Head of Footwear Sourcing Strategy / Head of Footwear Sourcing Strategy

In Short

This role's mission is to bridge the gap between global sourcing and product development, ensuring that sourcing serves as a strategic enabler from the outset. By fostering robust partnerships across Innovation, Creation, Quality, Supply Chain, and Sustainability teams, you will drive a learning culture that enhances quality and on-time delivery. Ultimately, your success hinges on delivering a sourcing roadmap that enables the flawless execution of our product portfolio, while balancing cost, quality, and delivery objectives.

Your Mission

• Strategic Alignment: Drive close collaboration between the sourcing organization (primarily based in Vietnam) and the wider product organization (based in Switzerland).
• Integrate Sourcing Considerations: Ensure sourcing requirements are strategically embedded into the product roadmap, enabling all projects to be fully ‘sourcing ready’ by the time of product freeze.
• Stakeholder Management: Act as a strategic partner across cross-functional teams including Innovation, Creation, Quality, Supply Chain, and Sustainability.
• Learning Culture: Embed a ‘learning culture & process’ within our product development processes to structurally enhance quality & on-time delivery.
• Portfolio Execution: Deliver a sourcing roadmap that supports flawless execution of the product portfolio, balancing cost, quality, and delivery objectives.

Your Story

• 8+ years of progressive experience in strategic footwear sourcing, with production operations experience in apparel & accessories considered a plus.
• Product Development Acumen: Strong understanding of the product development lifecycle, from concept to commercialization, with a specific emphasis on integration points for sourcing.
• Experience across upstream product strategy, innovation, product creation, and quality management.
• Strong ability to ‘connect the dots’ across functions, navigating ambiguity and adapting to changing priorities.
• Strong leadership skills to manage a portfolio of cross-functional projects.
• Strategic Thinking & Execution: Proven ability to translate strategic objectives into actionable plans and drive their successful execution within a complex organizational structure.
• Cross-cultural Collaboration: Experience working in a global organization, with demonstrated expertise in fostering effective collaboration between geographically dispersed teams (e.g., Europe and Asia).
• Stakeholder Management: Exceptional ability to build and maintain strong relationships with diverse internal stakeholders at all levels, influencing outcomes and driving consensus.
• Continuous Improvement Mindset: Experience in implementing continuous improvement methodologies and fostering a learning-oriented environment.
• Analytical & Problem-Solving Skills: Strong analytical capabilities to evaluate complex trade-offs (cost, quality, delivery) and develop effective solutions, with a strong ability to synthesize, structure, and simplify complex problems.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex ideas clearly and persuasively to various audiences; engaging, influencing, and aligning with senior leaders.

What We Offer

On is a place centered around growth and progress. We provide an environment designed to equip people with the tools to develop holistically—staying active, learning, exploring, and innovating. Our distinctive approach combines a supportive, team-oriented atmosphere with access to personal self-care for both physical and mental well-being, allowing each person to be led by purpose.

On is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating a work environment that is fair and inclusive, where all decisions related to recruitment, advancement, and retention are made without discrimination.

Apply online using the form below. Please note that only applications matching the job profile will be considered.