Senior Lead - Footwear Testing

Product Testing at On

Product Testing serves as the voice of the athlete and the consumer at On. Our mission is to ensure that every On product meets the highest quality standards and delivers a premium, high-performance experience. We achieve this by combining scientific rigor with real-world insights. Through thorough testing and validation, only products that truly excel are brought to market.

Position: Footwear Testing Senior Lead

As a Footwear Testing Senior Lead, you will be responsible for validating footwear products from development to market, driving excellence, and leading the team in the Running category. You will thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment and serve as a key partner across Design, Development, Materials, Product Strategy, and Sports Science to ensure outstanding performance in fit, comfort, durability, and overall excellence.

Your Mission

• Lead a high-performing team of Specialists, fostering a culture of growth and exploration while enhancing existing successful workflows.
• Act as a senior point of contact for internal stakeholders in the Run category, providing guidance and alignment on testing projects.
• Collaborate closely with key stakeholders to determine testing requirements based on product briefs and target consumers, owning the end-to-end processes for assigned projects.
• Define and execute rigorous testing strategies focused on durability, fit, comfort, and performance, overseeing high-complexity testing programs.
• Lead qualitative and quantitative footwear testing, perception studies, and real-world validation to ensure products meet authentic athlete and consumer needs.
• Build and maintain strategic partnerships to integrate consumer insights, scientific expertise, and performance analysis into standardized, evidence-based product evaluations.
• Transform complex testing data into actionable insights and clear reports that facilitate confident decision-making and elevate product excellence across the organization.
• Ensure testing timelines are efficient and seamlessly integrated into fast-moving Product Creation calendars.
• Expand and cultivate a diverse tester network to support project timelines and enhance community engagement.
• Work closely with testing systems and databases to maintain accurate and high-quality data integrity.
• Contribute significantly to team goals and process improvements as a leader.

Your Story

• 8+ years of experience in footwear testing or a related role within the footwear industry.
• A strong passion for run culture and performance running footwear.
• Proven leadership experience with a commitment to building high-performance teams.
• Ability to enhance cross-functional team effectiveness through partnership and advisory.
• Excellent communication skills with confidence when working with cross-functional stakeholders.
• A detail-oriented, creative, and solutions-focused mindset.
• Flexibility to work outside of standard hours when necessary.
• Proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint, with adaptability to internal databases.
• Expertise in analyzing complex data and applying analytical methods.
• Fluent in English (written and spoken).

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