# Product Development Consultant (Footwear)

## Company & Job Summary

Our client is a luxury London-based womenswear brand and is looking to grow its footwear and bag lines. This exciting opportunity calls for a seasoned Product Development Consultant with at least 5 years of experience in footwear development and production. This hybrid role merges product development and production, and interacts significantly with the Italian factories. The location of the role is flexible, and communication with teams in London and Italy will be a regular occurrence. The goal is to improve our current communication difficulties and create a seamless process from design to production. Through this role, you have the chance to grow with the company into further opportunities.

## Responsibilities

- Oversee and ensure on-time deliveries by understanding and managing the production and sales critical paths and deadlines

- Employ your excellent pricing negotiation skills with suppliers and factories

- Develop new products while ensuring the utmost quality 

- Utilize your extensive knowledge and experience with Italian shoe-making factories

• Happy to go on Quality control and development trips, occasional travel between London, France and Italy

## Requirements

- Minimum of 5 years of experience in shoe development and production 

- Full understanding of shoe-making and construction

- Vast database of various factories and suppliers with a proven track record of high quality and responsibility, extensive experience in dealing with Italian shoe-making factories

- Excellent pricing negotiation skills

- Fluent in Italian

- Willingness to undertake quality control and development trips

- Meticulous nature with ongoing quality control processes

- Ability to bring onboard good factories and suppliers

-Ideally, our client would like someone based in London but open to France or Italy based freelancers also

• A huge plus if you have bags or leather goods experience as well as footwear as there is scope to grow the accessories category

## Additional Information

The role involves managing two collections a year, with each collection consisting of 10 SKUs, plus carryover. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to truly own the development process, working closely with the designer.