Methods & Industrialization Manager

Overview

Cartier is an eminent maison of high jewellery and watchmaking, renowned for artisanal craftsmanship, design excellence and technical innovation. As part of a leading luxury group, Cartier combines heritage savoir-faire with advanced manufacturing techniques across its ateliers and production sites.

Role & Responsibilities

• Lead the Studies & Methods function to define and standardise manufacturing processes, work instructions and assembly methods for high-precision watch and jewellery production.
• Drive industrialization of new products from prototype to serial production, including feasibility studies, tooling and fixturing specifications, and process validation.
• Conduct time-and-motion studies, capacity analyses and line balancing to optimise productivity while preserving craftsmanship and quality standards.
• Collaborate closely with R&D, Product Development, Quality, Supply Chain and Production to ensure seamless transfer and continuous improvement of processes.
• Define and implement standards, KPIs and documentation (routing sheets, method sheets, SOPs) to ensure reproducibility and traceability.
• Identify and deliver cost-reduction, efficiency and quality improvement initiatives using structured problem-solving and Lean principles.
• Manage external suppliers for tooling, gauging and special machines; evaluate and specify technical requirements.
• Coach and develop the methods team; allocate resources across projects and ensure timely delivery of studies and industrialization milestones.

Qualifications

• Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Watchmaking (CFC/DFS) or equivalent technical qualification.
• Proven track record in methods, industrialization or process engineering within high-precision manufacturing, preferably watchmaking or fine jewellery.
• Strong knowledge of manufacturing processes, tooling, metrology and ergonomics applied to assembly operations.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional projects and to translate design intent into robust production methods.
• Fluent technical reporting skills and experience producing work instructions, process documentation and KPI dashboards.

Skills

Experience

Typically 5+ years in manufacturing methods, process engineering or industrialization roles, with prior exposure to high-precision or luxury goods production—experience in watchmaking strongly preferred.

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical/Industrial Engineering, Watchmaking diploma (CFC/DFS) or equivalent technical qualification.

Culture

Cartier cultivates a culture of meticulous craftsmanship and technical excellence, where heritage techniques coexist with modern industrial know-how. Teams operate in a collaborative, detail-oriented environment that values precision, innovation and respect for artisanal processes.