Garment Technologist Manager in Manchester

Rosso & Azzurro is looking for an experienced Garment Technologist Manager to lead the technical function across multiple product categories, including sweat/jersey and denim. This is a management-level role for someone who has grown through hands-on garment technology and is ready to own the technical strategy, lead a small team, and act as the senior link between design, production, buying and overseas manufacturing partners. You will be accountable for fit, quality and compliance standards across the range, while also managing people, supplier relationships and critical path performance at a department level.

• Manage, mentor and develop a team of Garment Technologists and Technical Assistants, including workload allocation, 1:1s and performance reviews.
• Set clear priorities across multiple product areas and ranges, balancing team capacity against critical path deadlines.
• Recruit, onboard and train new technical team members as the department grows.
• Act as the escalation point for technical issues that the wider team cannot resolve independently.
• Champion best practice and consistency in fit standards, documentation and ways of working across the team.

Technical Ownership & Fit

• Own the end-to-end fit and technical standards strategy across sweat/jersey, denim and other product categories.
• Oversee review of proto and design samples to ensure they conform to size and design specifications.
• Direct the development of fits and blocks for new ranges, signing off before they progress to production.
• Chair and oversee fit meetings, ensuring samples are measured and prepared to a consistent standard by the team.
• Maintain and evolve the company's size charts, grading rules and block library.

Critical Path & Production Management

• Own the technical critical path across all product areas, identifying risk early and resolving bottlenecks before they impact delivery.
• Oversee preparation of workbooks and technical comments, ensuring information is communicated clearly to offshore production teams within agreed timescales.
• Manage the sealing process critical path end-to-end, including sign-off and escalation of delays.
• Report critical path status and risk to senior management on a regular basis.

Supplier & Factory Relationship Management

• Act as the senior technical point of contact for overseas factories and production partners.
• Ensure factories understand and consistently achieve the technical standards required across all product categories.
• Lead supplier reviews and technical capability assessments, feeding into sourcing decisions.
• Resolve escalated quality assurance issues through effective communication with customers and offshore production teams.

Quality, Testing & Compliance

• Own the testing requirements schedule and manage the testing report critical path across the department.
• Oversee management of test reports, quality checks, care labels and supplier manuals, ensuring compliance with current legislation and retailer standards.
• Manage the request and review of AQL reports from suppliers, and oversee the production seal process.
• Ensure the department stays current on compliance requirements (e.g. labelling, restricted substances, testing standards) and update processes accordingly.

C

ross-Functional & Commercial Input

• Work closely with Design and Product teams to input technical feasibility, fabric performance and construction advice at the design stage.
• Partner with Buying/Merchandising on costing, sourcing decisions and supplier capability.
• Feed retail and customer quality data back into future range planning to reduce recurring issues.
• Support marketing with accurate technical and fit information for product copy where required.

Administration & Logistics Oversight

• Ensure the team maintains accurate logging of parcels received from and sent to overseas factories.
• Oversee department administration, including sample tracking, workbook filing and technical documentation systems.

About You

• Significant experience as a Garment Technologist, including experience in sweat/jersey and denim categories.
• Proven experience managing or mentoring a team, ideally within a fast-paced fashion/apparel environment.
• Strong knowledge of fit, blocks, grading, garment construction and fabric performance.
• Confident managing critical path deadlines across multiple ranges simultaneously.
• Excellent communication skills, comfortable liaising with offshore factories, senior stakeholders and cross-functional teams.
• Highly organised with strong attention to detail and a hands-on, problem-solving approach.
• Experience with PLM systems, CAD/spec software and Excel; Illustrator knowledge advantageous.
• A team player who can work under their own initiative as well as lead others.

What We Offer

• Head office based in Manchester City Centre.

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