Lead - Global Social Media - Running & Outdoor

On; Zürich; On-site; CHF 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

On is seeking a seasoned Lead to spearhead global Running & Outdoor campaigns and athlete narratives across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Strava. You will own the creative voice at the intersection of culture strategy, concepting, and campaign management, partnering with Global Marketing, Athlete Integration, and the Creative Studio.

You will drive culturally relevant campaigns from brief to rollout, mentor teams, manage budgets, and pitch bold creative territories to senior leadership while

Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience in social media, campaign management, or social creative strategy.
• Deep understanding of running/outdoor culture and how to translate it into online storytelling.
• Proven ability to develop concepts and channel strategies that drive reach and engagement.
• Experience briefing and directing external partners (agencies, directors, photographers, creators).
• Strong written, verbal, and presentation skills with ability to sell bold concepts to senior leadership.

Responsibilities

• Own culturally‑relevant social campaigns for Run and Outdoor, translating brand moments into social-first storytelling.
• Drive creative concepting and disruptive storytelling across channels.
• Lead creative briefs and direct internal and external teams to deliver social-native output.
• Direct on-set and live event content, adding reactive social layers to activations.
• Build the world of On Running & Outdoor with athlete storytelling and community narratives.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to align strategies and ensure cohesive delivery.
• Pitch bold creative territories to senior stakeholders and manage budgets and timelines.
• Oversee production budgets, timelines, agency scopes, and milestones across the global org.

Skills

Social media strategy

Campaign management

Creative briefing

Stakeholder management

Content direction

Mentoring

Job description

Social media is central to the On brand and key to connecting with our communities in a genuine way to land our brand mission ‘to ignite the human spirit through movement’. As running and outdoor verticals remain our driving force, we are searching for a seasoned, creatively driven Lead to spearhead our global Running & Outdoor campaigns and world-class athlete narratives across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Strava.

Sitting at the intersection of cultural strategy, creative concepting, and campaign management, you will be the key creative voice for Running & Outdoor in the social space. You will partner closely with Global Marketing, Strategy, Athlete Integration, and the Creative Studio to dream up and deliver culturally relevant, socially-native campaigns from initial brief to global rollout. Reporting to the Senior Lead – Performance Sports, you will define how On shows up in run and outdoor culture globally.

Your Mission

• Own Culturally‑Relevant Social Campaigns: Own and lead the creative and strategic development of our Run and Outdoor social campaigns. You will be responsible for translating brand and product moments into disruptive, social‑first storytelling arcs, taking them from initial concept through to global multi‑channel rollout.
• Drive Creative Concepting & Disruptive Storytelling: Concept bold, insight‑led ideas (alongside our Social Art Director) that entertain, disrupt feeds, and impact run and outdoor culture while maintaining On’s premium tone.
• Best‑in‑Class Creative: Write sharp, inspiring creative briefs (alongside the Social Art Director) and direct internal creative teams, external agencies and creators, to bring your vision to life. You will be the key voice ensuring all creative output is social‑native and pushes our brand forward.
• Direct On‑Set & Live Event Content: Provide clear creative direction on sets and during major running and outdoor events, adding a reactive and social‑first layer to our activations and bringing athlete stories to life in real time.
• Build the World of On Running & Outdoor: Partner with Athlete Integration to craft authentic, insight‑led stories around our elite athletes, sub‑cultures, and everyday communities to deepen brand credibility and engagement.
• Cross‑Functional & Leadership: Collaborate closely with fellow Social Media Leads and the Entertainment Platforms Lead to align campaign strategies with platform best practices. Mentor, and partner with Social Specialists within the Global Social Team and the Influencer team to ensure flawless and cohesive campaign delivery across teams.
• Stakeholder Influence & Pitching: Confidently present and sell‑in bold creative territories, social campaign strategies, and new storytelling formats that excite and align senior stakeholders across Marketing Management, Brand Strategy, Creative Studio, and Digital Media.
• Operational & Budget Rigor: Oversee campaign budgets, production timelines, agency scopes, and project milestones, managing up and down effectively across the global organization.

Your Story

• 6+ years of experience in social media, creative campaign management, or social creative strategy (in‑house at a global brand or at a creatively led agency), with a proven track record of leading complex, multi‑channel campaigns from concept to execution.
• Deeply embedded in running and outdoor culture: You understand what running and the outdoors mean to different communities - from everyday runners and trail seekers to elite marathoners and track athletes, and know how to translate those nuances into internet culture.
• Mastery of the social landscape: Proven track record of developing creative concepts and channel strategies that drive reach, views, and community engagement across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Strava.
• Creative briefing & partner management: Extensive experience writing sharp creative briefs and commissioning, directing, and managing external creative partners (agencies, directors, photographers, and creators).
• High‑impact communicator & stakeholder manager: Exceptional written, verbal, and presentation skills, you’re able to bring ideas to life in a deck, sell bold concepts to senior leadership, and build strong cross‑functional relationships across a fast‑moving global matrix.
• Operational excellence: Highly organized, disciplined, and proactive, with sharp attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple complex campaign timelines, budgets, and priorities simultaneously.

What We Offer

On is a place that is centered around growth and progress. We offer an environment designed to give people the tools to develop holistically – to stay active, to learn, explore and innovate. Our distinctive approach combines a supportive, team‑oriented atmosphere, with access to personal self‑care for both physical and mental well‑being, so each person is led by purpose.

On is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating a work environment that is fair and inclusive, where all decisions related to recruitment, advancement, and retention are free of discrimination.