Senior Product Developer - Footwear
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 fluent or professional 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 or professional level in 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.
