Head Of Operations (fashion)

At Elvaridah - Our client, a premium Nigerian menswear brand specializing in bespoke and ready-to-wear menswear, with a strong focus on artisanship, contemporary African aesthetics, quality, fit and exceptional client experience, is recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Head of Operations (Fashion)

Location: Lekki phase 1, Lagos Employment Type: Full-time; Mondays-Fridays 9:00am-6:00pm (Onsite), Saturdays (Remote) Reports To: Founder / CEO / Creative Director Department: Operations

Role Summary

The Head of Operations will be responsible for ensuring that the company's operational engine runs efficiently, consistently and profitably, from order handover through production, quality control and delivery.

The Head of Operations is responsible for the day-to-day operational performance of.

The successful candidate will coordinate people, production, quality control, inventory, logistics and workflow to ensure that every confirmed order is produced to required standard and delivered within the agreed timeframe.

The role requires a highly organised, commercially aware and hands-on leader who can manage people, identify bottlenecks, enforce standards and create systems that reduce dependence on the Founder.

The Head of Operations should not merely react to operational problems. They are expected to anticipate them, prevent them and continuously improve the way operates.

Key Responsibilities Production Management:

Oversee the complete production workflow from confirmed order handover to finished garment.

Plan and coordinate production schedules based on deadlines, priority and available capacity.

Assign jobs appropriately across tailors, cutters, embroidery/monogram operators and other production personnel.

Monitor progress of all active orders and identify delays before they become critical.

Ensure production teams understand specifications, deadlines and quality expectations.

Coordinate outsourced or specialist production activities where applicable.

Ensure urgent and priority orders are appropriately scheduled without compromising the wider production pipeline.

Quality Control:

Establish and enforce quality standards across production.

Ensure garments are inspected at appropriate stages of production.

Identify finishing, fitting, construction, embroidery and workmanship defects before garments reach customers or the showroom.

Ensure rejected garments are returned for correction promptly.

Track recurring quality issues and identify their root causes.

Hold relevant staff accountable for repeated quality failures.

Work with the Founder/Creative Director to continuously improve quality standards.

Order Fulfilment:

Receive properly documented orders from the Sales & Client Experience team.

Verify that all required information is available before production begins.

Ensure customer measurements, fabric requirements, design specifications and deadlines are properly documented.

Maintain accurate order status throughout the production cycle.

Ensure completed orders are properly packaged and prepared for delivery or collection.

Coordinate with the Sales & Client Experience team regarding order readiness and customer communication.

Inventory & Materials:

Oversee production-related inventory and material availability.

Monitor fabrics, trims, packaging materials and other production consumables.

Identify potential shortages before they affect production.

Maintain accurate records of materials issued and consumed.

Reduce unnecessary wastage, loss and material discrepancies.

Coordinate procurement requests with the appropriate management personnel.

People & Team Management:

Supervise production and operational personnel.

Monitor attendance, punctuality, productivity and conduct.

Set clear expectations for team members:

Allocate responsibilities according to competence and workload.

Conduct regular performance reviews and provide feedback.

Identify training requirements.

Recommend disciplinary action where necessary.

Build a culture of accountability, professionalism and attention to detail.

Process & Systems Improvement:

Develop and maintain clear operational SOPs.

Identify recurring operational problems and implement solutions.

Improve workflow between Sales, Operations, Production and Quality Control.

Ensure operational information is accurately captured in designated management systems.

Reduce unnecessary founder involvement by creating repeatable systems.

Regularly review operational processes and recommend improvements.

Logistics & Delivery:

Coordinate dispatch, deliveries, collections and relevant logistics.

Ensure customers receive accurate information regarding order readiness and delivery.

Monitor delivery timelines and resolve logistics issues promptly.

Maintain appropriate records of completed deliveries and collections.

Reporting:

The Head of Operations will provide regular operational reports covering: Orders in production Orders completed Orders delayed Orders awaiting information/materials Production capacity Quality-control failures Rework Delivery status Staff attendance/productivity

Orders in production

Orders completed

Orders delayed

Orders awaiting information/materials

Production capacity

Quality-control failures

Rework

Delivery status

Staff attendance/productivity

Inventory concerns:

Major operational risks

Recommended corrective actions

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Performance will be measured against, among others:

On-time order completion rate

Production turnaround time

Quality-control pass rate

Rework/defect rate

Number of delayed orders

Accuracy of order-status records

Production productivity

Inventory accuracy

Material wastage/loss

Staff attendance and productivity

Customer complaints attributable to operational failures

Successful implementation of operational improvements

Authority & Escalation: The Head of Operations is expected to independently manage routine operational decisions.

Issues should be escalated to the Founder/CEO when they involve: Major financial commitments Significant customer disputes Major production failures Serious staff disciplinary matters Brand-sensitive issues Significant supplier disputes Decisions that materially affect strategic direction Exceptions to established company policies

Major financial commitments

Significant customer disputes

Major production failures

Serious staff disciplinary matters

Brand-sensitive issues

Significant supplier disputes

Decisions that materially affect strategic direction

Exceptions to established company policies

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree or equivalent professional experience preferred.

Minimum of 2–4 years' relevant experience in operations, production management, fashion/apparel manufacturing, retail or a comparable environment.

Experience managing production teams is strongly preferred.

Experience in a fashion/tailoring/apparel business is highly advantageous.

Demonstrable experience implementing or improving operational systems.

Strong knowledge of workflow management, quality control and production planning.

Ideal Candidate The ideal candidate is:

Highly organised and structured.

Strong at managing people and deadlines.

Comfortable working in a fast-paced fashion/production environment.

Detail-oriented without losing sight of the bigger picture.

Firm but fair in managing staff.

Proactive rather than reactive.

Commercially aware.

Comfortable using digital workflow and productivity tools.

Strong at reporting and documentation.

Able to identify problems and independently propose solutions.

Capable of holding people accountable.

Comfortable working closely with a Founder/Creative Director while progressively taking ownership of operations.

Salary N250,000 - N300,000 monthly .