In Short
As our Senior Lead - Sustainability Design, you will be a strategic driver working at the intersection of sustainability and design. Your mission is to weave sustainability deeply into our design processes, making it not just a feature, but a foundation of our design ethos. This role is not about design itself, but rather cross-functional leadership, shaping how we design rather than what we design. You’ll work closely with counterparts in product strategy, development, and innovation to ensure sustainability isn’t an afterthought but a foundational lens applied from concept to shelf.
Your Mission
- Lead impact mapping across footwear, apparel, and accessories. Collaborate 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 the dots across innovation, strategy, design, development, and sourcing, utilizing circular design principles, alternative dyeing methods, and identifying synergies between teams.
- Collaborate closely with product strategy and sustainability teams to serve as a key enabler and consultant. Guide the prioritization of design decisions and initiatives that deliver the highest positive environmental impact, ensuring 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 to translate new ideas and technologies, ensuring feasibility and adoption.
- Build strong connections and coordinate with material teams to research, validate, and roll out low-impact materials, leveraging your deep knowledge of materials from selection through implementation.
- Partner with color design to implement impactful practices, such as dope dyeing and thoughtful palette building, that reduce environmental impact without compromising aesthetics.
- Collaborate with engineering and manufacturing teams to specify and validate low-impact materials and production methods, 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 and 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, sustainability management, or similar fields.
- Deep understanding of materials and processes and their impact on Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) and other metrics measuring impact.
- Proven track record of leading design teams towards successful implementation of sustainability initiatives and achieving significant environmental impact reductions.
- Excellent communication skills, capable of inspiring and educating teams across the organization, as well as negotiating and influencing external partners and stakeholders.
- Demonstrated ability to manage complex projects with multiple stakeholders, aligning short-term actions with long-term sustainability goals.
- Proactive by nature and entrepreneurial at heart, thriving in high ambiguity and turning uncertainty into clear direction and forward momentum for sustainable design.
- Fluent in English, with proficiency in additional languages considered a bonus.
- A visionary thinker with a practical project-management mindset, known for converting innovative, sustainable solutions into tangible practices and dedicated to transforming industry norms.
About the Team
You’ll be part of a vibrant and diverse Design Studio that drives On’s disruptive product design across footwear, apparel, accessories, design direction, and innovation. You’ll collaborate cross-functionally with concept and innovation designers, material experts, color specialists, product developers, and go-to-market teams, acting as the connective tissue in a culture that values creativity, curiosity, and collaboration.
Apply online using the form below. Please note that only applications matching the job profile will be considered.