Construction Director - EMEIA in London

The Director of Construction, EMEIA, will lead and oversee the successful delivery of all architectural and construction projects across the region, ensuring that every project — from concept to completion — embodies the brand’s design vision, investment strategy, and uncompromising standards of quality and craftsmanship. This role will ensure that each project reflects the brand’s legacy of luxury and is delivered on time and within budget, in line with global guidelines and strategic objectives.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide strategic leadership for the planning, management, and execution of all construction and architectural projects across EMEIA, including new stores, refurbishments, corporate offices, and pop-up initiatives.
• Oversee Regional Construction and Project Managers, fostering collaboration with corporate and regional teams to ensure brand consistency and operational excellence.
• Collaborate closely with internal design teams to align on timelines, design intent, technical requirements, and quality benchmarks.
• Guide the execution of architectural initiatives to meet critical milestones.
• Support design development by coordinating mock-ups, prototypes, sampling, costing, and production feedback, ensuring learnings are applied to future projects.
• Develop, maintain, and communicate a comprehensive EMEIA project plan and master programme, ensuring clear visibility for all stakeholders.
• Produce timely and accurate reporting, maintaining project dashboards and ensuring all store network technical data is current and robust.
• Monitor project performance, proactively identifying risks and driving solutions to maintain scope, schedule, quality, and budget.
• Champion the adoption of global project management standards, delivering clear and engaging presentations to senior stakeholders.
• Oversee regional and project capital expenditure, ensuring robust cost control, value engineering, and procurement efficiencies.
• Manage the submission of drawing packages for statutory approvals, liaising with landlords, local authorities, legal, and construction teams as required.
• Engage with regional business partners to gather requirements, secure approvals, and align design proposals with operational needs.
• Lead site visits, project meetings, and contractor handovers, ensuring quality standards are met and lessons learned are embedded into future rollouts.
• Develop and strengthen the regional team, balancing workloads, assessing capability, and nurturing talent to build a high-performing construction function.
• Act as the regional lead for sustainability, partnering with corporate teams to advance environmental initiatives and maintain relevant accreditations such as BREEAM or LEED.

PERSONAL PROFILE

• Significant senior-level experience (typically 10+ years) managing large-scale, multi-site construction and fit-out projects within the luxury retail, premium hospitality, or high-end commercial sectors.
• Proven track record of delivering projects across multiple geographies and channels, specifically within EMEIA, ideally Milan and London Airports.
• Deep understanding of the standards, expectations, and nuances of working within a luxury or premium brand context — where exceptional quality, craftsmanship, and brand integrity are paramount.
• Demonstrated experience managing the full project lifecycle: feasibility, design development, budgeting, planning, procurement, delivery, handover, and post-completion reviews.
• Expertise in managing landlord approvals, statutory consents, and working with heritage or listed buildings is highly advantageous.
• Strong background in managing significant capex budgets, cost control, value engineering, and supply chain optimisation.
• Experience working closely with procurement and legal teams to negotiate contracts and manage vendor relationships.
• Proven ability to lead, develop, and motivate regional and cross-functional teams.
• Solid experience partnering with internal departments such as Design, Architecture, Facilities, Merchandising, Visual Merchandising, Store Operations, and Corporate Real Estate.
• Strong track record of influencing and presenting to senior executives and regional stakeholders, providing clear updates, managing expectations, and aligning diverse teams toward shared goals.
• Demonstrated commitment to sustainable construction practices and familiarity with relevant green building certifications (e.g., BREEAM, LEED).
• Direct experience managing projects across multiple countries within EMEIA, with an understanding of local regulations, cultural considerations, and logistical complexities.
• Proficiency in project management methodologies, governance frameworks, scheduling tools, and reporting systems.
• Solid knowledge of building codes, health & safety standards, and luxury retail construction best practices.

MEASURES OF SUCCESS

• All projects delivered on time, within budget, and to the brand’s exacting quality standards.
• Effective implementation of global project management frameworks and reporting practices.
• A high-performing, motivated, and future-ready Construction team.
• Consistent and flawless execution of the brand’s design vision across all retail and corporate spaces.
• Proactive and clear communication with regional and global stakeholders.
• Delivery of sustainable, innovative, and cost-effective construction solutions.

PURPOSE AND VALUES

Founded by Thomas Burberry, our brand is underpinned by a passion for the outdoors. Thomas Burberry invented the innovative rain‑ready fabric gabardine to protect explorers from the elements. In doing so, he created the foundation for the iconic Burberry trench coat, which remains core to the business even today. Guided by our history of exploration and our shared belief that ‘creativity opens spaces’, our purpose is to unlock the power of imagination to push boundaries and open new possibilities for our people, our customers and our communities. As a values‑driven brand, we are committed to creating the next generation of sustainable luxury and believe that diversity, equity and inclusion are essential to fulfilling our purpose. Fostering an inclusive culture where differences are valued and embraced enables us to be more creative, engaged and make a more meaningful contribution to the world around us.

FOOTER

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