Print & Promotional Production Lead
Hagerty · United States
Say hello to Hagerty
Hagerty is a company built by drivers for drivers. We put our members at the center of everything we do, and are dedicated to making it easier and more enjoyable for enthusiasts to drive and celebrate the machines they love. We're proud to be the world's largest insurer of collectible and enthusiast vehicles and are home to the Hagerty Drivers Club, the world's largest car club. Our Marketplace business presents live and digital sales across the U.S. and Europe, we host a number of driving events and concours, and our award-winning automotive journalists produce the most popular car magazine globally, alongside internationally awarded videos. We're committed to Never Stop Driving. Ready to get in the driver's seat? Join us!
As a Print & Promotional Production Lead, you'll serve as the most senior individual contributor on the print and promotional production team, independently leading key production workstreams, driving procurement strategy, and ensuring the highest standards of quality, efficiency, and brand integrity across all merchandise and production programs. You're the first and final word on whether a request is feasible, what it will realistically take to execute, and when it can be delivered — translating incoming asks into honest, well-scoped production plans that the team can actually execute. You bring deep expertise in procurement, vendor management, and merchandise production — and most importantly, you walk in the door with an established network of vendor relationships across promotional, apparel, print, and experiential categories that you can leverage from day one.
This is a transformational hire for a team that is actively rebuilding its operational foundation. The right person won't just execute production work — they'll help define the standards, structures, and vendor ecosystem that make the team more effective and scalable for the future.
What you’ll do
Procurement Strategy & Vendor Management
- Walk in with an established network of trusted vendor relationships across promotional products, branded apparel, print production, and experiential merchandise — and activate that network immediately to improve quality, cost, and lead times for the team.
- Lead procurement activities for assigned merchandise and production programs, independently managing vendor relationships, negotiating pricing and terms, and securing contracts that deliver quality, value, and reliability.
- Identify, evaluate, and onboard new vendors, applying deep knowledge of garment construction, materials, and production capabilities to assess fit and quality potential.
- Manage ongoing vendor performance, holding partners accountable to agreed-upon timelines, quality standards, and contractual terms, and escalating or resolving issues decisively.
- Develop and maintain a strategic vendor portfolio that draws on your existing relationships and supplements them with new partners — ensuring Hagerty has diverse, cost-effective, and brand-appropriate production options across print, promotional, apparel, and experiential categories.
- Analyze procurement data and vendor performance metrics to identify opportunities to reduce costs, improve lead times, or enhance quality outcomes, and recommend modifications to existing sourcing strategies.
- Serve as the team's primary resource on procurement best practices, market conditions, and vendor capabilities, sharing knowledge to improve the team's sourcing decisions.
- Lead or support vendor RFP processes, including requirements development, proposal evaluation, vendor scoring, and transition planning when sourcing strategies require a change in vendor partnerships.
- Serve as the team's gatekeeper for vendor compliance — ensuring all merchandise and production is sourced through approved vendor channels and meets creative approval requirements before production begins. Proactively address situations where internal teams attempt to source through unapproved vendors.
Feasibility, Scoping & Production Planning
- Serve as the authoritative voice on production feasibility — when a request comes in, you assess what's actually possible given the specs, budget, and timeline, and you communicate that assessment clearly and early, before work begins or commitments are made.
- Translate incoming production requests into realistic, well-scoped project plans — including honest timelines, vendor lead times, QC windows, and shipping buffers — so internal stakeholders have an accurate picture of what delivery actually requires.
- Push back constructively when requests are under-scoped, under-budgeted, or on unrealistic timelines. Educate internal partners on what quality production takes, and work collaboratively to find solutions that meet business needs without compromising standards.
- Maintain visibility into the production calendar across all active programs, identifying scheduling conflicts, capacity constraints, and timeline risks before they become delivery failures.
- Partner with Project Managers and Marketing Strategists early in the briefing process to ensure production requirements — including vendor lead times, sampling windows, and shipping logistics — are built into project schedules from the start, not bolted on at the end.
Production Leadership & Quality Control
- Take the lead on complex, high-visibility production projects from brief through delivery, working independently with general oversight and coordinating across internal teams and external vendors.
- Establish and maintain a structured sampling and quality control process across merchandise programs, ensuring QC checkpoints are built into production timelines and treated as a non-negotiable step — not an afterthought. Review samples, approve production outputs, and ensure all items meet brand standards, specifications, and business objectives before delivery.
- Identify and resolve production, shipping, and quality issues proactively, applying proven expertise to develop solutions and prevent recurrence.
- Review and approve production files, specifications, and vendor submissions for accuracy and brand compliance before handoff, serving as a quality checkpoint for the broader team.
- Manage production timelines, shipping schedules, and delivery logistics across multiple concurrent programs, anticipating risks and adjusting plans to maintain on-time delivery.
- Partner with creative teams to ensure design files meet production specifications, providing expert input on materials, processes, and technical requirements.
Inventory & Operational Oversight
- Lead inventory management across Hagerty's merchandise programs — including company uniform programs, event merchandising, and internal promotional inventory. Own aged inventory reduction strategies, including markdowns, reallocation, and discontinuation decisions, with a goal of maintaining promotional inventory within established budget thresholds.
- Function as the central point of contact for merchandise ordering across internal teams, ensuring requests are consolidated, prioritized, and routed through the appropriate procurement and approval process.
- Develop, maintain, and improve inventory rules, reorder processes, and allocation frameworks, applying discretion and experience to optimize stock levels across channels and stakeholders.
- Maintain accurate and comprehensive product specifications, cost sheets, production logs, style databases, and procurement records in Workfront, DAM, and related systems.
- Lead retail logistics planning and execution for assigned events and programs — including shipping schedules, on-site inventory management, staffing plans, and contingency planning for high-volume activations — as well as site setup and POS merchandising system management.
- Monitor and analyze inventory and production data to identify trends, flag risks, and recommend strategic adjustments including reorders or markdown strategies.
Team Mentorship & Cross-Functional Leadership
- Serve as a mentor and day-to-day resource for the Production Coordinator and Production Specialist, providing guidance on production processes, vendor management, procurement practices, and quality standards.
- Support the development of junior team members by sharing expertise, reviewing their work, offering constructive feedback, and helping them navigate unfamiliar or complex situations.
- Take the lead role on key components of shared team projects, ensuring junior colleagues have clear direction and the resources they need to execute effectively.
- Communicate with Marketing Strategists, Project Managers, creative leadership, and other internal stakeholders at all stages of production to ensure alignment, surface risks, and drive resolution.
- Justify and gain cooperation from other teams by influencing through policy interpretation, production expertise, and brand standards, building trust across cross-functional partners.
- Partner with Creative Operations leadership to define and implement clearer roles, processes, and accountability frameworks between production, creative, events, and marketing teams — helping build the cross-functional operational structure the team needs to scale.
- Contribute to team brainstorming and planning sessions, bringing expertise in production capabilities and constraints to shape realistic and effective strategies.
Process Improvement & Industry Expertise
- Identify and implement modifications to existing production, procurement, and inventory processes to improve efficiency, reduce costs, increase quality, and support team scalability.
- Lead annual product selection planning for merchandise programs, including uniform programs and event merchandise, partnering with cross-functional teams on timelines, budgets, and creative approval workflows.
- Stay current on trends in apparel, promotional products, print production, and retail merchandise, proactively bringing innovative suggestions to the team and leadership.
- Serve as the team's subject matter expert on production specifications, material capabilities, vendor market conditions, and emerging industry practices.
This might describe you
- You have an established rolodex — a genuine network of trusted contacts across promotional product suppliers, branded apparel manufacturers, print vendors, and experiential merchandise producers. You don't start from scratch when Hagerty needs something made; you make a call.
- You're known as the person who gives honest, accurate feasibility reads; not the answer people want to hear, but the real picture of what's possible and what it will take. You do this early, clearly, and in a way that builds trust rather than friction.
- Proven expertise in merchandise production, promotional product sourcing, procurement, and product development, gained through a combination of education and significant relevant experience.
- Demonstrated experience independently leading complex production projects and managing vendor relationships end-to-end, including pricing negotiation and contract management.
- Experience leading or contributing to vendor RFP processes, including requirements development, proposal evaluation, and transition planning.
- Strong knowledge of garment construction, materials, print production specifications, and quality control processes across multiple merchandise categories.
- Proven ability to identify problems, develop solutions, and implement process improvements with minimal guidance.
- Experience mentoring or providing guidance to junior team members, serving as a go-to resource on production and procurement practices.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite including Excel; experience with Asana or similar project management platforms; and comfort working within a Digital Asset Management (DAM) system.
- Familiarity with retail operations, inventory management systems, and merchandising program coordination.
- Exceptional attention to detail and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple high-priority workstreams simultaneously.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence and gain cooperation across internal teams and external partners.
- Self-motivated and capable of working independently, taking the lead on key projects while collaborating effectively across the broader team.
Over and above
- Experience with lifestyle, automotive, or premium heritage brands.
- Familiarity with Shopify, NetSuite, or similar retail and inventory management systems.
- Knowledge of sustainability best practices and certifications in merchandise sourcing and production.
- Experience owning retail operations, event merchandising programs, or branded uniform programs end-to-end.
- Bachelor's degree in merchandising, supply chain, marketing, fashion, or a related field.
Other things to note
- This position is open to U.S. remote work. However, team members who reside within 20 miles of the Traverse City headquarters will follow a hybrid schedule, working from the office three days per week.
- May require travel to support events, retail activations, or vendor visits.
- Familiarity with public company requirements, including Sarbanes Oxley and key regulations, if applicable. For SOX compliant roles, responsible for designing, executing, and documenting internal controls where they have been identified as owners to prevent errors in financial reporting, processes, and business operations. Including attestation to the completeness, accuracy, and compliance of all financial reporting data, where applicable.
If you reside in the following jurisdictions: Illinois, Colorado, California, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, or Jersey City, New Jersey, Cincinnati or Toledo, Ohio, Rhode Island, Washington, British Columbia, Canada please email recruiting@hagerty.com for compensation, comprehensive benefits and the perks that set us apart.
At Hagerty, we share the road. We are an inclusive automotive community where all are welcomed, valued and belong regardless of race, gender, age, or car preference. We are united by our shared passion for driving, our commitment to preserve car culture for future generations and our desire to make a positive impact in the world.
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If you like wild growth and working with happy, enthusiastic over-achievers, you'll enjoy your career with us!