On - Head of Product Development (Lifestyle) - Zürich

Team for Career Site

Apparel & Accessories Product Creation

In short

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.

Meet 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.