Industrial Sewing Machine Operator (Garment Machinist / Joiner)

About the role

Pattern House is a garment production factory in Abuja. We manufacture for fashion brands at scale across different types of garments, including knit and woven pieces. We produce everything from T-shirts, hoodies and joggers to dresses, gowns, shirts, trousers, jackets and other fashion pieces.

We are hiring multiple experienced machinists and joiners to join our production team.

The purpose of this role is to join cut fabric components into finished garments according to the approved sample, tech pack and production instructions, while maintaining the required quality and production output.

The role sits in the Production department and reports to the Production Manager. It is a contract engagement on a fixed monthly retainer plus piece-rate earnings, not salaried employment, and the full terms are set out in a written contract before you start.

Key responsibilities

What we're looking for

We care about both skill and attitude.

You should be someone who naturally asks:

• Does this match the approved sample?
• Has my first piece been checked?
• Will these cut pieces come together properly?
• Is this one the same as the last one I sewed?
• Is my machine set right for this fabric?

You should have:

• Minimum 2 years' experience as a machinist or joiner in a garment factory or production workshop.
• Confidence using industrial sewing machines, particularly single-needle or straight stitch and overlock.
• The ability to join a complete garment from cut pieces without step-by-step supervision.
• The ability to work from an approved sample and reproduce the construction accurately.
• The ability to maintain consistent quality and speed across a production run.
• Reliability, and the ability to work on agreed production days.

The following count in your favour:

• Experience working on production runs for fashion brands, which is strongly preferred.
• Experience working across different garment types and fabrics, both knits and wovens.
• Experience with machines such as coverstitch, flatlock, bartack or buttonhole.

A machinist who has sewn production runs rather than one-off pieces only, and who is used to being checked, would be ideal.

The person we're looking for

The right person:

• Works cleanly and consistently. The fiftieth piece looks like the first.
• Takes pride in the work. You would be happy for a client to look closely at what you have sewn.
• Checks their own work. You do not wait for QC to find every mistake.
• Raises problems early. A fault caught at your machine costs minutes. The same fault found later costs a client.
• Takes care of materials. Client fabric and production materials are treated as things that cannot be replaced.
• Is honest about mistakes. You say so rather than hoping it is not noticed.
• Can take correction and improve. You can be shown a fault without taking it personally.
• Is reliable. You take agreed production days seriously, and you tell us in advance when you cannot come.
• Works at production speed. You keep pace without allowing quality to drop.

What success looks like

In this role, success means:

• Your pieces pass quality control the first time, most of the time.
• Rework on your work is rare, and when it happens it is corrected properly once.
• Runs finish on the agreed day without a rush at the end that costs quality.
• Client fabric is not wasted or damaged.
• Faults in the pattern or the cut are raised before a whole run is sewn wrong.
• Your machine is in good order and the area around you is clean.

Compensation and benefits

Application process