Director Premium Product (f/m/d)

BIRKENSTOCK is a global lifestyle brand that stands for quality, function and all-round well-being. The historic roots of this long-standing family-run company can be traced back to the year 1774. Nowadays, the product portfolio comprises sandals and closed shoes, accessories, natural cosmetics as well as beds and sleep systems. With more than 5,500 employees, BIRKENSTOCK is the German shoe industry's largest employer. BIRKENSTOCK has 16 locations in Germany, with privately owned distribution companies in Europe, Asia and the USA.

For our division Birkenstock Premium Product at our location in Paris, we are looking for a gifted team leader, who reports into our Vice President Product Creation and who can pull others along as:

YOUR SHOES TO FILL:

• Lead the cross-functional and cross-site Premium Product Creation team which is a multi-disciplinary team consisting of Product Line Management, Design, Development (Material and Prototyping), Sourcing and Quality Management.
• Ensure effective and efficient planning and implementation of brand collaborations and the creation of our own 1774 premium product lines upon handoff to production and supply chain.
• Being the key interaction partner for senior representatives of our brand collaboration partners. Furthermore, you manage various sources of inspiration (like external and internal designers, art, architecture) to ensure a constant flow of creative energy into Birkenstock while respecting our fundamental brand values: function, quality, and tradition.
• Create and manage in close alignment with the VP the product pipeline and roadmap for the next couple of years considering business and functional needs and also tightly aligned with the general Birkenstock product creation strategy.
• Ensure yearly sales, growth and margin/profit plans are met and supported by efficient line and project planning in close collaboration with relevant C-Levels.
• Reviewing and analyzing existing business data at a high level of understanding of relevant trend and inspiration driving topics.
• Ensure that all strategies and actions are in line with our brand and company, including a fundamental understanding of our owned production and sourcing circumstances.

YOUR WALK OF LIFE:

• Many years of professional experience in various product related positions in footwear/fashion, luxury or sporting goods industry.
• Expertise in Project Management, Story Lining, Product Creation, Management of diverse teams at various locations.
• Excellent communicator with outstanding presentation and moderation skills and the ability to translate complex topics into effective communication decks.
• Strategic mind, hands-on pragmatist, confident in decision-making and execution.
• Fluent in English; French and/or German is a plus.
• Ready to travel internationally.

THE BENEFITS AHEAD:

BIRKENSTOCK Premium division is located in Paris and Cologne and offers you all the advantages of a successful, fast growing, global company: dynamic work environment, considerable design freedom, authentic and open corporate culture and excellent development opportunities. It is the hub for the exchange with international creative talents and the innovative restaging of designs from a legendary heritage brand. A considerable range of excellent benefits await this position as well.

If this sounds as exciting to you, we are looking forward to receiving your online application, stating your earliest entry date and salary expectations!