Leather goods production manager

Leather goods production managers perform a wide range of activities and tasks in the field of management, namely, they plan, distribute and coordinate all necessary activities of the different leather goods manufacturing phases envisaging the accomplishment of the quality standards and production and productivity pre-defined goals.

The following job titles also refer to leather goods production manager:

head of leather goods production
leather research and development manager
fashion production manager
leather goods production supervisor
production planning manager

Bachelor’s degree is generally required to work as leather goods production manager. However, this requirement may differ in some countries.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Leather goods production manager is a Skill level 4 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to leather goods production manager.

leather goods industrial engineer
leather goods quality manager
leather goods product development manager
leather finishing operations manager
leather wet processing department manager

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of leather goods production manager. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of leather goods production manager with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of leather goods production manager.

Health and safety in the workplace: The body of rules, procdeures and regulations related to safety, health and welfare of people in their workplace. 
Leather goods manufacturing processes: The processes, technology and machinery involved in the leather goods manufacturing.  
Leather goods components: The various procedures and methods in the processing of leather materials and leather goods components like manufacturability and properties.  
Pre-stitching processes and techniques for footwear and leather goods: Technology including machinery and techniques for the preparation for leather goods components and footwear uppers.
Leather goods quality: The quality specifications of materials, processes, and final products, the most common defects in leather, quick tests procedures, laboratory tests procedures and standards, and the adequate equipment for quality checks. 
Leather goods materials: The wide range of materials used in leather goods production: leather, leather substitutes (synthetics or artificial materials), textile, etc; the way of distinguishing among various materials based on their properties, advantages and limitations.

These skills are necessary for the role of leather goods production manager.

Prepare leather goods samples: Create, test and verify prototypes or samples of leather goods against a predefined set of criteria throughout all stages of the manufacturing process. Revise the initial design concepts and implement technical improvements.
Distinguish accessories: Distinguish accessories in order to determine differences among them. Evaluate accessories based on their characteristics and their application in wearing apparel manufacturing.
Practice innovative thinking in the footwear and leather goods industries: Innovate and create in the footwear and leather goods sector. Evaluate new ideas and concepts to turn them into marketable products. Use entrepreneurial thinking in all stages of the product and process development to identify new business opportunities for the targeted markets.
Apply methods for footwear and leather goods manufacturing: Produce technical specifications such as drawings, cards, and sheets for the stages of the production of footwear and leather goods. Analyse the technical sheets, defining the working methods. List the operation sequences and distribute the work for the manufacturing of each model.
Reduce environmental impact of footwear manufacturing: Assess the environmental impact of footwear manufacture and minimise environmental risks. Reduce environmentally harmful work practices in different stages of the footwear manufacturing.
Calculate the productivity of the production of footwear and leather goods: Analyse the footwear and leather goods production capacity and collect information concerning human and technological resources. Follow the production process and make adjustments to the work methods and operative times according to the technical specification of the model, human resources and equipment. Optimise the production lines and increase the productivity.
Plan supply chain logistics for footwear and leather goods: Plan, organise and monitor logistics and supply chain activities based on the footwear or leather goods company’s main objectives regarding quality, cost, delivery, and flexibility.
Communicate commercial and technical issues in foreign languages: Speak one or more foreign languages in order to communicate commercial and technical issues with various suppliers and clients.
Distinguish fabrics: Distinguish fabrics in order to determine differences among them. Evaluate fabrics based on their characteristics and their application in wearing apparel manufacturing.
Manage production of footwear or leather goods: Plan the production of footwear or leather goods according to the company’s objectives, deadlines and available resources. Distribute, coordinate and control all activities and the various production phases using information from technical sheets and organisation and methods. Strive to optimise quality, productivity and safety. Collaborate with all linked departments. Report on production, quality, productivity deviations and propose corrective measures.
Use communication techniques: Apply techniques of communication which allow interlocutors to better understand each other and communicate accurately in the transmission of messages.
Plan leather goods manufacture: Design the manufacturing process for each model of leather goods. Plan the stages of manufacturing and operations for production. Plan the usage of materials and leather components. Select machines and equipment. Plan the workforce. Calculate direct and indirect costs associated with manufacturing. Plan the maintenance of machines and equipment.
Measure working time in footwear and leather goods production: Calculate and establish operative times in footwear and leather goods manufacturing using various method and techniques. Control the production timings, comparing with estimates.
Use it tools: Application of computers, computer networks and other information technologies and equipment to storing, retrieving, transmitting and manipulating data, in the context of a business or enterprise.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of leather goods production manager. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Leather physical testing: Set of tests that describe physical features of leather. They include the analysis of the performance characteristics of leather, such as resistance to bending, to friction, to tearing, etc.
Automatic cutting systems for footwear and leather goods: The use and description of automatic systems technologies used in footwear and leather goods industry such as laser cutting, knife cutting, punch cutting, mill cutting, ultra-sound cutting, water jet cutting and the cutting machinery such as swing beam cutting presses, traveling head die cutting presses or strap cutting machines.
Physico-chemical properties of crust leather: The properties, physical and chemical, of intermediate leather products that have already undergone tanning operations. These properties vary depending on the animal of origin and previous manufacturing processes.
Footwear equipments: Functionality of the wide range of equipments and the basic rules of regular maintenance.
Leather finishing technologies: Equipment, technologies and techniques for coating and laminating finishing of leather according to product specification. Topics include surface preparation, equipment types, preparation of substrata, operation monitoring and applications related to different types of finishing, coatings and final articles.
Spray finishing technology: Equipment, technologies and techniques for spray finishing of leather according to product specification. Topics include surface preparation, equipment types, preparation of finishing mixtures, operation monitoring and spray applications related to different type of finishing, coatings and final articles.
Functionalities of machinery: The machinery and equipment used and, in particular, the characteristics regarding functioning and calibration to ensure compliance with quality and product specifications, as well as the operator’s safety.
Footwear machinery: Tthe functionality of the wide range of machines, and the basic rules of regular maintenance.
Characteristics of chemicals used for tanning: Composition and physico-chemical properties of auxiliary chemicals used in the different tanning processes (tanning agents, fat liquors, pigments, dyes, etc.)
Footwear creation process: Footwear creation projects starting from inspiration to technical design and manufacturing by following several stages. Latest trends in footwear materials, components, processes, and concepts.
Leather colour chemistry: Understand colour chemistry, the application and behaviour of dyes and colouring materials in relation to leather.
Source colour chemicals: Full range of available dyes and colours chemicals suitable for leather and where to source them.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of leather goods production manager. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Manage supplies: Monitor and control the flow of supplies that includes the purchase, storage and movement of the required quality of raw materials, and also work-in-progress inventory. Manage supply chain activities and synchronise supply with demand of production and customer.
Purchase raw material supplies: Manage logistics of purchasing supplies of the raw materials for the tannery to ensure efficient operations of the tannery and meet clients’ requirements
Operate automatic cutting systems for footwear and leather goods: Work with the equipment’s software. Digitise and mark the leather areas with faults in order to avoid them. Establish nesting and cutting restrictions for each pattern. Pick up, sort, upload patterns, check and complete cutting orders. Adjust the machines and equipment parameters and perform simple procedures for maintenance.
Determine leather goods warehouse layout: Select the suitable warehouse layouts according to the specific conditions of the leather goods company. Plan the warehouse layout. Implement the warehouse management system.
Apply machine cutting techniques for footwear and leather goods: Adjust and establish the machine technical operating parameters for cutting footwear and leather goods. Check and select the cutting dies, classification of the cut pieces against cutting restrictions, specifications and quality requirements. Check and complete the cutting orders. Perform simple procedures for maintenance of machines.
Identify defects on raw hides: Analyse, identify and evaluate the possible defects present on raw hides/skins. Defects may be of natural origin (e.g. damage by parasites), caused by bad practices at the farm, in transport, at the abattoir (e.g. incorrect flaying, pre-slaughter defects, improper conservation) or generated during the manufacturing process. The classification of Hides/skins and their subdivision into “selections” is based on the nature, magnitude and location of defects. The class of selection determines the type of processing, and consequently the type of article.
Apply colouring recipes correctly: Prepare colour and other chemical mixtures in accordance with the recipes and/or the characteristics of the article to be achieved. Interpreting and applying the instructions, including technical and operational details for the execution of processes.
Test chemical auxiliaries: Conduct analysis to characterise the content of the mixtures of chemical auxiliaries. These include the determination of the water content, the amount of active principles declared, looking for potential hazards, etc.
Prepare colour mixtures: Prepare colour mixtures in accordance with the recipes and/or the characteristics of the article to be achieved.
Monitor operations in the leather industry: Operational monitoring refers to collecting key system performance of leather production at periodic intervals or at the end of some specific phases of the leather process. This information gives a basis for observing, detecting and recording the operation of the machines and systems. The activity provides also the critical data to check the correct performance of the process and to monitor quality and throughput against product and production requirements.
Develop manufacturing recipes: Describe in detail the set of activities necessary for the proper operation and management of processes (amount of chemical products, planning of timing and processing, monitoring). 
Differentiate nuance of colours: The talent to analyse, mix and match colours. Be able to pass a colour acuity test.
Manage quality of leather throughout the production process: Manage systems for the customer-focused organisation of leather production processes. It uses strategy, data, and effective communications to integrate the quality approach into the culture and activities of the company and also to achieve the organisation’s mission and goals.
Manage footwear quality systems: Manage the company quality system. Create or elaborate the quality manual. Carry out the established requirements and objectives included in the quality policy. Foster internal and external communication, including customer satisfaction follow-up. Define and control the implementation of corrective and preventive measures. Foster the continuous improvement of the quality system and quality manual.
Manage environmental impact of operations: Manage the interaction with and impact on the environment by companies. Identify and assess environmental impacts of the production process and related services, and regulate a reduction of the effects on the environment and on people. Organise action plans and monitor any indicators of improvement.
Execute working instructions: Understand, interpret and properly apply work instructions regarding different tasks in the workplace.

1321 – Manufacturing managers

 

 

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References

1. Leather goods production manager – ESCO