Balenciaga Ready-to-Wear Collection Merchandising Director

About Balenciaga

Founded by Cristóbal Balenciaga in 1917 and part of Kering, Balenciaga is one of fashion’s most influential houses, renowned for architectural cut, uncompromising craft, and a continual redefinition of modern luxury. As an employer, the House offers a demanding yet inspiring environment where heritage ateliers, bold creative vision, and global business expertise meet. Teams across design, product development, merchandising, retail, client engagement, communications, and corporate functions are encouraged to combine precision with experimentation, agility with excellence. Balenciaga seeks individuals who are culturally aware, rigorous, collaborative, and ready to contribute to a maison that shapes the conversation of contemporary fashion while respecting the discipline of couture.

Role & Responsibilities

• Define the ready-to-wear collection strategy with the Creative and Product Departments, covering positioning, assortment, price architecture and margin objectives.
• Build and manage the collection plan, balancing desirability, creative coherence and economic performance.
• Analyze past collection performance and market trends to guide future development.
• Anticipate product portfolio developments and identify short-, medium- and long-term growth opportunities.
• Oversee collection development from design through launch, ensuring adherence to timelines, budgets and quality standards.
• Ensure the creative vision is accurately translated into products that are industrially feasible and commercially relevant.
• Set priorities across innovation, technical feasibility, timelines and economic constraints.
• Track key development milestones and secure timely decisions.
• Ensure effective collaboration among Design, Development, Production and Collection Merchandising teams.
• Lead collection reviews and approval committees.
• Work closely with Studio, Communications, Image and Retail teams to ensure collection coherence across all touchpoints.
• Facilitate communication between Paris-based teams and industrial partners.
• Identify and promote opportunities in materials, craftsmanship, manufacturing techniques and sustainability.
• Continuously monitor creative, technological and competitive trends in the ready-to-wear market.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of the product offer and uphold the Maison’s standards of excellence.
• Oversee the selection and evaluation of suppliers, manufacturers and partner workshops.
• Ensure model standardization and industrial reproducibility.
• Contribute to optimizing development processes to improve lead times, quality and costs.
• Ensure quality standards are upheld throughout the development cycle.
• Manage and develop a team of product managers and collection coordinators.
• Support employees’ skills development and encourage autonomy.
• Unite teams around a shared vision and high standards of excellence.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability and innovation.

Qualifications

• Higher education in fashion, product or management.
• At least 10 years of experience in ready-to-wear collection development and management at a luxury Maison or in a premium environment.
• Strong understanding of the creative, industrial and commercial challenges involved in product development.
• Recognized leadership, with the ability to unite multidisciplinary teams in demanding, international environments.
• Excellent analytical and organizational skills, with the ability to make strategic decisions under tight deadlines.
• Fluent English; Italian is an asset.
• An affinity for the world of luxury, exceptional craftsmanship and product innovation.

Skills

Experience

At least 10 years in ready-to-wear collection development and management at a luxury Maison or in a premium environment.

Education

Higher education in fashion, product or management.

Culture

Balenciaga fosters a bold, forward-thinking workplace where creativity, experimentation, and cultural awareness drive the evolution of contemporary luxury. As an employer, the House encourages collaboration across disciplines, empowering teams to challenge convention while upholding exceptional standards of craftsmanship, precision, and brand integrity.

About Cerulean

Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.