Head of Product Development

Job Title: Head of Product Development
Location: London
London Reports to: Production and Product Development Director

About us
DeMellier is a London-based brand that was founded with the vision of doing things differently: to design handbags that would make women feel empowered, made ethically and sustainably, while giving back to those who need it most. These principles guide everything we do. All our pieces are crafted ethically in Europe using the finest sustainably sourced materials. We champion equality, and for every piece sold, we fund vaccines and medical treatments aimed at saving the life of a child in need. So far, through our permanent charity initiative, A Bag, A Life, in partnership with SOS Childrens Villages, we have funded over 2.5 million vaccines. Join us and be part of an award-winning, purpose-driven brand that fosters creativity, collaboration, and meaningful impact within the luxury industry.

The Role
The Head of Product Development is accountable for the end-to-end product development cycles, ensuring our designs are developed to a high standard. You will lead the strategic lifecycle of both Finished Goods and Raw Materials development. In close, fluid collaboration with the Design Director and Merchandising teams, you will safeguard the execution of our design DNA, transforming sketches into high-margin, engineered luxury statements. Through precision and establishing a seamless workflow with the Industrialisation department, you will ensure that every silhouette transitions beautifully from an elevated sample into an industrialisation ready masterpiece.
Office Presence & Travel

• This role demands frequent international travel (multiple times per month) to our European manufacturing hubs and tanneries to directly oversee development standards and solidify partner relationships.
• When not traveling, the role operates on a hybrid schedule, spending 3 days a week in our inspiring central London creative studio and 2 days working remotely.

Main Responsibilities
Product Development Strategy

• Partner closely with the Design Director from the initial concept stage to protect the aesthetic integrity and design DNA of the collection, while assessing technical feasibility, commercial viability, and scalability from the outset.
• Collaborate dynamically with the Merchandising & Product Director to govern range plans, balance style/SKU complexity, and strategically align development pipelines with global drop structures and regional market desires.
• Establish the overarching framework for target costing and prototyping budgets. Define global vendor allocation strategies and financial guardrails to optimise gross margins, ensuring our luxury quality standards are strictly maintained at a macro level.
• Govern the cross-functional Critical Path by implementing a rigorous stage-gate process from sketch launch and prototyping to technical validation and final industrialisation handover. By establishing clear decision deadlines and risk escalation paths, this framework sets the operational boundaries needed to guarantee timely, seamless, and well-controlled collection launches.
• Champion absolute data integrity, ensuring all Bills of Materials (BOMs), hardware & finished goods specs are meticulously maintained within the product development infrastructure.

Industrialisation Handover

• Oversee & ensure product development finished goods and raw material managers orchestrate the definitive operational handoff to the Industrialisation department to guarantee an uncompromised transition to industrialisation.
• Establish risk-assessment protocols to identify and resolve complexities in material behavior, construction, or factory capability well ahead of manufacturing launch.

Sourcing Architecture & Innovation

• Continue to elevate, innovate & expand our European manufacturers, tanneries, and custom hardware specialists.
• Direct the procurement strategy for our premium leathers, bespoke hardware, and sustainable textiles, ensuring absolute supply chain continuity while maintaining a luxury tactile experience.
• Overseeing lifecycle traceabilities to ensure our sourcing practices mirror our ethical commitments.

Visionary Leadership

• Mentor, inspire, and elevate a high-performing product development team. Instill a methodology of accountability and self-checking.
• Partner with the Product Director to build the future organisational structure of the department, scaling internal talent and technical resources to match the house's ambitious growth trajectory.

Requirements

• A proven track record of visionary leadership within the product development division of an accessories & leather goods premium design-led brand.
• Elite technical command of luxury handbag engineering, expert knowledge of leather splitting and skiving, pattern architecture, jewelry-grade hardware mold development, component yields, and material structural performance.
• An analytical, business-minded approach to fashion, with deep experience managing complex financial matrices, target margins, and product profitability.
• An exceptional, pre-existing network of elite European tanneries, components suppliers, and finished goods factories.
• Fluency in English is mandatory; professional proficiency in Italian and/or Spanish would be a huge advantage.
• 10 years of experience within a similar role
• Right to work in the UK

Benefits

• Hybrid-working policy (3 days in the office)
• Annual Leave package increases the longer you stay with us
• Enhanced company maternity policy
• Employee Discount: 50% off Stock and up to 90% off Seasonal Sample Sales
• Seasonal bag allowance
• Free gift DeMellier bag on successful probation