Product Development Senior Manager – Burberry Jobs London

Overview

Position Title: Product Development Senior Manager

Company: Burberry

Location: London, UK

Job Description

At Burberry, we believe creativity opens spaces. Our purpose is to unlock the power of imagination to push boundaries and open new possibilities for our people, our customers and our communities. This is the core belief that has guided Burberry since it was founded in 1856 and is central to how we operate as a company today.

Responsibilities:

• Build and maintain a close working partnership with design to develop the collection from initial concept through to finished product.
• Building trust with the design team.
• Act as the technical partner for design, leading fittings process, providing feedback on technical feasibility, brainstorming ideas and solutions to ensure the design vision is translated into product.
• Lead 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. Organising a balanced working rhythm between design, pd, pe and manufacturers.
• Strategising, pre-empting and managing special situations (covid-brexit).
• Being responsible and manage the budget for the collection, partnering with global sourcing ensuring product costs meet margin requirements and the overall collection is delivered within budget.
• Forecasting and proposing solutions to guarantee the designer needs and company requests are accomplished.
• Lead all vendor relationships for the collection, drive with manufacturers the negotiation process for prototypes & samples cost.
• Order prototype and sampling raw materials directly from manufacturers.
• Be the point of reference for the raw material team for quality, delivery issues and special development.
• Partnering with the product engineering team to production meetings and ensure smooth hand off to production of all products

Requirements:

• 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 all categories including knitwear, jersey, outerwear, tailoring and flou
• Experience managing vendor relationships, delivering clear briefs, leveraging relationships to meet demands and negotiating costs
• Experience in leading, managing and developing a team
• Critical path leader 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 all categories ‘fashion sensibility’ – knowledge of trends, the market, the luxury consumer and peer awareness
• Computer skills: PLM, excel, InDesign