Manager Raw Materials, Shoes

Burberry; Firenze; On-site; EUR 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Burberry in Firenze invites a Raw Materials Manager to guide development and sourcing of materials that bring our designs to life, aligning aesthetic vision with quality and commercial goals.

You will partner with Design, Sourcing and external partners to deliver innovative materials, manage vendor relationships, and maintain accurate PLM data while meeting timelines and budget targets.

Qualifications

• Experience with leather, fabrics and innovative materials development.
• Translate design concepts into technically feasible material solutions.
• Manage vendor relationships and deliver clear development briefs.
• Balance creativity with cost, margin and commercial goals.
• Excellent communication across creative and technical stakeholders.
• Organised, detail-oriented with complex development timelines.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Design to translate vision into feasible raw material solutions.
• Build and manage vendor relationships to support development needs.
• Lead R&D of innovative materials, finishes and colourways.
• Manage raw materials critical path, timelines, risks and mitigation.
• Ensure materials meet quality, performance and cost targets.
• Maintain product data accurately in PLM systems.

Skills

Material development

Cross-functional collaboration

Vendor management

Cost awareness

Project management

Tools

PLM systems

Job description

Job description:

JOB PURPOSE

The Raw Materials Manager role connects creativity with technical excellence, guiding the development and sourcing of raw materials that bring our designs to life. Working closely with Design, Sourcing and external partners, you will ensure materials meet aesthetic vision, quality standards and commercial goals. Your work will shape product innovation while supporting the delivery of collections that reflect Burberry’s craftsmanship and purpose.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Partner closely with Design to translate creative vision into technically feasible raw material solutions
• Build and manage strong relationships with vendors, understanding capabilities to support development needs
• Lead research and development of innovative raw materials, including samples, finishes and colourways
• Manage the raw materials critical path, ensuring timelines are met and risks are identified and resolved early
• Deliver materials on time, within cost targets and aligned to required quality and performance standards
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date product data within PLM systems

PERSONAL PROFILE

• Strong understanding of raw material development processes across leather, fabrics and innovative materials
• Ability to interpret design concepts and collaborate effectively across creative and technical teams
• Experience managing vendor relationships and delivering clear, structured development briefs
• Commercial awareness, balancing creativity with cost and margin considerations
• Confident communicator, able to influence, negotiate and build trust across stakeholders
• Organised and detail-oriented, with experience managing timelines and complex development cycles

FOOTER

Burberry is an Equal Opportunities Employer and as such, treats all applications equally and recruits purely on the basis of skills and experience.