In Short
As our Senior Lead - Sustainability Design, you will be a strategic driver at the intersection of sustainability and design. Your mission is to deeply embed sustainability into our design processes, making it a foundational element of our design ethos. This is not merely a design role; it is a cross-functional leadership position that shapes 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 integral, 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, connecting the dots across innovation, strategy, design, development, and sourcing—whether through circular design principles, alternative dyeing methods, or identifying synergies between teams.
- Collaborate closely with product strategy and sustainability teams to serve as a key enabler and consultant, guiding prioritization of design decisions and initiatives that deliver the highest positive environmental impact.
- Shepherd early-stage sustainable innovations from the Sustainability Concept into the Design team, translating new ideas and technologies while ensuring feasibility and adoption.
- Build strong connections and coordinate with the material teams to research, validate, and implement low-impact materials, leveraging your deep 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 on aesthetic or appeal.
- Collaborate with engineering and manufacturing teams to specify and validate low-impact materials and production methods into 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.
- A deep understanding of materials and processes and their impact on life cycle assessments (LCAs) and other metrics measuring impact.
- A proven track record of leading design teams toward successful implementation of sustainability initiatives and achieving significant environmental impact reductions.
- Excellent communication skills, capable of inspiring and educating teams across the organization and negotiating with 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; you thrive in high ambiguity, turning uncertainty into clear direction and 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 a dedication to transforming industry norms.
About the Team
You will be part of a vibrant and diverse Design Studio that drives On’s disruptive product design across footwear, apparel, accessories, design direction, and innovation. Collaborating cross-functionally with concept and innovation designers, material experts, color specialists, product developers, and go-to-market teams, you will act 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.