Burberry is seeking an experience Product Development Manager to manage our Tailoring and Outerwear product categories. You will have accountability and act as the main point of contact for their respective category. You will lead a team of Product Developers and Assistants to deliver the collection in line with the design brief whilst managing the budget and critical path.
This role could be based either in Milan or London. RESPONSIBILITIES Build and maintain a close working partnership with Design to develop the collection from initial concept through to finished product. Act as the technical partner for design, attending fittings, providing feedback on technical feasibility, brainstorming ideas and solutions to ensure the design vision is translated into product. Build and manage the critical path from concept to pre-production with design and manufacturers. Ensuring deadlines are adhered to and follow up on all prototype/sample issues to resolve and drive to completion. Identifying, calling out and making recommendations to mitigate any risks/challenges identified at all stages. Manage the budget for the collection, ensuring product costs meet margin requirements and the overall collection is delivered within budget. Manage all vendor relationships for the collection, working with manufacturers to negotiate and calculate costs for prototypes & samples. Order prototype and sampling raw materials directly from manufacturers. Attend production meetings and ensure smooth hand off to Production of all products. Work closely with the Product Engineering teams while developing the collections for product testing to relevant standards, leveraging their technical knowledge and negotiating any aesthetic changes to protect the design vision. Ensure all samples deliveries are on time to showrooms prior to sales presentation. Lead, coach, develop and manage a team. PERSONAL PROFILE Ability to work in partnership with Design Directors, understanding and interpreting their creative aesthetic and design vision and translating this to teams and vendors. Technical capability and product knowledge with ability to confidently influence the Design team and provide on the spot solutions in: Garment construction, pattern cutting and fabric construction. Ability to work across multiple categories including: knitwear, jersey, outerwear, tailoring and flou. Knowledge of yarn, stiches and knitwear production methods, including machine and hand knitting techniques. Leather goods construction, leather/materials knowledge linked to shape and performance. Printing and printing techniques; silks, woollens, jacquards, woven fabrics; yarn, stiches and knitwear production methods including hand knitting techniques. Experience managing vendor relationships, delivering clear briefs, leveraging relationships to meet demands and negotiating costs. Experience managing and developing a team. Critical path management ensuring collections are delivered on time, identifying, calling out and making recommendations to mitigate any risks/challenges identified. Able to build and manage a budget with commercial awareness and understanding of product cost, achieving a balance between creativity and commercial implications throughout the product development process. Demonstrated experience working on site with vendors and operational knowledge of factories, delivering clear briefs and leveraging relationships and availability to meet demands. Excellent communication skills, with the ability to negotiate with credibility, share information effectively, and work confidently at all levels and with cross functional teams. In depth knowledge of fashion and products in relevant category –'fashion sensibility' - knowledge of trends, the market, the luxury consumer and peer awareness. Computer skills: PLM, excel, inDesign. Burberry is an Equal Opportunities Employer and as such, treats all applications equally and recruits purely on the basis of skills and experience.