In Short
As our Senior Lead - Sustainability Design, you will serve as a strategic driver at the intersection of sustainability and design. Your mission is to deeply integrate sustainability into our design processes, making it a fundamental aspect of our design ethos rather than just a feature. This is not merely a design role; it is a cross-functional leadership position shaping how we design rather than what we design. You will work closely with counterparts in product strategy, development, and innovation to ensure that sustainability is a foundational lens applied from concept to shelf.
Your Mission
- Lead impact mapping across footwear, apparel, and accessories, collaborating with cross-functional teams to embed principles of design for circularity and sustainability into all product designs.
- Translate strategy into a clear roadmap for the team by connecting innovation, strategy, design, development, and sourcing, utilizing circular design principles, alternative dyeing methods, and identifying synergies between teams.
- Collaborate with product strategy and sustainability teams, acting as a key enabler and consultant. Guide the prioritization of design decisions and initiatives that deliver the highest positive environmental impact, ensuring that sustainability goals are set and achieved through proactive leadership and strategic planning.
- Shepherd early-stage sustainable innovations from the Sustainability Concept into the Design team, helping translate new ideas and technologies while ensuring feasibility and adoption.
- Build strong connections with material teams to research, validate, and roll out low-impact materials, overseeing selection through implementation by leveraging your extensive knowledge of materials.
- Partner with color design to implement impactful practices, such as dope dyeing and thoughtful palette building, that reduce environmental impact without compromising aesthetics or appeal.
- Collaborate with engineering and manufacturing teams to specify and validate low-impact materials and production methods for midsoles, speedboards, outsoles, and other bottom-unit components, ensuring these choices significantly reduce the shoe’s footprint and align with circularity goals from concept through production.
- Educate and inspire the design team through workshops and ongoing training, sharing best practices and keeping the team up-to-date on the latest trends, innovations, and technologies in sustainable design.
- Track and promote progress by championing circular initiatives during design reviews and internal events, regularly sharing updates and insights with the Sustainability team to drive momentum and alignment.
Your Story
- A strong educational background in design and impact sciences, such as environmental sciences or sustainability management.
- Deep understanding of materials and processes, along with their impact on life cycle assessments (LCA) and other impact metrics.
- Proven track record of leading design teams toward successful implementation of sustainability initiatives and substantial environmental impact reductions.
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to inspire and educate teams across the organization, as well as negotiate and influence external partners and stakeholders.
- Demonstrated capability to manage complex projects involving multiple stakeholders, aligning short-term actions with long-term sustainability goals.
- Proactive by nature and entrepreneurial at heart, thriving in ambiguity and turning uncertainty into clear direction and forward momentum for sustainable design.
- Fluent in English; proficiency in additional languages is a plus.
- A visionary thinker with a practical project management mindset, recognized for converting innovative, sustainable solutions into actionable practices and for your commitment to transforming industry standards.
About the Team
You will be part of a vibrant and diverse Design Studio that drives On’s innovative product design across footwear, apparel, accessories, design direction, and innovation. You will collaborate cross-functionally with concept and innovation designers, material experts, color specialists, product developers, and go-to-market teams – serving as the connective tissue in a culture that values creativity, curiosity, and collaboration.
Apply online using the form below. Only applications matching the job profile will be considered.