Job Summary
As the Senior Lead of Materials Development for Performance in Apparel, you will be a key driver of material excellence for our diverse apparel within our lifestyle product ranges. Your expertise will directly influence apparel design, aesthetics, and product quality. You will inspire cross-functional teams with a strategic vision, championing ambitious, sustainable solutions aligned with ON Running’s brand identity.
Your Mission
- Guide, Curate, and Develop a Premium Material Palette: Ensure material selection enhances the garment's fit, trims, and finishes, aligning with our design and performance identity as the world’s most premium sports brand. Continuously feed a pipeline of material concepts for design.
- Manage Material Development: Oversee the process from initial design brief to product commercialization handoff, following timelines and ensuring clear communication with suppliers.
- Drive Sustainability & Implement Innovation: Collaborate with the Head of Apparel Materials and innovation teams to integrate new preferred materials and commercially ready innovations. Identify and onboard new material partners while liaising with global sourcing to build a robust supplier network.
- Financial Acumen: Manage upfront material pricing and lead times with suppliers, ensuring alignment with project goals and business objectives.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Serve as a key partner to all product creation stakeholders, including Design, Product Management, Development, Testing, and Sales.
Your Story
- Experience: You have 10+ years of global experience in apparel, material development, or a related industry, with a strong focus on performance apparel products. You can identify materials that enhance the athlete experience, promoting On’s mission, “Feel nothing to feel everything.”
- Technical Expertise: You possess extensive knowledge of materials and trims, fiber types, performance finishes, and print techniques. You have developed directional material franchises with global suppliers.
- Strategic Vision: You have a keen eye for product aesthetics and a deep awareness of industry trends, enabling you to think strategically regarding ON Running's market positioning.
- Communication Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication skills allow you to collaborate effectively with internal and external partners globally, presenting complex information in an understandable manner.
- Organizational Skills: Highly attentive to detail, you excel in project management, balancing creative direction with organization in a fast-paced environment.
- Global Exposure: Experience with global material sourcing and development is essential, including travel to key manufacturing hubs, trade fairs, and global sourcing offices.
Meet the Team
We are responsible for creating innovative products for On and meeting the needs and demands of our runners and new customers. Our approach involves thoroughly researching, designing, developing, and testing a plethora of ideas scientifically and aesthetically. Only products that pass our rigorous testing standards make it to market.
What We Offer
On is an environment centered around growth and progress. We provide the tools to help individuals develop holistically—staying active, learning, exploring, and innovating. Our distinctive approach combines a supportive, team-oriented atmosphere with access to personal self-care for 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 fair and inclusive work environment, where all recruitment, advancement, and retention decisions are made without discrimination.
Apply online using the form below. Only applications matching the job profile will be considered.
Work locationZürich, Switzerland