Knitwear Product Development

About the Role This role leads the end-to-end product development process for Burberry's Knitwear, acting as a technical partner between design and manufacturing. Based in Burberry's Product Development function, the role focuses on translating design concepts into technically feasible, high-quality knitwear while managing timelines, costs and vendor partnerships. What You'll Do

• Build and maintain a close working partnership with the Designer, acting as the technical partner for design, attending fittings and providing feedback on technical feasibility for Knitwear.
• Brainstorm ideas to translate the design vision into product that meets target margins and maintains Burberry’s quality and integrity.
• Develop deep category knowledge (construction, yarns, raw materials, fit/silhouette) to support the development process across knitwear.
• Deliver prototypes and samples on time, to quality standards, and within cost price range to achieve target margins.
• Implement and manage the critical path from concept to pre-production with design and manufacturers, ensuring deadlines are met and issues are resolved.
• Identify risks early and mitigate challenges across all stages, ensuring systems are kept updated with 100% accuracy.
• Maintain effective vendor relationships across EU and Asia, negotiating costs and aesthetic changes to protect design vision.
• Ensure raw material selections meet cost requirements; collaborate cross-functionally to improve quality, longevity and functionality; align with production lead times and delivery dates.
• Ensure product functionality, standardisation and fitness for customer, brand and business; collaborate with Product Engineering for testing to relevant standards.
• Manage raw material excess development and critical path; coordinate fabric transport to vendors and timely protos/samples; support production meetings and technical prep.
• Coach and develop PD Assistants, delegating workload to hit deadlines and broaden team capability.
• Manage time effectively and coordinate critical deadlines across teams to avoid delays. What We're Looking For
• Ability to partner with Senior Designers and translate their creative aesthetic into actionable briefs for teams and vendors.
• Strong knowledge of apparel and product development across Menswear and Womenswear, in all categories.
• Technical capability to influence Design and provide on-the-spot solutions in garment and knitwear construction.
• Experience managing vendor relationships, delivering clear briefs and negotiating to meet demands.
• Proven track record in critical path management and timely delivery of collections, with risk mitigation.
• Budget awareness with a balance between creativity and commercial implications.
• On-site factory experience and operational knowledge with effective vendor collaboration.
• Excellent communication, negotiation and information-sharing skills.