Burberry Hiring for Product Developer, Men’s Tailoring at London, Full Time

Founded in 1856 by Thomas Burberry, Burberry is a global luxury brand with a distinctly British attitude. We are a global business with an extensive network of both owned and franchised stores across EMEIA, Asia Pacific and Americas. We are digital pioneers, and innovative technology underpins every aspect of our business, from product design to distribution and marketing. We believe that modern luxury means being socially and environmentally responsible; this mindset is core to our business and key to our long-term success.

JOB PURPOSE

This position will deliver the end-to-end product development process within Burberry’s Product Development function. Acting as an ambassador for Burberry, fostering a culture of accountability, innovation and collaboration and operate as true technical specialists with internal teams and vendors.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Building and maintaining a close working partnership with Design. Acting 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
• Responsible for building and maintaining effective working relationships with vendors, developing a strong working knowledge of vendor capability and availability to meet demands. This includes negotiating on costs as well as aesthetic changes to ensure design vision is maintained
• Implementing and managing 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
• Responsible for delivering prototypes and samples on time, to the quality standard, and within cost price range, to achieve target margin
• Responsible for ensuring functionality (including consistency and standardisation) and ensuring products that are developed are fit for purpose for the customer, brand and business. This includes ongoing risk assessment during the development process and proactivity in taking actions as a result
• Responsible for collaborating 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
• Support production meetings follow ups at vendors, technical requirements of all proto and samples in preparation for production
• Supporting, coaching and developing the PD Assistants
• Accountable for ensuring PLM is kept updated with 100% accuracy at all times.

QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

• Ability to work in partnership with Senior Designers, 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 in the World of Tailoring
  • Leather goods construction, leather/materials knowledge linked to shape and performance
  • Printing, printing techniques; silks, woollens, jacquards, woven fabrics and leather
  • Technical embroidery and embellishment knowledge
  • Knowledge of industrialisation process partnering with Product Engendering team
• Experience managing vendor relationships, delivering clear briefs and leveraging relationships to meet demands
• Critical path management ensuring collections are delivered on time, identifying, calling out and making recommendations to mitigate any risks/challenges identified
• Able to manage within 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 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