Christian Dior Technical Director
- Location
- Employment
- Full-Time
- Seniority
- Director
- Industry
- High Jewelry
- Posted
- Apr 23, 2026
About Christian Dior
FG MANUFACTURE is a specialised jewellery and high-precision manufacturing subsidiary operating within the LVMH ecosystem and working for Christian Dior Couture. The manufacture combines traditional artisanal savoir‑faire — including jewellery making, setting and polishing — with industrial capabilities such as casting, machining and surface treatment, and is undergoing a transformation centred on people, performance, digitalisation, sustainability and innovation.
Christian Dior Couture (FG MANUFACTURE) in Lyon seeks a Technical Director to lead engineering, industrialisation and innovation for high‑precision jewellery manufacturing.
Role & Responsibilities
- Define and deploy the Maison’s technical strategy; represent the technical function at the Manufacture Executive Committee and report directly to the General Manager.
- Lead the Design Office (CAD/BE): enforce modelling standards, convert creative intents into manufacturable SolidWorks/CAD models, validate digital mock‑ups, technical drawings and prototypes, and ensure timely handover to production and external partners.
- Drive project management: structure the project portfolio, set milestones, budgets and KPIs, animate project reviews, coordinate cross‑functional stakeholders and mitigate technical risks through formal analyses and arbitration.
- Manage Methods & Industrialisation: define work instructions and routings, validate prototypes and production trials, plan ramp‑ups, optimise flows, capacities and cycle times, and oversee industrial investments (machines, software, automation).
- Ensure data integrity and traceability: maintain technical data (BOMs, references, components, material attributes), develop a secure technical data repository aligned with the ERP and guarantee consistency of production documentation.
- Steer the Innovation function: set the innovation roadmap (materials, processes, digital tools, eco‑design), promote experimentation (new alloys, hybrid techniques, 3D printing, advanced CAD), and transfer viable innovations into industrialisation.
- Safeguard product feasibility, technical performance and uncompromising quality in accordance with client and Maison standards.
Qualifications
- Proven leadership with the ability to fédérer multidisciplinary expert teams and structure a technical organisation.
- Deep technical knowledge of jewellery manufacturing processes (casting, machining, setting, polishing, finishing) and the constraints of fine jewellery production.
- Demonstrable expertise in industrialisation, production methods, lean manufacturing and technical validation procedures.
- Strong competence in technical analyses and quality tools (FMEA/AMDEC, validation plans, capability studies, metrology).
- Experience with PLM/ERP data environments and the governance of technical data.
Skills
Experience
Minimum 5 years of progressive technical responsibility in jewellery, precision manufacturing or an equivalent industrial environment, including management of multidisciplinary teams and industrialisation projects.
Education
Master's degree or engineering diploma in mechanical engineering, materials science, industrial engineering or equivalent professional experience.
Workplace
The successful candidate will be located in Lyon, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France.
Culture
The organisation cultivates a dual ethos of artisanal excellence and industrial rigour, valuing meticulous craftsmanship alongside technological progress. As part of the LVMH group and serving Christian Dior Couture, it emphasises high standards, continual improvement and a commitment to sustainability and digital modernisation.
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 Christian Dior, 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 «Director of Engineering», «Head of Technical Operations», «Director of Industrialization», «Head of Technical 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.