and documentation for compliance with customs and retailer requirements.
Liaise with logistics and warehouse teams to plan finished goods staging, prioritization and shipping sequences, optimizing container loads and carrier appointments.
Maintain and continuously improve production dashboards, SOP libraries and knowledge base to support scalable operations and faster onboarding.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
Assist procurement with supplier scorecards and performance reviews to inform sourcing decisions.
Participate in safety committees and support plant safety audits and incident investigations.
Support sustainability initiatives by tracking material certifications, waste streams and energy usage metrics.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Production planning & scheduling (finite capacity scheduling preferred)
Experience with ERP/PLM systems (SAP PP/MM, Oracle NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics, Infor, Centric PLM)
Strong knowledge of textile processes: weaving, knitting, dyeing, finishing, printing, cutting, and sewing
Quality management systems and inspection protocols (AQL, SPC, ISO standards)
Material requirements planning (MRP) and inventory control best practices
Fabric inspection techniques, GSM calculation, fabric yield and shrinkage management
Knowledge of regulatory and sustainability standards (Oeko-Tex, GOTS, REACH, FDA/WWD as applicable)
Data analysis and reporting (Excel advanced functions, Power BI/Tableau, SQL familiarity)
Lean Manufacturing, 5S, Kaizen and continuous improvement methodologies
Capacity planning, line balancing and labor cost estimation
Vendor management, contract manufacturing coordination and supplier performance metrics
Experience with PLM technical packs, tech sheets and pattern grading basics
Root cause analysis tools (5 Whys, Fishbone/Ishikawa, FMEA)

Soft Skills

Strong cross-functional communication and stakeholder management skills
Exceptional organizational skills with high attention to detail and process orientation
Problem-solving mindset and ability to make timely decisions under pressure
Project management capability; ability to manage multiple concurrent production projects
Coaching and team development skills for frontline supervisory staff
Negotiation skills with suppliers and internal teams to balance cost, quality, and timing
Adaptability and resilience in fast-paced manufacturing environments
Customer-focused attitude with a service mentality for internal and external customers
Analytical mindset with ability to translate data into operational actions
Ethical judgment and commitment to compliance and sustainability principles

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree or equivalent in Textile Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Apparel Merchandising, Supply Chain Management, or related technical field; or equivalent hands-on production experience.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Textile Technology, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or Business/Operations Management.
Certifications: APICS/CPIM, Six Sigma Green/Black Belt, Lean Practitioner, OSHA safety certification.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Textile Engineering / Textile Technology
Industrial Engineering / Manufacturing Engineering
Apparel Design / Apparel Merchandising
Supply Chain Management / Operations Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3–7 years in textile production, apparel manufacturing, or related operations roles.

Preferred:

5+ years coordinating textile or garment production with proven experience in scheduling, quality control, and vendor management.
Prior exposure to ERP/PLM implementations, continuous improvement projects, and multi-factory coordination.
Experience working with international suppliers, import/export documentation and global supply chains.