Production & Sourcing Manager

ABOUT GRUNT STUDIOS Grunt Studios is a Los Angeles-based execution studio that partners with founders to build and scale brands — strategy, branding, content, and product/production. We're not a traditional agency: we sell outcomes, not hours, and take equity positions alongside select clients. Our merchandise and supply chain arm covers everything from domestic cut-and-sew, print, and embroidery to overseas apparel, hard goods, and accessories sourcing. THE ROLE We're looking for a Production & Sourcing Manager to take ownership of our production pipeline — both domestic manufacturing and overseas sourcing — and become the primary point of contact between our suppliers and our clients. Right now, that role is filled by our co-founder, which means every supplier detail and every client confirmation runs through one person. We need someone who can own that relationship end-to-end: negotiate with vendors, catch spec and tech pack issues before they become problems, and confirm final details with clients without needing sign-off on every line item. This starts as a part-time, contract-to-hire engagement. As you prove out the scope, we expect this to grow into a full-time role with increasing authority over vendor selection, costing, and quality decisions. WHAT YOU'LL OWN Manage day-to-day communication with domestic (blanks, print, embroidery) and overseas (apparel, hard goods, accessories) suppliers Review tech packs and specs for accuracy before they go to production — catch errors independently, not after the fact Track proto, fit, PP, and TOP sample rounds through to approval Negotiate cost, lead time, and terms with vendors, and flag landed-cost impacts Confirm production details and timelines directly with clients, escalating only true judgment calls Maintain PO status, production trackers, and spec libraries so nothing lives only in email threads Flag quality issues and manage the resolution process with suppliers WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE Within 90 days, our co-founder is no longer the default point of contact for supplier communication or client confirmations on active production — you are. Judgment calls come to leadership as recommendations, not open questions. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR 3+ years in apparel/merchandise production or sourcing, ideally at a DTC brand, manufacturer, or sourcing agency Fluent in the language of the trade: POMs, tech packs, Incoterms, cut-and-sew, proto/fit/PP/TOP sample cycles Track record managing both domestic manufacturing partners and overseas vendors Comfortable negotiating cost and terms directly with suppliers Sharp, detail-obsessed communicator who can represent production status clearly to non-technical clients Able to work independently and make calls without waiting for approval on every decision NICE TO HAVE Existing relationships with domestic print/embroidery/cut-and-sew vendors or overseas factories Experience with landed-cost modeling and QC processes (e.g., QIMA, Pro QC, SGS) Background at a brand accelerator, agency, or multi-client production environment LOGISTICS Location: Remote, with occasional coordination tied to domestic production partners Schedule: Part-time to start, with a defined path to full-time as scope and trust expand Structure: Contract-to-hire Compensation: Commensurate with experience