Job Description
As the Director of Global Apparel & Accessories Merchandising, you will set the global direction for On’s Apparel and Accessories business. You will be responsible for the complete lifecycle of how the line is developed and expanded, ensuring that assortments are effectively segmented and commercialized across diverse regions and channels. Your primary objective is to drive scalable commercial growth in Apparel and Accessories while establishing On's premium activewear positioning in the market.
This role sits at the intersection of Product Strategy, Commercial Operations, and Regional & Channel Merchandising. You will collaborate with strong global leadership and maintain a highly integrative approach, empowering regions to execute rapidly and effectively within evolving global frameworks. As Apparel continues to be an essential growth pillar for On, your focus will be on building and scaling the category with clarity, discipline, and consumer impact.
Your Mission
- Global Strategy, Assortment Ownership & Operating Model
- Define and evolve the global Apparel and Accessories Merchandising strategy and line architecture, including channel roles, tiering, pricing logic, and seasonal depth.
- Lead and execute global merchandising strategies across DTC and Wholesale, aligned with On’s growth ambitions and long-term brand objectives.
- Own global assortment direction, collaborating closely with Regional Merchandising to balance global consistency with regional relevance.
- Serve as the commercial voice upstream, influencing Product Strategy and Product Creation with insights grounded in consumer behavior, market understanding, and commercial performance.
- Shape and continuously refine the global merchandising operating model, clarifying workflows across Product, Commercial, and Regional teams as the business scales.
- Commercial & Financial Leadership
- Lead global merchandise financial planning in partnership with Planning and Finance, enhancing SKU productivity, inventory efficiency, and profitable growth.
- Oversee the global pricing architecture for Apparel and Accessories, maintaining 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
- Collaborate closely with Regional Merchandising teams to translate global strategies into locally relevant assortments while maintaining alignment on global priorities.
- Partner with Marketing, Creative, and Visual Merchandising teams to ensure cohesive seasonal storytelling and impactful execution across all consumer touchpoints.
- Build, lead, and develop the global merchandising organization, raising standards in strategic thinking, commercial acumen, and visual decision-making.
- Enhance team capabilities and leadership depth as the Apparel and Accessories business grows in size and complexity within On.
Your Story
- 10+ years of merchandising experience, with a proven track record in premium activewear and/or high-performance apparel environments.
- Extensive experience operating at scale within brands known for balancing brand desirability, performance credibility, and commercial discipline.
- International experience across regions such as EMEA, North America, and Asia-Pacific, with a nuanced understanding of regional consumer and channel differences.
- Demonstrated ability to make global assortment decisions while effectively collaborating with regional teams.
- Strong commercial judgment, with the confidence to navigate trade-offs and make decisions amid ambiguity.
- Deep understanding of retail mathematics and KPIs across retail, eCommerce, and wholesale channels.
- Experienced people leader with a passion for talent development and upliftment of standards.
- Strong aesthetic sensibility and comprehensive understanding of Visual Merchandising to create inspiring and commercially viable assortments.
- Strategic thinker capable of working independently, setting direction, and driving initiatives from conception to execution.
- Exceptional communicator and presenter, able to influence and align diverse internal and external stakeholders.
- Business fluency in English; proficiency in additional languages is advantageous.
Join Us
As you might expect from one of the fastest-growing sportswear brands, the Commercial team at On is a dynamic and ambitious environment. The team merges entrepreneurial energy with increasing scale and complexity, requiring leaders who can build and refine systems while keeping the consumer at the center. Together, we strive to ignite the human spirit through movement.
Apply online using the form below. Please note that only applications matching the job profile will be considered.