Job Opportunity: Lead Innovation Footwear Developer
As a Lead Innovation Footwear Developer, you will be a pivotal force in the evolution of On's product line. This role empowers you to operate with autonomy, lead complex projects, challenge industry conventions, and champion innovative approaches that define the future of footwear. It demands mastery of technical complexities, management of key stakeholder relationships, and the ability to translate visionary concepts into scalable, performance-driven products.
Your Team
Join On's Innovation team, an agile and interdisciplinary group of experts in footwear creation, advanced manufacturing, and the future of sport. Together, we drive On's innovations and athlete-informed technologies, setting our footwear apart from the rest. Here, we challenge the status quo and push boundaries to pioneer footwear innovation. As a member of the On Innovation Team, you will think critically and bring fresh ideas to life.
Your Mission
- Lead and own the end-to-end creation of high-impact, innovative product concepts, managing multiple projects independently from initial strategy to commercialization.
- Leverage expert knowledge of manufacturing processes, material properties, and biomechanics to troubleshoot significant challenges and develop new material applications.
- Act as a key influencer and communication hub between diverse internal teams and major external partners, managing expectations and confidently negotiating with stakeholders at all levels.
- Serve as the guardian of product performance, collaborating with the testing team to translate consumer and athlete feedback into actionable design iterations.
- Critically assess and validate last shapes with last engineers to perfect fit and performance, working with computational designers to enhance patterns and construction.
- Document complex tooling and upper-related issues, defining and communicating clear corrective actions. Manage comprehensive tech packs, specification sheets, and BOMs while driving development timelines.
- Provide leadership within the team, determining methods and procedures for new assignments and potentially supervising other team members' activities.
Your Story
- 8+ years of progressive experience in footwear development, with a focus on innovation and market introduction of new technologies.
- Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Engineering, Material Science, or a relevant technical field.
- Expert-level knowledge of advanced footwear manufacturing processes, including tooling, molding, injecting, welding, lasting, and assembly.
- A natural technical curiosity and a strong root-cause analysis approach to problem-solving.
- In-depth knowledge of advanced footwear materials and their performance characteristics, with experience in advanced testing and analysis.
- Proven ability to lead the scaling of new technologies while assessing their commercial viability and readiness for factory production.
- Exceptional communication, negotiation, and influencing skills, capable of confidently presenting concepts to senior management and external partners.
- Demonstrated ability to work autonomously, navigating ambiguity and making independent decisions on complex issues.
- Experience in mentoring junior team members or supervising projects is a strong plus.
- Comfortable with industrial machinery and hands-on prototyping.
- Willingness to travel up to 10-15% of the time.
Apply online using the form below. Please note that only applications matching the job profile will be considered.