Director of Findings, Chain Manufacturing.
6 days ago
Secaucus
Unique Designs, Inc. – Secaucus, NJ About Us Unique Designs, Inc. is one of the largest jewelry manufacturers in the United States, specializing in the design, production, and wholesale distribution of fine and fashion jewelry. With decades of industry experience, we are a vertically integrated organization with global operations spanning sourcing, manufacturing, and distribution. From mined and lab-grown diamonds to finished jewelry, our facilities and processes enable us to deliver high-quality craftsmanship, trend-forward designs, and reliable service to major retailers and independent jewelers nationwide. Position Overview Unique Designs is seeking an experienced and entrepreneurial Director of Findings, China Manufacturing to lead the development and operational buildout of our findings and chain manufacturing capability for an owned factory. Based in Secaucus, NJ and reporting to the VP of Manufacturing, this role will be responsible for helping establish the manufacturing foundation required to scale a high-performing operation. This is a senior leadership role requiring both deep technical expertise in jewelry findings and chain manufacturing and strong commercial judgment. The ideal candidate has extensive experience in the jewelry industry and has successfully helped build, expand, or optimize manufacturing operations by identifying and purchasing equipment, designing production processes, building teams, and driving operational performance. The role will focus primarily on: • identifying, evaluating, and helping procure the machinery required for findings and chain manufacturing;, • designing, documenting, and implementing efficient manufacturing processes and controls;, • hiring and developing key production talent;, • supporting the long-term success of the operation across output, quality, cost, and continuous improvement. Key Responsibilities • Lead the manufacturing setup strategy for findings and chain production within an owned factory environment, • Identify, evaluate, and recommend specialized machinery and production equipment for findings and chain manufacturing, • Partner with leadership on machinery selection, vendor evaluation, capital planning, and purchasing decisions, with appropriate management oversight, • Help define equipment requirements, production layout logic, workflow design, and capacity assumptions needed to establish an efficient operation, • Develop and implement manufacturing processes, operating procedures, quality controls, and production standards for findings and chain, • Create scalable shop floor workflows that improve throughput, consistency, labor efficiency, and waste reduction, • Hire, train, and develop key production personnel, including machine operators and other critical manufacturing staff, • Build a performance-driven culture centered on accountability, safety, quality, and continuous improvement, • Oversee production execution to ensure targets for output, quality, delivery, and cost are consistently achieved, • Troubleshoot technical production issues related to machinery, fabrication processes, and workflow constraints, • Collaborate with purchasing, engineering, design, and production leadership to align manufacturing capability with business needs, • Support commercial decision-making through equipment ROI thinking, process efficiency analysis, labor planning, and cost awareness, • Negotiate and coordinate, under leadership oversight, with machine suppliers, service providers, and other external partners involved in factory setup and operation, • Establish best practices for preventive maintenance, operational discipline, and sustainable production scaling, • Drive ongoing process improvement initiatives to increase reliability, productivity, and margin performance Qualifications • 10+ years of experience strongly preferred in the jewelry industry, with direct experience in findings and chain manufacturing, • Proven success in a technical manufacturing leadership role within jewelry production, • Demonstrated experience helping build, launch, scale, or materially upgrade a manufacturing operation, • Deep knowledge of machinery, equipment, and production methods used in findings and chain manufacturing, • Strong hands-on understanding of process design, workflow development, equipment selection, and shop floor execution, • Commercially sound operator with experience evaluating capital purchases, vendor options, operating efficiency, and production cost drivers, • Experience hiring, leading, and developing production teams, • Strong mechanical aptitude and problem-solving ability, • Ability to balance strategic planning with hands-on execution, • Strong communication, organizational, and cross-functional leadership skills, • Commitment to quality, safety, process discipline, and continuous improvement Preferred Profile • Has helped stand up or expand a jewelry manufacturing operation from a practical, ground-level starting point, • Brings both technical credibility and sound business judgment, • Comfortable making recommendations on equipment, process, staffing, and operational priorities, • Able to work closely with leadership while taking ownership of execution, • Understands the precision, quality, and production demands specific to jewelry findings and chain Reporting Line This role reports directly to the VP of Manufacturing. Compensation & Benefits • Salary Range: $90,000 – $125,000, commensurate with experience, • Bonus opportunity based on scope, experience, and performance, • Health benefits, paid time off, and additional company perks, • Opportunity to play a key leadership role in building and scaling an important manufacturing capability within a vertically integrated jewelry company Location Secaucus, NJ
