Senior Fabric Developer

In this role you lead fabric development across product categories, driving innovation and partnering with suppliers to meet quality and cost goals. You will guide a team toward craftsmanship and operational excellence while aligning with design direction. The position blends creative ambition with technical rigour, shaping fabrics that support Burberry’s sustainable luxury vision. You will collaborate cross-functionally to deliver high-impact fabric solutions.

• Lead R&D of new fabrics, treatments, finishes and technologies aligned with creative direction and product needs
• Collaborate with Design on development and prototype launches to meet quality, performance and aesthetics
• Own the fabric development critical path, identify risks, propose solutions, and drive projects to completion
• Manage vendor relationships with clear briefs, assessing capabilities, capacity and availability
• Deliver fabrics within defined quality, cost and margin targets, ensuring fit-for-purpose outcomes
• Lead and nurture a team of Fabric Developers and Assistants to achieve craftsmanship, innovation and operational excellence

• Strong experience in fabric research and development, including testing, performance standards, treatments and finishes at fabric and garment level
• Experience managing vendor relationships and delivering against creative, technical and commercial requirements
• Commercial awareness including budgets, product costs and target margins
• Ability to balance creative ambitions with quality, functionality, timing and commercial considerations
• Clear and collaborative communicator capable of cross-functional negotiation
• Organised and responsive with risk identification and action prioritisation

• collaboration
• effective communication
• negotiation
• fabric research and development
• testing and performance standards
• treatments and finishes