Senior Lead - Footwear Tooling Engineer

On; Zürich; On-site; CHF 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

On seeks a Senior Lead of Footwear Tooling Engineering to define the strategic vision and direct execution for bottom unit tooling across its high-performance footwear. You will lead a global team, bridging On Labs in Zurich with tooling partners in Asia, guiding material selection, mold construction, and advanced manufacturing capabilities from concept to commercialization.

You will drive organizational process improvements, manage budgets, and build long-term tooling capabilities while

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive experience in footwear engineering, specifically focused on footwear tooling, bottom unit development, and production.

Responsibilities

• Direct the holistic bottom unit development strategy for On’s performance and lifestyle products.
• Lead and mentor a tooling engineering team across design, development, and manufacturing partners.
• Spearhead process improvements to maximize global efficiencies, prototyping, and testing protocols.
• Advise on design feasibility, manufacturing capabilities, and integration of midsole components.
• Drive partnerships with Asian tooling counterparts and tier-1 mold shops.
• Set and uphold best-in-class standards for manufacturability and durability.

Skills

Footwear tooling

Bottom unit development

Project leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Global communication

Tools

Rhino

SolidWorks

3D CAD

Job description

As the Senior Lead of Footwear Tooling Engineering, you will define the strategic vision and direct the engineering execution for the bottom units of On’s high-performance footwear. Working in a highly collaborative environment, you will lead a team of tooling engineers to shape the future direction of our pinnacle performance products and technologies, actively advancing On’s sustainability and innovation goals. You will act as the overarching authority on bottom unit development, bridging the gap between On Labs in Zurich and our Tooling and Manufacturing partners in Asia. From concept inception through commercialization, you will guide your team and cross-functional partners on bottom unit materials, complex geometries, and construction. Beyond daily development, you will be the primary driver for organizational process improvements, budget management, and long-term capability building for tooling across the company.

Your mission

• Technical Direction: Direct the holistic bottom unit development strategy for On’s performance and lifestyle products, serving as the ultimate technical authority on materials, mold construction, and advanced manufacturing capabilities.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Act as the strategic engineering partner to senior leadership across Design, Development, and Product Management, guiding teams through complex design and construction constraints to achieve pinnacle bio-mechanical performance.
• Process & Workflow Transformation: Spearhead structural workflow evaluations, establishing macro-level process improvements to maximize global efficiencies, accelerate prototyping, and advance testing protocols.
• Manufacturing & Technology Strategy: Leverage deep expertise in advanced performance foam technologies and tooling constructions to act as the primary technical advisor to product creation teams. Guide Design, Development, and Product Management on design feasibility, manufacturing capabilities, and the successful integration of next-generation midsole components.
• Global Partnership: Drive strategic partnerships with our Asian tooling counterparts and tier-1 mold shop teams, elevating collaboration models and proactively resolving high-level manufacturing concerns and tooling revisions.
• Quality & Standards: Establish best-in-class standards for manufacturability and durability, overseeing the team's review of 2D/3D CADs and physical prototypes to ensure strict alignment with product specifications.

Your story

• Brand Experience: Proven track record working directly within a global performance athletic footwear brand. You must possess a deep understanding of the brand-side product creation lifecycle, consumer expectations, and how to align technical engineering with overarching brand strategies.
• Experience: 10+ years of progressive experience in footwear engineering, specifically focused on footwear tooling, bottom unit development, and production.
• Technical Authority: Expert-level knowledge of footwear materials, advanced mold construction, and manufacturing processes. Deep mastery of plastics injection molding principles, structural design constraints, and tooling cost analysis.
• Software Proficiency: Strong background overseeing or executing 2D and 3D CAD work (Rhino, SolidWorks, etc.), 3D modeling, and rapid prototyping tools. Bio-mechanical Application: Extensive experience translating bio-mechanical performance principles into functional, manufacturable bottom unit designs.
• Strategic & Collaborative Mindset: Proven ability to influence cross-functional directors and leads across Design, Product Management, and testing.
• Global Communication: Exceptional communication skills with a track record of successfully navigating and negotiating with international manufacturing partners on complex tooling and production challenges.
• Agility: Excellent project management and resource allocation skills, with the ability to manage multiple overlapping timelines and departmental priorities.
• Travel: Available to travel to Asia up to 2-4 times a year for strategic factory and mold shop visits.

Meet the team

Our mission is to define and create the future of sportswear bringing to life groundbreaking innovations. Acting at the forefront of material science, sport science and engineering we develop products that push the boundaries of performance and sustainability, blending in unique aesthetic appeal that embodies On’s design DNA.

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.