LG Metal Hardware Developer

The Metal Hardware Developer oversees the industrial development of new materials for leather goods; will be based in Florence and reports directly to the Pole Manager.

The figure also reports functionally to the central team and has constant exchanges with the style and designers.

He/She manages new development projects with the suppliers to guarantee the need definition, industrialization and delivery of materials to the workshops, in compliance with style, quality, cost and deadline.

He/She also deals with the continuous improvement of material industrialization procedures and supports the suppliers in the innovation of materials and processes.

Support for materials sourcing and procurement:

From the conception and research phases, in collaboration with the sourcing and purchasing teams, understands the needs of stylists and designers, supports them technically, detects critical issues in industrialization and proposes solutions.

Prepares and sets the development phase: defines needs, proposes existing and innovative solutions, ensures feasibility and quality of new materials, anticipates the industrialization timetable from the beginning.

He/She is responsible for the continuous monitoring of materials and process innovations on the market and among suppliers.

Industrial development of materials:

He/She is responsible for the development and delivery of new materials to the workshops in line with project objectives (in compliance with style, quality, costs, deadlines) and for technical development in collaboration with suppliers: formalises the request, analyses the technical risks of projects and promotes actions to remove these risks.

Defines and validates acceptance criteria, validates production and control processes.

Validates the quality of materials and their use: analyses performance in the laboratory, assesses and qualifies aesthetic conformity, verifies and validates the processability of materials in the workshop. Supports suppliers in solving industrialization and production set-up problems to ensure the success of projects.

Proposes and implements improvements to the materials and finished product development procedure.

Supports the workshops in optimizing the use of materials.

Provides technical support to the Pôle Matières on strategic issues (diversification, cost optimization, quality improvement, etc.).

• 4+ years of relevant experience.
• Degree in Engineering, Industrial Design or relevant field.
• Proven track record of achieving results by managing projects working with cross functional teams.
• Good knowledge of MS Office (Excel, Ppt), AutoCAD and Rhinoceros.
• Fluency in Italian and English is mandatory, French will be an asset.
• Availability for frequent travel to France.