Senior Manager Materials Innovation, based in Milan

At Burberry, we believe creativity opens spaces. Our purpose is to unlock the power of imagination to push boundaries and open new possibilities for our people, our customers and our communities. This is the core belief that has guided Burberry since it was founded in 1856 and is central to how we operate as a company today.

We aim to provide an environment for creative minds from different backgrounds to thrive, bringing a wide range of skills and experiences to everything we do. As a purposeful, values-driven brand, we are committed to being a force for good in the world as well, creating the next generation of sustainable luxury for customers, driving industry change and championing our communities.

Job Purpose - Overview

This position will pioneer change in sustainable material scouting and a play role in enabling modern Luxury through innovation. Working with a team of material developers, will lead projects and initiatives that support our Brand in sustainable sourcing choices and drive strategic value of the lab.

Key Responsibilities

· Investigate, identify, launch, and manage innovative pilot projects with our suppliers, start-ups, and other stakeholders in our eco-system.

· Collaborating with quality control, product compliance teams and with Testing Innovation Lab, to ensure chemical testing compliance.

· Coordinate meetings, workshops, and initiatives about innovative solutions with the aim to engage, nurture relationship and drive value.

· Act as an ambassador of Burberry at conferences and start-up accelerator events related to innovation.

· Research and compare new materials, solutions, processing technologies and technologies to improve knowledge and material library, ensuring the database is organised correctly and kept constantly updated.

· Desk research analysis, due diligence and writing content on innovative technologies to deepen understanding of the current and the future sustainable raw materials landscape.

· Curate and coordinate compelling visual display that ensure the work is showcased informatively and effectively

· Connecting with the Corporate Responsibility team both in London and Florence to ensure alignment with strategic objectives.

Qualifications, Skills, Experience Required

· Experience in running innovative projects with multiple stakeholders and managing different competencies and knowledge bases

· Technical knowledge of chemical textile engineering and processes, wet processing (dyeing, finishing, pre-treatment, etc.) and/or materials science related to textile and leather industry.

· Forward thinking innovator with strong insights, alongside the ability to investigate and to carry out technical due diligence.

· Experience in compliance for performance testing.

· A passionate advocate of sustainable development in the Luxury sector with a focus on environmental science.

· A multi-tasking team-player who thrives in a fast-moving, international environment and has a positive approach to problem setting and solving able to nurture team members.

· Strong organisational skills

· Excellent communication skills and fluent in both Italian and English.