Director of Operations

The Director of Operations owns the relationships and processes that get product made, moved, and delivered on time.

This role will act as the connective tissue between our internal team, third-party co-manufacturers, suppliers, and 3PLs.

You'll hold partners accountable, get ahead of problems, and keep product flowing smoothly.

Unrivaled Teamwear is the fast-growing parent company behind Gear for Sports and Knights Apparel.

Headquartered in Lenexa, Kansas, we design, decorate, and deliver team gear — tees, fleece, performance wear, outerwear, headwear, and accessories — for customers ranging from big box retailers, college bookstores, golf courses and resorts, and national retailers.

We've grown quickly over the past year and expect that growth to continue.

We are looking for motivated candidates looking to grow their career alongside the business.

• Vendor & 3PL Management: Manage day-to-day relationships with co-manufacturers, suppliers, and 3PLs; hold them to cost, quality, and on-time delivery.
• SLA & KPI Management: Define, monitor, and enforce rigid SLAs and KPIs across the third-party network.
• Total Cost Management: Understand and manage total cost across product, freight, duty, and decoration.
• Code of Conduct Auditing: Stay current on compliance standards and certification processes across the vendor network.
• Hot Market Management: Scale third-party capacity quickly to capture hot-market opportunities.
• Negotiation: Negotiate pricing, capacity, and terms with co-manufacturers and suppliers as volume and demand shift.
• Cross-Functional Partnerships: Work with sales, merchandising, and supply chain planning to keep inventory flowing and commitments realistic.

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant field or equivalent experience.
• 7-10 years of previous experience in manufacturing leadership, with preference for experience in apparel decoration (screen print, embroidery, DTG, heat transfer, and similar processes).
• Experience in NetSuite ERP preferred.
• A track record managing external vendor, manufacturing, or logistics relationships — apparel or consumer goods preferred.
• Strong communication skills and ability to effectively collaborate with internal stakeholders and external partners.
• A bias for action: comfortable deciding with incomplete information and adjusting on the fly.
• Strong negotiation instincts and the confidence to hold partners accountable.
• Willingness to travel periodically (30%) to co-manufacturer, supplier, and 3PL sites as needed.

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of all activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the associate.

Other duties will be assigned as needed.

We maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing as well as participate in E-Verify.