Chanel Technical Development Project Manager — Costume Jewelry & Leather Belts
About Chanel
Chanel is a leading French luxury house celebrated for its haute couture, ready-to-wear, leather goods, jewelry and accessories. As an employer, Chanel emphasises artisanal savoir-faire, rigorous quality standards and cross-disciplinary collaboration between creative ateliers and industrial teams. The brand offers a culture rooted in heritage and innovation, with a global footprint and a commitment to craftsmanship.
Chanel seeks a Technical Development Project Manager — Jewelry & Leather Belts in Paris. Permanent role leading technical industrialisation for accessories.
Role & Responsibilities
- Lead end-to-end technical development and industrialisation for costume jewelry and leather belts across seasonal collections.
- Translate design intent into manufacturable technical specifications, tech packs and clear working drawings.
- Coordinate multidisciplinary stakeholders — design, sourcing, production, quality, purchasing and external ateliers — to meet timing and cost targets.
- Manage prototype cycles and sampling, driving iterative improvements from first sample to production readiness.
- Select and qualify materials, finishes and suppliers; oversee supplier onboarding and technical audits.
- Ensure compliance with quality, safety and regulatory standards relevant to jewelry (platings, coatings, restricted substances) and leather accessories.
- Control product costing and bill of materials; propose technical solutions to optimise manufacturability and reduce costs without compromising quality.
- Monitor production follow-up, resolve non-conformities, and implement corrective actions on site or with suppliers.
- Maintain accurate technical documentation and version control throughout the product lifecycle.
Qualifications
- Degree in materials engineering, industrial design, product development, jewellery/luxury craft or equivalent technical education.
- Proven experience in technical development and industrialisation of accessories — ideally costume/jewellery and leather goods — within the luxury sector.
- Fluency in French and professional working proficiency in English.
- Strong supplier management and negotiation capabilities, with experience working with external ateliers and manufacturers.
- Excellent organisational skills, autonomy and the ability to drive multiple projects to deadline.
Skills
Experience
Typically 4–7 years of hands-on experience in technical development or industrialisation of jewellery, fashion accessories or leather goods, preferably within a luxury maison or high-end subcontractor.
Education
Bachelor's degree or higher in materials engineering, industrial/product design, jewellery making, leather technology or a related technical discipline.
Workplace
The role is situated in Paris, Île-de-France, France.
Culture
Chanel's workplace culture blends artisanal tradition with modern technical rigour: teams value meticulous attention to detail, discretion and a collaborative approach that brings designers and production specialists together. Employees operate in an environment that prioritises craftsmanship, sustainable quality and the preservation of heritage techniques while fostering innovation.
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 Chanel, 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 «Accessory Technical Project Manager — Jewelry & Belts», «Project Manager, Technical Development — Costume Jewelry & Leather Accessories», «Product Industrialisation Manager — Jewelry & Leather Belts», «Accessory Development Manager — Metal Jewelry & Leather Goods», «Technical Lead, Jewelry & Belt Development», and other variations. Our sophisticated search architecture anticipates these variations, ensuring that inquiries using related terms will seamlessly yield the exact roles you desire.