Global Manager of Soft Goods Operations (m/f/d)

Protecting what matters most 💙👶

At Britax Römer, we’ve been protecting children on the road since 1966. Our mission is to provide safe, comfortable, sustainable and easy-to-use child mobility solutions. From our very first child car seat to today’s innovative range, we’ve helped protect millions of children around the world on their journeys.

With over 50 years of industry leadership, we’re proud to empower parents through our expertise – giving them the confidence and peace of mind to enjoy smooth, safe family travel every day. Our products deliver premium safety, comfort and quality at every stage of childhood, from newborn to 12 years.

Across our international locations, our dedicated teams work together to drive innovation and uphold the highest standards of safety and quality.

Driven by our values – Care, Trust and Curious – we continuously strive to improve and make a positive impact, not only by protecting children but also the world they grow up in.

We’re now looking for an experienced, strategic and people-first Global Manager of Soft Goods Operations to join our Soft Goods team. This position is open to candidates based in the United States, Fort Mill or Germany, Leipheim. 🌍

Reporting to the Senior Director of Soft Goods Design, you’ll lead the operational execution of Soft Goods development activities across our global product portfolio. You’ll ensure the successful planning, coordination and delivery of multiple development programmes from concept through to production.

Working closely with Soft Goods Design, Product Management, Engineering, Sourcing, Compliance, Quality, Manufacturing, Marketing and global suppliers, you’ll help ensure that projects remain on schedule, risks are proactively managed and development activities are aligned across the organisation.

What you’ll do 💼

In this global leadership role, you’ll lead the Soft Goods Project Management team and manage the operational execution of multiple concurrent development programmes.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Lead the day-to-day operational execution of Soft Goods development programmes across Car Seats, Wheeled Goods and future product categories.
• Own the delivery of multiple concurrent development initiatives from planning through execution, ensuring alignment with business objectives, product milestones and commercialisation timelines. 📅
• Lead, mentor and develop the Soft Goods Project Managers, establishing priorities, balancing workloads and supporting effective execution across the project portfolio. 👥
• Develop and maintain integrated project plans, milestone schedules, operational calendars and critical-path timelines.
• Serve as the primary operational partner between Soft Goods Design, Product Management, Engineering, Sourcing, Compliance, Quality, Manufacturing, Marketing and global suppliers. 🤝
• Lead recurring cross-functional project meetings, including developing agendas, facilitating decisions, documenting actions and driving accountability through to completion.
• Identify risks relating to schedules, supplier readiness, materials, testing, resources and development execution, and develop appropriate mitigation or recovery plans.
• Coordinate development samples, prototypes, validation builds, production-intent samples and supplier deliverables to support reviews, testing and commercialisation milestones.
• Maintain portfolio-wide visibility through dashboards, milestone tracking, KPI reporting and resource planning. 📊
• Provide leadership with concise updates on project status, resource utilisation, schedule health and organisational capacity.
• Identify opportunities to improve Soft Goods development processes, communication, reporting and execution. 💡
• Develop and maintain standardised project-management tools, templates, documentation and governance processes.

What you’ll bring 🌟

We’re looking for an experienced operational leader who enjoys bringing structure to complexity and leading teams towards clear decisions and successful outcomes.

What helps you succeed in this role:

• A bachelor’s degree in Product Development, Engineering, Industrial Design, Textile Engineering, Business, Project Management, Operations or a related field, or equivalent practical experience. 🎓
• At least eight years of experience in product development, product operations, programme management, project management or a related operational leadership role, preferably within juvenile products, consumer goods, furniture, automotive interiors, apparel, footwear or another sewn-product industry.
• Three to five years of experience leading teams, with demonstrated success developing project-management or operations professionals.
• Proven experience leading complex, cross-functional product-development programmes from concept through to production.
• Exceptional organisational, portfolio and resource-management skills, with the ability to establish priorities and maintain oversight of multiple concurrent initiatives.
• A proactive approach to identifying risks, anticipating challenges and developing practical solutions before issues affect programme execution.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to synthesise complex information into concise, actionable updates for leadership and cross-functional teams.
• A collaborative leadership style, with the ability to influence without direct authority, build strong relationships and work successfully across highly cross-functional environments.
• Experience facilitating decisions, driving accountability and aligning diverse groups towards common objectives.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to use data and project metrics to support informed decisions.
• Confidence learning new tools and systems; experience with platforms such as Smartsheet, Microsoft Project, PLM systems, Jira, Asana or similar tools would be beneficial.
• Genuine curiosity about how physical products are designed, developed and manufactured.
• The ability to work across multiple time zones and travel internationally, including to China. A valid passport, the ability to obtain necessary visas and occasional work outside standard business hours are required. ✈️

You don’t tick every single box? That’s okay — we’d still love to hear from you. 😊

What you can expect ✨

• A global role leading the operational execution of Soft Goods development programmes.
• Responsibility for leading and developing the Soft Goods Project Management team.
• Close collaboration with teams and suppliers across North America, Europe and Asia. 🤝
• A role that combines strategic thinking with day-to-day operational execution.
• The opportunity to improve Soft Goods development processes, communication, reporting and execution. 💡
• Approximately 20–30% domestic and international travel, depending on business needs and project phases. 🌍
• A collaborative culture built on our values: Care, Trust and Curious. 💙

Most importantly, your work will help our teams bring innovative, high-quality products to market that improve the lives of families around the world. 💙👶

Sounds interesting?

We look forward to receiving your application!