Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Upholstery Manager

🎯 Role Definition

The Upholstery Manager leads day-to-day upholstery shop operations, production planning, and team development to deliver high-quality upholstered components and finished products on schedule and within budget. This role owns upholstery production scheduling, workforce management, quality control, material procurement, and continuous improvement initiatives across furniture, automotive trim, marine, or specialty upholstery lines. The manager partners with design, engineering, purchasing, and sales to translate specifications into reliable production processes, enforce safety and quality standards, and drive cost-effective, scalable upholstery manufacturing.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Upholstery Technician / Upholsterer
Sewing Supervisor / Lead Seamstress
Production Coordinator or Production Planner

Advancement To:

Production/Operations Manager
Plant Manager or Operations Director
Director of Manufacturing or VP of Operations

Lateral Moves:

Quality Manager (Quality Assurance)
Supply Chain or Procurement Manager
Product Development / Engineering Coordinator

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Manage all upholstery production operations including capacity planning, daily production scheduling, workload balancing, and shift coordination to meet on-time delivery goals for furniture, automotive seats, or marine interiors.
Lead, train and supervise a multi-skilled team of upholsterers, cutters, stitchers, foam fabricators and sewers; set clear performance expectations, conduct performance reviews, and deliver coaching to improve productivity and craftsmanship.
Develop and maintain standardized work instructions, sewing and assembly processes, pattern layouts, and quality checklists to ensure consistent output, minimize rework, and preserve brand or OEM specifications.
Oversee material procurement and inventory control for fabrics, foams, adhesives, fasteners and trim components; implement par levels, FIFO rotation, and KPI-driven reorder points to reduce stockouts and waste.
Partner with engineering, product development and design teams to interpret specifications, prototypes, and tech packs; translate design intent into manufacturable processes and provide feedback for design for manufacturability (DFM).
Implement and sustain a quality assurance program including in-process inspection, first article inspection, defect classification, root-cause analysis and corrective action plans to drive down nonconformances and warranty claims.
Create and manage upholstery shop budgets, labor forecasts and cost-to-complete estimates; monitor labor efficiency, scrap rates and overhead costs and implement cost reduction strategies while protecting quality.
Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) such as throughput, on-time delivery, first-pass yield, labor hours per unit and scrap percentage; deliver regular operational reports and continuous improvement plans to senior leadership.
Maintain and troubleshoot industrial sewing machines, cutting tables, CNC cutters, pneumatic tools and foam-cutting equipment; schedule preventive maintenance and coordinate with maintenance teams or vendors for repairs.
Oversee vendor and supplier relationships for specialty fabrics, foam, adhesives and trim; qualify suppliers, negotiate pricing and lead times, and manage incoming quality checks to ensure consistent supply quality.
Coordinate upholstery fitment and installation with assembly lines, vehicle trim teams or final inspection to ensure proper fit, alignment and finish tolerances are met for installed components.
Create work orders, routings and bill-of-materials (BOMs) for upholstery jobs in the ERP/MRP system; ensure accurate job costing, route sequencing and traceability for serialized or lot-tracked components.
Lead continuous improvement initiatives using lean manufacturing, 5S, Kaizen events and process mapping to eliminate waste, reduce cycle times and increase floor-level engagement in problem solving.
Ensure compliance with occupational health and safety regulations, implement PPE requirements, machine guarding, ergonomic improvements and shop safety training to reduce injuries and maintain a safe work environment.
Estimate labor and material requirements, prepare quotes for custom upholstery projects, and support the sales/project management team with technical input and lead times for proposals.
Manage subcontractor relationships for overflow or specialized work (e.g., foam molding, leather milling, or pleating); qualify partners, track performance and ensure outsourced work meets acceptance criteria.
Drive product testing and durability validation for upholstery materials and assemblies, coordinating tensile, abrasion, flammability and colorfastness tests as required by clients or regulatory standards.
Conduct job audits and hands-on inspections of finished goods, stamps, seams, and hidden fasteners to confirm adherence to quality standards before release for shipment or final assembly.
Resolve production issues, bottlenecks and quality discrepancies quickly through structured problem solving (5-Why, Fishbone) and cross-functional escalation to maintain production flow and customer commitments.
Prepare and maintain regulatory and certification documentation for upholstery materials and processes (e.g., CAL TB, FAA, IMO, or automotive OEM standards), ensuring traceability and audit readiness.
Mentor and develop a bench of talent through training programs, cross-training, succession planning and recruitment to build a resilient upholstery workforce capable of scaling with business needs.
Lead seasonal or product-changeover planning, including material conversions, tooling updates, pattern changes and communication to frontline teams to ensure smooth transitions and minimal down-time.
Manage customer-facing quality issues, returns and corrective actions; liaise with account managers and clients to investigate complaints, execute containment plans and implement long-term preventative measures.
Monitor and optimize shop layout and workflow (value stream mapping), material flow, and workstation ergonomics to increase efficiency, reduce operator fatigue and improve safety.

Secondary Functions

Support product documentation and maintain digital libraries of patterns, CAD files and sewing instructions for reproducible manufacturing.
Assist purchasing with vendor qualification, sample approvals, and maintaining approved vendor lists for fabrics and trims.
Contribute to workforce scheduling, overtime planning and seasonal hiring forecasts.
Participate in cross-functional meetings with Sales, Engineering, and Quality to align production priorities with customer requirements.
Provide input to capital equipment planning, justify investments in automation (e.g., CNC cutters, automated sewing) and pilot new technologies to increase capacity.
Support continuous training programs and competency matrices to certify operators on key upholstery processes and machines.
Help prepare for customer and regulatory audits; coordinate evidence collection and on-site support during reviews.
Track and report on sustainability initiatives related to material waste reduction, recycling and responsible sourcing of textiles.
Assist with layout changes, tooling setups and fixture design for new product introductions.
Document lessons learned and best practices from pilot runs and introduce process updates into standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Deep knowledge of upholstery techniques including pattern making, cutting, hand sewing, machine sewing and assembly for fabric, vinyl and leather applications.
Proficiency with industrial sewing machines (walking foot, post-bed, cylinder-bed, overlock), blindstitch machines, sergers and related fixtures.
Experience with foam fabrication and foam patterning, cutting, shaping and bonding techniques (hot melt adhesives, spray adhesives, contact adhesives).
Strong blueprint and spec sheet interpretation skills; ability to read technical drawings, CAD exports and measurement tolerances for trim and upholstery components.
ERP/MRP systems experience for production planning, work orders and inventory management (e.g., SAP, NetSuite, Epicor, Microsoft Dynamics or similar).
Experience creating routings, bills of material (BOM), job costing and standard time studies for upholstery operations.
Hands-on knowledge of quality systems (ISO 9001, IATF 16949, or equivalent), first article inspection (FAI) and nonconformance reporting processes.
Familiarity with lean manufacturing, 5S, Kaizen, continuous improvement methodologies and basic Six Sigma concepts.
Competence with CNC cutting equipment, digital pattern nesting software and fabric utilization optimization tools.
Vendor management skills including supplier qualification, sample approval, lead-time negotiation and incoming inspection protocols.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel for KPI tracking, pivot tables, and reporting) and familiarity with production reporting dashboards.
Understanding of material performance testing (abrasion, flammability, colorfastness) and applicable regulatory requirements for the industry (automotive, marine, aviation, furniture).

Soft Skills

Strong leadership and people management skills with experience coaching and developing production teams.
Excellent verbal and written communication; able to convey technical instructions to production staff and present KPIs to senior leadership.
Problem-solving and analytical mindset with structured root-cause analysis and corrective action follow-through.
High attention to detail and a quality-first mindset to catch defects and enforce standards consistently.
Time management and prioritization skills, comfortable managing multiple projects and tight deadlines.
Customer focus and service orientation to partner effectively with sales and external clients on technical issues and escalations.
Collaborative and cross-functional teamwork aptitude; able to work with engineering, purchasing, and maintenance to resolve complex issues.
Adaptability and flexibility to manage change during product introductions, process improvements, and workflow shifts.
Decision-making under pressure and conflict resolution skills for production floor escalations.
Coaching and mentoring abilities to elevate shop capabilities and build bench strength.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or GED; technical diploma or trade certificate in upholstery, sewing, textiles, or manufacturing is highly desirable.

Preferred Education:

Associate degree or certificate in Textile Technology, Manufacturing Technology, Industrial Engineering Technology or related technical field.
Additional certifications in Lean Manufacturing, Quality Management (ISO), or Six Sigma are a plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Textile Technology
Furniture Design & Production
Industrial or Mechanical Technology
Automotive Trim / Interior Technology
Manufacturing Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

5 to 12+ years in upholstery production, upholstery shop supervision, or related manufacturing roles.

Preferred:

7+ years of progressive experience including at least 2–4 years in a supervisory or management role within upholstery, trim, or soft-goods manufacturing.
Demonstrated track record in managing production schedules, implementing continuous improvement, maintaining quality systems, and leading cross-functional teams.
Experience with ERP/MRP systems, vendor management, and capital equipment justification preferred.