Head of Product Development (Lifestyle)

As the Head of Product Development at On, you will lead the global Product Development function across Apparel, setting the long‑term vision and strategy for how we turn creative ideas into best‑in‑class, performance‑driven, and commercially successful products. You’ll be responsible for building and scaling the systems, teams, and partnerships that enable On to deliver both technical excellence and long‑term business impact – from margin achievement and sustainability, to innovation integration and team growth. This is a senior leadership role requiring a visionary mindset, deep product expertise, and strong organisational leadership. You will act as a key thought partner to Design, Product Management, Sourcing, and Innovation – translating On’s brand ambition into technical and scalable reality.

Your Mission

• Define and implement the long‑term strategy for Apparel Product Development – ensuring alignment with brand vision, business goals, and product creation needs across categories and collections.
• Lead and evolve the global Apparel Development team, overseeing multiple layers of leadership and creating the environment, tools, and structure needed for sustainable, high‑performance delivery.
• Drive cross‑functional alignment across Product, Design, Innovation, Materials, Sourcing, and Operations to enable seamless, efficient, and forward‑thinking product creation.
• Ensure commercial readiness and scalability of the apparel portfolio, championing product execution that meets margin, quality, and innovation goals.
• Translate creative direction into executable product frameworks, ensuring collections are technically sound, fit‑accurate, and financially viable without compromising brand identity.
• Own the execution of On’s sustainability targets within Product Development, embedding circular design principles, sustainable material usage, and responsible construction methods into processes and practices.
• Be a strong commercial and technical voice at the leadership table, ensuring product development decisions are rooted in business reality while enabling creative ambition and future growth.
• Attract, develop, and retain top talent, building an inclusive, high‑performing team culture that supports personal and professional growth at all levels.
• Develop future leaders within the development team, with succession planning, mentoring, and coaching as part of the leadership DNA.
• Monitor industry, technology, and supply chain trends to ensure the team and processes remain ahead of the curve, scalable, and ready for the future.
• Foster a culture of curiosity, accountability, and resilience, helping the team navigate ambiguity, scale with clarity, and collaborate with trust.

Your story

• 14+ years of experience in apparel product development, with significant time spent in senior leadership roles overseeing multi‑category or global teams.
• Proven success in building and implementing long‑term product and team strategies in alignment with broader business or brand goals.
• Strong track record in translating creative design into high‑quality, commercially successful products, especially within technical or performance‑driven apparel.
• Deep understanding of fit engineering, construction, costing, manufacturing, and product lifecycle management.
• Experience leading organizations to meet or exceed sustainability and innovation targets, with a strong understanding of sustainable materials, supply chain practices, and compliance standards.
• Inspirational people leader with a history of building and scaling teams, developing leaders, and nurturing inclusive, values‑driven cultures.
• Commercially savvy, with experience owning margin targets and development strategies across multiple seasons and categories.
• Skilled cross‑functional collaborator with the ability to influence at all levels—from tactical execution to executive strategy.
• Strong communicator with the ability to simplify complexity, foster alignment, and drive organizational clarity.
• Fluent in English; additional languages (particularly Mandarin or German) are a plus.
• Willingness to travel globally as needed to support team and supplier operations.

About the Team

We are engineers that steer ideas into reality. Development is a mindset, not a department – and every team member is empowered to make decisions, with the understanding that failure is part of the learning process. As an integrated function in the design and briefing process, we are detail, execution and solution‑oriented – guiding products with tight timelines and the highest possible product quality, both on the shelf and in use.

Just by the banks of the Limmat you’ll find our largest global hub in Zürich West – On Labs – where you can hike up 12 floors through our custom‑built spiral trail.

We always look for better decisions, we always listen to people and to different colleagues. We listen, we digest, and we find the most suitable one for all the team and everybody benefits. That process makes us really innovative.

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.

Application Process

Step One: It starts with you…

You’ll start by submitting your application to a specific role. We try to keep this step as simple as possible. We do get a lot of applications, but we review them all. If you’re a good fit for the role, a recruiter will follow up with you directly. If you didn’t receive a reply, or were unsuccessful this time around, we encourage you to look for other possible matches at On.

Step Two: Interview with a recruiter

What ignites your spirit? This is where we’ll start getting to know all about you and what makes you tick – and it’s your first chance to get a feel for our culture. Chatting with a member of our talent team, you’ll learn more about On and how we work. We’ll learn about what motivates you and what you could bring to the team.

Step Three: Interview with a hiring manager

Ready to dig into the details? This second interview will be held with your future manager and will focus on the specifics of the job. Together you’ll delve into your unique skills and experiences and how they could be relevant at On. It’s also a time to assess how you might feel working side‑by‑side. Bring any questions you have about the job, the team or anything else you might like to know – this is an open forum.

Step Four: The Case Study

What’s your style? This task will help us understand how you think, face a challenge and give insight into your novel ideas. Designed to give everyone their best shot, your case study is based on something you might typically experience on the job. This is your chance to show us what you’ve got. So express yourself. Be you.

Step Five: The Experience Day

Your first taste of the Oniverse. This is a time to meet some of the people you’ll be working closest with. In person or virtually, you’ll get a feel for the day‑to‑day at On and the people who make it happen. You’ll chat with a few potential teammates – the conversations will be as equally driven by the role and your experience as by our values. We believe how you do things is just as important as what you do.

Step Six: The Result

Are we a good fit? We’ll get together internally to share our feedback and decide if we’re a match. We know that job searching is a big time investment, so it’s not a decision we take lightly. It’s also time for you to reflect on the experience – are we the right place for you? No matter the outcome, we’ll give you meaningful feedback.