Product Development Manager — Leather Goods
Christian Dior Couture seeks a Product Development Manager — Leather Goods in Florence, Italy. Lead technical development, fittings and team management for leather goods.
Overview
Christian Dior Couture is a preeminent French haute couture and luxury fashion house known for its exacting standards of craftsmanship, creativity, and artisanal savoir‑faire. As part of the LVMH group, the maison operates internationally across design, product development and production, offering a workplace that blends creative direction with industrial rigour and a strong commitment to heritage and innovation.
Role & Responsibilities
- Lead and supervise the end‑to‑end product development process for leather goods collections, ensuring alignment with Creative Direction.
- Translate creative sketches into precise technical datasheets and comprehensive bills of materials.
- Conduct technical reviews and fittings of prototypes, identify critical issues and recommend corrective actions to guarantee functionality and wearability.
- Ensure luxury quality standards through meticulous validation of structure, weights, volumes and finishing details.
- Collaborate closely with industrialization to optimise processes, costs and production timelines and to ensure model replicability at scale.
- Supervise the refinement of models prior to mass production and guarantee adherence to technical specifications.
- Interface with style, product development, production teams and external suppliers; participate in collection progress meetings and prototype reviews.
- Analyse development data, monitor KPIs (lead time, prototype conformity, costs, supplier performance) and present periodic reports to Creative Direction and Production.
- Drive a culture of continuous improvement and measurement within the team.
Qualifications
- Minimum 10 years’ progressive experience in leather goods product development, with demonstrable experience in the luxury segment.
- Proven managerial experience with leadership capabilities, team organisation and priority management.
- Deep technical knowledge of leather goods construction, materials and industrialisation processes.
- Strong aesthetic sensibility combined with an artisanal approach to innovation in materials and constructions.
- Analytical aptitude for monitoring KPIs and implementing process optimisation plans.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to liaise with style, production and external suppliers.
- Fluent English required; French language skills preferred.
Skills
Experience
Minimum 10 years of hands‑on experience in leather goods product development within the luxury sector, including several years in a managerial role overseeing teams and cross‑functional projects.
Education
Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Design, Product Development, Industrial Design, Materials Science or equivalent professional experience in luxury leather goods.
Culture
The maison fosters a culture where meticulous craftsmanship meets creative daring, valuing excellence, precision and artisanal know‑how. Teams operate in a highly collaborative, cross‑disciplinary environment that balances creative leadership with industrial discipline, offering exposure to global luxury production standards.