Director, Manufacturing Excellence

David Yurman is a celebrated American jewelry company founded in New York by sculptor David Yurman and his wife, painter and ceramicist Sybil Yurman. Led today by their son Evan, the brand creates timeless, contemporary collections defined by inspiration, innovation, consummate craftsmanship, and its artistic signature, the cable. Collections are available at retail stores throughout the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, France, and worldwide through an exclusive network of authorized fine jewelry and timepiece retailers.

About the role

The Director, Manufacturing Engineer, in conjunction with the AVP of Manufacturing Excellence (ME), will assist the New York Design and Product Development teams in engineering new products. This role involves troubleshooting engineering challenges from design inception, attending DFM (Design for Manufacturing) and CTM (Concept to Manufacturing) meetings to identify potential production issues early. The Director will collaborate with the DY Shop to ensure final production methods are considered during technique and finish development for Design Approval, oversee all ECN projects, and work closely with manufacturing partners throughout the development process to uphold engineering standards.

As a hands-on technical leader, this role provides bench-level support for the Women’s Mainline project, works directly with vendors across the U.S. and Europe, and mentors the junior Manufacturing Excellence team member in New York through coaching and day-to-day technical guidance.

Responsibilities

• Work closely with NY-based design leadership early in the development process to ensure engineering needs are met.
• Serve as a hands-on bench partner on the Women’s Mainline project, validating construction, finishing, and manufacturing methods while supporting the NY design and product development teams.
• Coordinate closely with the Bangkok Manufacturing Excellence team to align technical standards, share learnings, and support a consistent global manufacturing strategy.
• Evaluate and determine best practices for producing David Yurman jewelry in collaboration with the Product Development Team.
• Provide direct technical coaching and mentoring to the junior Manufacturing Excellence team member in New York, including training in problem-solving, vendor communication, and engineering best practices.
• Interact closely with vendors (focused on domestic and Italian vendors) to ensure understanding of first sample execution, troubleshoot manufacturing challenges, uphold QC standards, and communicate learnings to cross-functional teams.
• Document best practices in a Manufacturing Excellence Manual with ongoing revisions and updates.
• Participate in R&D, DFM, and CTM committees, partnering with the R&D team to vet manufacturing feasibility and with the DY Shop to create prototypes and reference samples.
• Own ECN projects, including vendor communication, inspecting models and assembly methods, proposing solutions or alternatives, obtaining final updated vendor samples that pass DY QC, and communicating with the repair team when solutions are implemented.
• Stay up to date on new manufacturing techniques and technologies.
• Domestic and international travel required.

Requirements

• Four-year BA or BS degree in Mechanical Engineering or Industrial Design.
• Minimum 8+ years of practical jewelry manufacturing experience (including production manufacturing) or equivalent tenured experience.
• Extensive hands-on model making and jewelry assembly experience in sterling silver, gold alloys, platinum, titanium, and aluminum.
• Extensive knowledge of jewelry casting, including rubber mold and wax production.
• Extensive knowledge of stone-setting techniques, including hand pave, pin set, bezel setting, prong setting, baguette setting, and invisible setting (hands-on experience preferred).
• Thorough knowledge of electro-plating with white and black rhodium, including pen plating and bath plating.
• Experience with multiple finishing techniques such as oxidation on silver, satin, burnished, and mechanical finishing.
• High-level understanding of Rhino 3D Version 8 and rapid prototyping.
• Strong understanding of jewelry mechanisms such as clasps, hinges, and springs.
• Understanding of stamping and machining techniques.
• Ability to troubleshoot problems at every stage of the jewelry manufacturing process.
• Strong design sensibility.

Skills

• Familiarity with Rhino and proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and mechanical drawing software and/or Adobe Photo Deluxe.
• Demonstrated hands-on bench jewelry manufacturing experience with the ability to analyze complex product construction, manufacturing methods, and engineering challenges.
• Proven ability to mentor and develop engineering talent while providing technical leadership across cross-functional teams.

Pay

Estimated base salary: $190,000–$215,000.

Benefits

Base pay is one component of David Yurman’s total compensation package, which may also include the following for eligible employees:

• Access to healthcare benefits.
• 401(k) plan.
• Bonus opportunities.
• Employee discounts.
• Summer Fridays (for corporate roles).
• Generous paid time off and sick time.

Schedule

In-office 5 days per week, Monday–Friday.