Industrialisation & Quality Assurance Manager, Leather Goods

Location: London

Reports to: Product and Production Director

About us

DeMellier is a London-based brand that was founded with the vision of doing things differently: to design handbags that would make women feel empowered, made ethically and sustainably, while giving back to those who need it most. These principles guide everything we do. All our pieces are crafted ethically in Europe using the finest sustainably sourced materials. We champion equality and for every piece sold, we fund vaccines and medical treatments aimed at saving the life of a child in need. So far, through our permanent charity initiative, ‘A Bag, A Life’, in partnership with SOS Children’s Villages, we have funded over 2,000,000 vaccines. Join us and be part of an award‑winning, purpose‑driven brand that fosters creativity, collaboration, and meaningful impact within the luxury industry.

The role

You will be responsible for leading the industrialisation process for handbags and small leather goods, ensuring product designs are efficiently and consistently translated into scalable, high‑quality, cost‑effective production. Act as the technical interface between Design, Product Development, Production, and Suppliers to guarantee feasibility, quality, and manufacturability.

Requirements

• Proven experience (5+ years) in handbag or leather goods industrialisation/production management.
• In-depth technical knowledge of leather types, handbag construction, and assembly techniques.
• Experience working with Italian and Spanish and/or European luxury factories.
• Strong knowledge of product development cycles, costing structures, and technical problem‑solving.
• Confident in interpreting technical drawings, patterns, BOMs, and prototypes.
• Effective communicator and skilled in supplier relationship management.
• Detail‑oriented with excellent organisational and project management abilities.
• Proficiency in Excel, PLM/ERP systems, and technical documentation.

Main responsibilities

• New Product Industrialisation
  • Manage and oversee the industrialisation of any new handbag from PPS to TDS pre‑bulk approval.
  • Lead pilot runs and pre‑production trials, analysing results and implementing improvements before bulk production.
  • Recommend enhancements, construction, and material options to elevate our brand while meeting financial targets – ensuring no issue with mass production of styles/materials.
  • Support continuous improvement initiatives within the production network.
• Technical Review & Product Feasibility
  • Review and validate technical packs and patterns against PPS – ensuring accuracy and manufacturability.
  • Responsible for plastic patterns and production knives co‑sign‑off with PD in line with approved PPS.
  • Define and optimise production methods, processes, and assembly flows to meet quality, cost, consumption/rating, and lead‑time targets.
  • Identify and communicate any quality control concerns and implement processes to ensure the highest standards – all to be recorded in QC/TDS Packs.
  • Optimise product costing through process improvements and technical adjustments to facilitate manufacturability and mass production.
• Bill of Materials (BOM) & Documentation
  • Review BOMs for all new styles and ensure all BOMs for existing styles are accurate and updated with any changes/improvements implemented in industrialisation.
  • Document and standardise best practices, assembly instructions, and technical guidelines – QC/TDS Packs.
  • Ensure compliance with internal quality standards, SOPs, and regulatory requirements.
  • Keep the wider team informed of any product changes.
• Supplier Support & Quality Implementation
  • Collaborate closely with suppliers, providing technical support and solutions to improve production processes and product consistency.
  • Manage the FG - Product Quality Assurance Testing Packs & Parameters Setting – part of standards and parameters setting.
  • Organise, lead, and prepare Production Handover meetings – and train QC Inspectors on standards, product specifications, and QC parameters.
• Organisation & workflow tracking
  • In charge of creating and leading the Critical Path for the Industrialisation stage from PPS all the way to TDS in collaboration with Design, Production, and factories.
  • Assuring critical dates, deadlines, and priorities are communicated with teams and factories.
  • Sink, track, and oversee the Industrialization Tracker for all factories – updating status for every product stage: PPS approval status / Testing & Performance Status / Production Handover Status TDS approval status.
  • Inform relevant teams when PPS is signed off, and TDS approved.
  • Communicate timeline conflicts, priorities, quality risks, changes, and action items daily.
  • Organise regular meetings to review the PPS & TDS tracker with PD and Production.
  • Develop and implement factory scorecards on a seasonal basis and performance rates – part of yearly factory strategy review.
• People and team management
  • Manage the industrialisation team.

Benefits

• Hybrid‑working policy (2 days in the office)
• Annual Leave package increasing the longer you stay with us
• Enhanced company maternity policy
• Time given yearly to volunteer for a charity of your choice
• Employee Discount: 50% off Stock and up to 90% off Seasonal Sample Sales