At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the development of luxury footwear collections for both Menswear and Womenswear.
- Company: Join JW Anderson, a globally recognised fashion house known for innovation and craftsmanship.
- Benefits: Collaborative team environment with opportunities to shape exceptional products.
- Other info: Diversity and inclusion are at our core; we welcome all applicants.
- Why this job: Make a significant impact in luxury footwear product development while working closely with design.
- Qualifications: 5-6 years in product development, fluent in Italian, and strong knowledge of luxury footwear.
The predicted salary is between 50000 - 65000 £ per year.
Location: London, UK
About the Role
We are looking for an experienced Italian speaking Senior Product Developer to lead the development of our footwear collections across both Menswear and Womenswear. Working closely with the Head of Product Development, Design team and a Footwear Designer, you will be responsible for driving the end-to-end product development process, ensuring each collection is delivered to the highest quality standards, on time, and within budget. You will play a key role in transforming creative concepts into commercially viable luxury products while maintaining the brand's distinctive aesthetic and craftsmanship. To be successful in this role, it is essential that you must be able to speak Italian at a professional or fluent level. This is an exciting opportunity for a highly organised, solutions-driven product developer with strong technical knowledge of luxury footwear and an established supplier network.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the product development process across Menswear and Womenswear footwear collections, including 2 main collections and 2 capsule collections annually.
- Manage product development timelines to ensure all samples are delivered to critical path deadlines while maintaining the desired design aesthetic.
- Research and source innovative materials, components and manufacturing techniques to support the Design team's creative vision.
- Build strong relationships with suppliers and manufacturers, while identifying and onboarding new footwear suppliers where appropriate.
- Act as the key liaison between Design, Production, Merchandising, Studio and external suppliers to ensure seamless communication throughout the development process.
- Review and provide technical comments on prototypes, SMS, pre-production and production samples.
- Own and manage the seasonal footwear development budget.
- Monitor development milestones and proactively resolve issues to ensure on-time delivery.
- Negotiate pricing with manufacturers in line with forecasted volumes and margin targets.
- Create and maintain Bills of Materials (BOMs) within RLM, ensuring all system information remains accurate and up to date.
- Collaborate with Production to prepare detailed specification sheets for product handovers.
- Produce collection overviews and presentation documents using Adobe InDesign.
- Travel to supplier factories alongside Design when required.
- Ensure products meet the highest standards of quality, functionality, consistency and commercial viability.
About You
You’ll be a collaborative and commercially minded product developer who thrives in a fast-paced luxury fashion environment. You’ll probably already have around 5-6 years’ experience in a similar product development role. You’ll be highly organised, detail-oriented and confident managing multiple projects simultaneously while balancing creative and commercial priorities.
Skills & Experience
- 5–6 years’ experience in a similar Product Development role within the luxury fashion industry.
- Extensive knowledge of luxury footwear construction, materials and manufacturing.
- Strong experience managing supplier relationships and vendor performance.
- Proven ability to manage multiple projects and collaborate across cross-functional teams.
- Excellent organisational and time management skills.
- A proactive, solution-oriented approach with strong problem-solving abilities.
- Adaptable, resilient and comfortable working to tight deadlines.
- Strong commercial awareness, including cost and margin management.
- Advanced Microsoft Office skills, particularly Excel.
- Proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.
- Experience using RLM or similar PLM systems is advantageous.
- Fluency in or professional level Italian is essential.
Why Join JW Anderson?
At JW Anderson, innovation, craftsmanship and creativity sit at the heart of everything we do. You’ll join a collaborative team where you’ll have the opportunity to shape exceptional luxury footwear collections and work closely with design from concept through to production. If you’re passionate about luxury footwear product development and are looking to make a significant impact within a globally recognised fashion house, we’d love to hear from you.
Equal Opportunity Statement
JW Anderson is an equal opportunities employer committed to fostering and preserving a culture of diversity, equality, and inclusion in our workforce. As an equal opportunities’ employer, we do not discriminate against applicants based on race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, or age. We believe that diversity enriches our workforce and strengthens our organisation. Therefore, we encourage minorities, LGBTQ+ candidates, and individuals with disabilities to apply for opportunities within our company.
No agencies on this occasion please. If you need to contact us about the role, please contact Ryan Tuckwell, Head of HR at careers@jwanderson.com.
Senior Product Developer - Footwear in London employer: JW Anderson
At JW Anderson, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that champions innovation and creativity in the luxury fashion industry. Located in the vibrant city of London, our collaborative work culture fosters personal and professional growth, offering employees the chance to shape iconic footwear collections while working closely with talented teams. With a commitment to diversity and inclusion, we provide a supportive environment where every voice is valued, making it an exciting place for passionate individuals to thrive.
