Manager, Raw Materials Shoes

INTRODUCTIONAt 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.We aim to provide an environment for creative minds from different backgrounds to thrive, bringing a wide range of skills and experiences to everything we do. As a purposeful, values-driven brand, we are committed to being a force for good in the world as well, creating the next generation of sustainable luxury for customers, driving industry change and championing our communities. JOB PURPOSEWorking in partnership with Design and Sourcing to manage the raw materials development and procurement according to the design aesthetics guidelines and budget collection.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.RESPONSIBILITIESBuilding and maintaining a close working partnership with Design. Acting as the technical partner for design, attending raw material meetings, providing feedback on technical feasibility, brainstorming ideas and solutions to ensure the design vision is translated into productResponsible for building and maintaining effective working relationships with vendors, developing a strong working knowledge of vendor capability and availability to meet demandsResearch and development of new raw material concepts and technologies according to brief:SamplesColourwaysCollaboration with mills and follow up on new designs/materials to ensure correct executionIn conjunction with the Product Development and Design teams, agree and implement the raw material development critical path. Ensuring deadlines are adhered to and follow up on all development issues to resolve and drive to completion. Identifying, calling out and making recommendations to mitigate any risks/challenges identified at all stages.Responsible for ordering and delivering raw materials on time, to the quality standard, and within cost price range, to achieve target marginResponsible 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 resultResponsible for collaborating with Operations teams while developing the collections for product testing to relevant standards, leveraging their technical knowledge and negotiating any aesthetic changes to protect the design visionSupport production meetings follow ups at vendors, technical requirements of all proto and samples in preparation for productionAccountable for ensuring PLM is kept updated with 100% accuracy at all times.PERSONAL PROFILEAbility to work in partnership with Designer and Technicians, understanding and interpreting their creative aesthetic and design vision and translating this to teams and vendorsTechnical capability and product knowledge with ability to confidently influence the Design team and provide on the spot solutions in:Leather process, origin of raw materials from development to industrialisation; process of tanneries (farmhouse, slaughterhouse, tanning, re-tanning, finishing, dyeing, treatment),ProductFabric process, origin of raw materials from development to industrialisation; woven fabrics, cottons, wools, technical materials including plastics and coated materials; print development and industrialisation; technical embroidery and embellishment knowledgeUnderstanding of testing parameters, quality requirements and fundamentals of chemicals used in finishingExperience managing vendor relationships, delivering clear briefs and leveraging relationships to meet demandsCritical path management ensuring collections are delivered on time, identifying, calling out and making recommendations to mitigate any risks/challenges identifiedAble 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 processDemonstrated expert technical product knowledge, including specifics on areas such as shoesDemonstrated experience working on site with vendors and operational knowledge of factories, delivering clear briefs and leveraging relationships and availability to meet demandsExcellent communication skills, with the ability to negotiate with credibility, share information effectively, and work confidently with cross functional teamsIn depth knowledge of fashion and products in relevant category –‘fashion sensibility’ - knowledge of trends, the market, the luxury consumer and peer awarenessComputer skills: PLM, excelFOOTERBurberry is an Equal Opportunities Employer and as such, treats all applications equally and recruits purely on the basis of skills and experience.Posting Notes: Italy || Not Applicable || Florence || PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT || SHOES - CORE || n/a ||