Burberry Product Developer, Knitwear

About Burberry

Burberry Limited, a quintessentially British luxury fashion house, is renowned for its innovative designs and commitment to quality. As part of the global luxury conglomerate, Burberry offers a dynamic and inclusive work environment where creativity and excellence are at the forefront. The company is dedicated to fostering a culture that encourages diversity and sustainability, making it a leader in the luxury industry.

Role & Responsibilities

• Build and maintain close working partnerships with Senior Designers, providing technical feasibility assessments and creative solutions to ensure design vision is translated into product while achieving target margins and maintaining quality integrity
• Develop deep technical expertise across knitwear categories, including construction, yarn selection, raw materials, and fit/silhouette, delivering comprehensive support throughout the development process
• Deliver prototypes and samples on schedule, to quality standards, and within cost parameters to achieve target margin requirements
• Manage critical path from concept through pre-production with design and manufacturers, ensuring adherence to deadlines, resolution of prototype/sample issues, and proactive risk identification and mitigation
• Maintain 100% accuracy in systems updates at all times, communicating production changes cross-functionally to prevent delays and minimize excess raw material
• Build and maintain effective relationships with vendors across EU and Asia, developing strong knowledge of vendor capabilities and availability while negotiating costs and aesthetic refinements
• Ensure raw material selections meet cost requirements; collaborate cross-functionally to improve product quality, longevity, and functionality while managing production lead times
• Ensure product functionality, consistency, and standardization to guarantee products are fit for purpose across customer, brand, and business requirements, with ongoing risk assessment and proactive mitigation
• Collaborate with Product Engineering during collection development for testing to relevant standards, negotiating aesthetic changes to protect design vision
• Manage raw material excess development and critical path, supervising fabric transportation, vendor communications, and ensuring proto/sample delivery meets deadlines and margin targets
• Support vendor production meetings and prepare technical requirements for all prototypes and samples in preparation for production launch
• Coach, develop, and delegate workload to PD Assistants, expanding their industry knowledge while ensuring successful deadline achievement
• Manage time efficiently across all development stages to ensure deadlines are met while maintaining collaborative relationships with critical teams

Qualifications

• Strong knowledge of apparel and product development across menswear and womenswear in all categories
• Technical capability and product knowledge with ability to confidently influence design teams and provide on-the-spot solutions in garment and knitwear construction
• Demonstrated experience managing vendor relationships, delivering clear briefs, and leveraging relationships to meet operational demands
• Proven ability to manage critical paths and identify, communicate, and mitigate risks and challenges
• Commercial awareness and budget management experience, with demonstrated ability to balance creativity and commercial implications
• On-site vendor experience with operational knowledge of factories and ability to deliver clear briefs and leverage relationships
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills with cross-functional teams
• Fashion sensibility with in-depth knowledge of trends, market dynamics, luxury consumer preferences, and competitive awareness
• Proficiency with design and development software: Kubix, Excel, InDesign

Skills

Experience

Minimum 5–7 years of product development experience in luxury apparel, with proven expertise in knitwear categories and demonstrated success managing vendor relationships across multiple regions. Candidates should have direct experience working on-site with manufacturers, translating design concepts into production-ready products, and managing complex development timelines in a fast-paced, design-driven environment.

Education

Degree in Fashion Design, Fashion Technology, Fashion Business, Textiles, or equivalent professional qualification in apparel product development.

Workplace

Culture

Burberry fosters a creative and inclusive workplace culture that values diversity and sustainability. The company is committed to being a force for good, driving industry change and championing community engagement.

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.