Production Manager

The role

This person will turn creative ideas from the design team into real physical objects. They will manage production from the first prototype to final delivery, including finding manufacturers and managing logistics.

What you will do

• Turn creative ideas from our design team into real physical objects
• Figure out how to manufacture things that don't have an obvious supplier or ready-made solution
• Find factories, workshops, craftspeople, printers, manufacturers, and other production partners around the world
• Work with designers to choose materials, finishes, construction methods, packaging, and production techniques
• Request and compare quotes, samples, prototypes, MOQs, timelines, and manufacturing options
• Own production from the first prototype to the final delivery
• Develop custom merch, clothing, accessories, printed objects, packaging, gifts, event materials, and weird one-off ideas
• Find ways to make something completely custom instead of defaulting to existing merch catalogues
• Review samples and make sure the final result matches the original design
• Manage budgets, production schedules, shipping, customs, and logistics

Required qualifications

• Based in the US
• 5+ years of experience in a similar role
• Experience producing physical products from scratch
• Know how to find the right manufacturer when the answer isn't obvious
• Comfortable contacting dozens of suppliers, asking questions, negotiating, and figuring things out independently
• Understand materials, printing, manufacturing, packaging, and production processes
• Strong attention to detail
• Can translate a visual idea or rough creative brief into production requirements
• Can manage several suppliers and production timelines at the same time
• Good taste and understands why the exact material, weight, finish, or packaging matters
• Fluent in English

Nice to have

• Worked in fashion, product design, industrial design, publishing, creative production, or a design studio
• Produced unusual merch, collectibles, objects, packaging, or limited-edition products
• Already have a network of factories, workshops, printers, or manufacturers in the US, Europe, or Asia
• Understand garment production and can work directly with factories rather than print-on-demand merch suppliers
• Worked with brands where physical products are treated as part of the brand, not promotional giveaways

Benefits

• Meaningful salary and equity package
• Paid time off in line with your local regulations
• All the hardware, tools, and services you need
• A lot of creative freedom to make things that don't look like startup merch
• Team off-sites twice a year

Before you apply

• Intro call with Talent
• Take home test assignment
• Interview with Head of Design & Creative
• An additional interview with one or more team members may be added

About the company

White Circle is an AI Safety company building the safety, reliability, and optimization layer for AI systems. They are a small, highly focused team.