Sewing Manager

2. ROLE PURPOSE… within the context of the Operation operating plan, to provide managerial leadership to the Sewing team to create a conducive working environment and making optimum use of resources to produce garments that meet the customers’ quality, timeliness and quantity specifications, within Factory’s cost and performance expectations and within all applicable country, customer and Factory policies and codes of conduct.3. KEY ACCOUNTABILITY AREAS1. Sewing Preparation • Sewer Headcount Planning: review the order loading and current sewer headcount situation to forecast future sewer requirements. Collaborate with the relevant functions (e.g. AAMT, Operator Human Capital Management & Administration, etc.) to fulfill the manpower requirements. • Pre-production Preparations: o attend cross-functional pre-production meetings to ensure the required skilled labor and machine resources are in place for achieving the production plan from CSP. o communicate the critical focus areas to Sewing Supervisors. o hold Sewing Supervisors accountable for communicating production targets and critical areas to the operators in the daily meetings. • Setting Production Targets: with input from Sewing Supervisors, set a daily / hourly target for each sewing line, based on the orders allocated to each sewing line and the overall target efficiency for the Sewing Unit. • Production Inputs: monitor on-time delivery of production inputs to ensure materials arrive on the sewing lines according to the production plan and work with upstream departments for improvements as needed. • Sewer Skills: seek assistance from AAMT Manager and Sewing Garment Technician Supervisor to arrange for new operation / skills upgrade / multi-skill training to sewers where necessary.2. Sewing Production • Production Monitoring: o review hourly reports on sewing progress. o hold Immediate Employees (IEs) accountable for identifying bottleneck processes and making adjustments within the sewing lines, and personally assist as needed. • Line Balancing: re-allocate workers across sewing lines as needed to ensure production plan targets can be achieved. • In-line Technical Support: seek support from the inline technical support teams (Continuous Improvement, GTs, Mechanics) to ensure each line has sufficient technical support as needed. • Continuous Improvement: o participate in performance improvement initiatives within the sewing lines. o hold direct reports accountable for continuously identifying improvement opportunities and developing the required solutions. o share best practices across sewing lines.3. Sewing Quality • Quality Mindset: support the implementation of quality programs developed by Production Unit Senior Manager and Quality Assurance Manager. • Quality Monitoring: review daily quality reports with the Sewing Supervisors to track and identify the root causes of quality issues. Take the lead for corrective actions as needed. • Quality Inspection: conduct spot checks on quality and organize IEs to implement corrective measures.4. Cost Savings • Fabric Utilization: regularly review with Materials Management Manager on fabric utilization performance and implement the improvement plans accordingly. • Sub-materials: support the Production Unit Senior Manager in the implementation of wastage reduction actions. • Energy: support the Production Unit Senior Manager in the implementation of energy reduction. • Excess Cost: support the Production Unit Senior Manager in the implementation of excess cost reduction. • Consumables: support the production manager in the implementation of consumable cost reduction.5. Conducive Work Environment • Production Safety: monitor and ensure the sewing environment, processes and tools are maintained at an optimum condition and abide to the Group’s and national production safety regulations. • Compliance: monitor and ensure all Group Ethical Business Practices (EBPs), customer codes of conduct and local labor laws are met.6. TAL Production System (TPS) • TPS Compliance: regularly audit the production lines against the TPS standards and take appropriate actions in case of non-compliance. • TPS Line Certification: hold Sewing Supervisors accountable for preparing for and maintaining the TPS Line Certification. Provide guidance and seek support from the relevant functions (e.g. Lean Manufacturing) as needed. • Daily Kaizen: incorporate daily kaizen into daily operation routines to drive continuous improvement in production performance.7. Operator Engagement* • Operator Expectations: identify key expectations of sewing operators for their jobs. • Effective Working Relationships: work to meet the key expectations of sewing operators where appropriate, and build and maintain effective and respectful working relationships to drive high sewing operator engagement. *Definition of engagement: having captured the operators’ “hearts and minds” so that the operators consistently speak positively of the Sewing team, have a clear desire to work and/or be associated with the Sewing team, and exert extra effort to contribute in some way to the Sewing team’s success.8. Managerial Leadership of Immediate Team • Business Context: communicate the ‘bigger picture’ context in which IEs need to plan and execute work (e.g. world, country, industry, Group, customer and inter-departmental considerations.) • Collaborative Teamwork: establish process for meeting regularly and holding IEs accountable for effective and collaborative teamwork at their level. • IE Performance Management*: agree on SMART goals and assignments with each IE and provide continuous managerial guidance and feedback. Provide support for enhancing performance in the current role, conduct mid-year progress reviews and determine year-end performance appraisal ratings. • IE Development*: assess the strengths and development needs of each IE and coach him/her in developing their FSKs and MLCs in line with the Role Profile of his/her current job. • Recognition and Reward: provide differential recognition and recommendations for reward incentives for IEs (pay, promotion, development opportunities.) • De-selection: recommend re-assignment or termination of IEs where appropriate, supported by a fair ‘due process’ and structured performance improvement program. • Appeals Process: provide an appeals process for employees one level down (EoDs) who have a grievance with his/her Immediate Manager (IM). Note: manager accountable for: 1) coaching IEs to improve their performance and their abilities in their current job, 2) assessing future potential of employees one-level down(EoDs reporting to the manager’s IEs) and mentoring EoDs in terms of their career development for future roles, 3) identifying and developing successors for his/her IEs where relevant.9. Alignment with TAL Core Values and Culture • Personal Alignment: understand and personally commit to the Group’s core values and culture. • ‘Walk the Talk’: lead by example and behave consistently with the Group’s core values and culture. • Reinforcement and Support: communicate and visibly use the Group’s core values as guidelines for daily decision making. Support Group initiatives to reinforce the core values and culture. • Coaching: coach IEs to behave consistently with the Group’s core values and culture.10. Personal Effectiveness • Assessment: take accountability for self-assessment of how to improve own personal effectiveness in the current role. • Feedback: ask for feedback regarding personal effectiveness from relevant parties. • Development Plan: pro-actively discuss ways for improving personal effectiveness with own IM. Seek opportunities for learning and growth. Participate fully in development opportunities provided by the Group and consciously apply the learning from the development programs.