Production Program Manager

WHO WE ARE

Founded on love and respect, our company has deep and thriving roots in the industry. At Buddha Jewelry, we are driven by a powerful purpose: to bring light, beauty, and joy into everything we do. We are more than a team—we are a passionate force for good. With positivity, respect, and kindness as our foundation, we cherish every opportunity to serve our clients and help them succeed. Committed to a culture of excellence, we stay proactive and solution-oriented, with an ownership mindset. We create impact through bold action and a relentless commitment to solutions. We value kindness and optimism and balance our hustle with a lot of fun!

POSITION SUMMARY

We are seeking a Production Program Manager to be the bridge between the Production Program, data and information systems, and our Operations, Sales and Marketing Teams, in order to successfully deliver high quality products that fulfill the needs of our clients. With two direct reports - Quality Assurance Assistant and Inventory Coordinator - supporting the PPM, this role will be responsible for managing the Production Program for inventory and samples, establishing strong vendor relationships, leading quality assurance standards, regulatory compliance, and sound inventory controls to ensure accuracy across physical stock to data systems. In addition, this role will be rooted in data analysis + reporting to help drive effective stock planning, asset allocation, and sell-through across our various channels and locations.

MUST HAVES

• 5-7+ years experience in production, inventory, distribution and operational procedures
• 3+ years experience as a people manager with strong communication and interpersonal skills, efficaciously able to  delegate, motivate, and elevate
• A critical thinker with attention to detail and accuracy
• 100% on-site in Seattle, WA with occasional travel (both domestic and international)

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Coordinate communications with off-site production partners and ensure delivered products meet our quality standards while maintaining strong vendor relationships.
• Lead, manage, and develop Production Program Team and their areas of responsibility: the Quality Assurance Assistant and Inventory Coordinator
• Become an expert in, and provide in-depth knowledge of, our product - including materials + stones, measurements, functionalities and care - as well as our strict Quality Assurance (QA) standards and expectations.
• Ensure QA checks are in place and consistent throughout all production processes (samples and bulk) as well as materials testing processes. 
• Develop and maintain an in-depth knowledge of industry and international materials regulations and implement process updates as necessary to ensure our product remains compliant.
• Prepare reports to support successful inventory planning for each location and incorporate stakeholder feedback to place corresponding PO’s.
• Calculate and implement ideal reorder points and levels based on turnover rates, seasonality, and varying markets.
• Track PO’s from placement, ensure “what’s on order” is up to date with current ETA’s and visible to all departments, and physically plan for landing each PO so that inventory moves smoothly and quickly through the check-in process at each location. 
• Collaborate with Product Team to produce and maintain accurate and comprehensive product information files - including item set up in the systems, product label/tag information - and deliver to goldsmiths for printing, as well to Marketing & Sales Teams for merchandising and product launches.
• Manage applicable supplies and requisition thereof; communicate with suppliers to determine expected delivery dates and inform associated stakeholders of current delivery status.
• Conduct regular margin audits and provide effective reporting to support recommendations for price changes.

QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• A genuine commitment to professionalism, equity, inclusion, and compassion for those around you
• 5-7+ years experience in production, inventory, distribution and operational procedures
• 3+ years experience as a people manager with strong communication and interpersonal skills, efficaciously able to  delegate, motivate, and elevate
• A critical thinker with attention to detail and accuracy
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Highly organized, methodical and meticulous
• Ability to analyze Inventory processes from both a micro and macro perspective
• Tech-savvy, proven competence with Inventory Management Systems – experience with Shopify and NetSuite a major plus! - as well as Excel/Google Sheets
• Experience with and love of jewelry and body adornment is also a major plus!
• Ability to travel - domestically and internationally - for maintaining vendor relationships and industry knowledge. International travel will occur approximately 3 times per year.

We encourage applications from people of color, women, those with disabilities, LGBTQIA individuals, immigrants, and anyone else who has faced discrimination or oppression as a result of their identities. 

Studies have shown that folks of historically marginalized groups will often only apply to a job if they meet or exceed the listed qualifications. If you believe that you could be a good fit for our company, but don’t quite fulfill every requirement, please do still apply, we would love to hear from you!

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Able to remain stationary 50% or more of the time.
• Able to move about inside the office to access necessary office equipment and resources.
• Able to operate a computer and other office equipment, such as a scanner, copy machine, and printer. 
• Constantly access, handle, and use non-electronic resources, including products of a very small size. 
• Occasionally moves equipment and other office resources up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to inspect, recognize, observe, assess, compare, detect, discern, and distinguish office resources, necessary documents and reporting, physical product, and other organizational resources.