Job Title: Director of Global Apparel & Accessories Merchandising
As the Director of Global Apparel & Accessories Merchandising, you will steer the global direction of On’s Apparel and Accessories business. Your role encompasses complete accountability for the development and scaling of the product line, as well as the strategic segmentation and commercialization of assortments across various regions and channels. Your mission is to drive sustainable commercial growth while reinforcing On’s premium activewear positioning in the marketplace.
Your Mission
Global Strategy, Assortment Ownership & Operating Model
- Define and evolve the global Apparel and Accessories Merchandising strategy and line architecture, which includes channel roles, tiering, pricing logic, and seasonal depth.
- Lead and execute global merchandising strategies across Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) and Wholesale, in alignment with On’s growth ambitions and long-term brand objectives.
- Own global assortment direction, collaborating closely with Regional Merchandising to strike a balance between global consistency and regional relevance.
- Act as the commercial voice upstream, influencing Product Strategy and Product Creation with insights rooted in consumer understanding and market performance.
- Continuously refine the global merchandising operating model, clarifying collaboration methods across Product, Commercial, and Regional teams as the business scales.
Commercial & Financial Leadership
- Lead global merchandise financial planning in partnership with Planning and Finance, focusing on SKU productivity, inventory efficiency, and profitable growth.
- Own the global pricing architecture for Apparel and Accessories, ensuring price integrity while optimizing full-price sell-through.
- Utilize consumer, market, and performance data to guide short-term actions and long-term category strategies, balancing intuition with analytical rigor.
- Continuously challenge complexity and drive focus as assortments and the organization evolve.
Collaboration, Leadership & Capability Building
- Partner closely with Regional Merchandising teams to adapt global strategies into locally relevant assortments, maintaining alignment on global priorities.
- Collaborate with Marketing, Creative, and Visual Merchandising to ensure cohesive seasonal storytelling and impactful execution across all consumer touchpoints.
- Build, lead, and enhance the capabilities of the global merchandising organization, raising standards in strategic thinking, commercial rigor, and decision-making.
- Develop team capabilities and leadership depth as the Apparel and Accessories business expands and becomes more complex.
Your Story
- 10+ years of merchandising experience, with a strong track record in premium activewear and/or high-performance apparel environments.
- Proven experience operating at scale within brands renowned for balancing brand desirability, performance credibility, and commercial discipline.
- Extensive international experience across regions such as EMEA, North America, and Asia-Pacific, encompassing a deep understanding of regional consumer and channel differences.
- Proven ability to make global assortment decisions and clear direction while effectively collaborating with regional teams.
- Strong commercial acumen with the confidence to make trade-offs and decisions with incomplete information.
- Deep understanding of retail math and key performance indicators across owned retail, eCommerce, and wholesale channels.
- Experienced people leader with a passion for developing talent and enhancing standards without the need for rebuilding teams.
- Strong taste level and understanding of Visual Merchandising, facilitating the creation of inspiring and commercially viable assortments.
- Strategic thinker comfortable working independently, setting direction, and driving concepts from strategy to execution.
- Excellent communicator and presenter, skilled in influencing and aligning diverse internal and external stakeholders.
- Business fluency in English; proficiency in additional languages is a plus.
Apply online using the form below. Please note that only applications matching the job profile will be considered.