Burberry Product Developer — Shoes
- Seniority
- Mid-Level
- Industry
- Fashion, Apparel & Leather Goods
- Posted
- May 13, 2026
About Burberry
A leading international luxury fashion house operating within a major luxury group. The brand is recognised for its artisanal craftsmanship, refined footwear collections, and global retail presence, combining creative direction with rigorous product engineering and supply‑chain coordination.
Leading luxury fashion house in Milan seeks Product Developer — Shoes to lead technical development, sampling and factory coordination.
Role & Responsibilities
- Translate creative direction into fully detailed technical packages (tech packs) and development briefs for footwear collections.
- Manage the end‑to‑end development cycle: prototype creation, fit sessions, modifications, approvals and pre‑production sign‑off.
- Define lasts, patterns, materials, construction methods and assembly specifications in collaboration with design, patternmakers and manufacturing partners.
- Coordinate and supervise sampling with internal ateliers and external factories, ensuring timelines, quality standards and cost targets are met.
- Perform costings and material yield calculations to support pricing and margin objectives.
- Maintain and update PLM/PDM records, spec sheets, measurement charts and size grading instructions.
- Conduct on‑site factory follow‑ups and quality audits as required, and troubleshoot production issues with suppliers.
- Liaise with sourcing, quality assurance and logistics teams to secure material approvals and ensure compliant production.
Qualifications
- 3–6 years of progressive experience in footwear product development or technical design within premium or luxury footwear brands.
- Demonstrable knowledge of footwear construction, lasts, patternmaking, grading and fitting processes.
- Proven track record managing samples and suppliers, with familiarity with Italian and international factories preferred.
- Strong commercial acumen with experience in costings and materials optimisation.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills for cross‑functional collaboration and vendor management.
Skills
Experience
Minimum 3–6 years in footwear product development or technical design for premium/luxury brands, with hands‑on responsibility for sample cycles, factory liaison and pre‑production approvals.
Education
Bachelor's degree in footwear design, industrial design, product engineering, fashion technology, or equivalent practical experience.
Workplace
The successful candidate will be located in Milan, Lombardy, Italy.
Culture
The employer cultivates a culture that values artisanal excellence, meticulous technical standards and creative collaboration. Teams operate in a fast‑paced, design‑driven environment where multidisciplinary cooperation with design, sourcing and production partners is essential to deliver refined footwear collections to a global clientele.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The luxury industry is characterised by a diverse and nuanced nomenclature. Esteemed houses frequently employ proprietary terminology, and even within a single organisation like Burberry, titles may vary across global markets to reflect local conventions. To ensure absolute clarity, Cerulean assigns a standardised, industry-coherent canonical title to every listing. However, it is worth noting that this role is functionally synonymous with «Footwear Product Developer», «Footwear Technical Developer», «Shoe Development Specialist», «Technical Product Developer (Footwear)», and other variations. Our sophisticated search architecture anticipates these variations, ensuring that inquiries using related terms will seamlessly yield the exact roles you desire.