Lead - Footwear Design
About this role
Salary: CHF 95’000 - 125’000 per year
Requirements:- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Footwear Design, Industrial/Product Design, or a related field.
- 6+ years of experience in footwear design, including leading projects within special projects, collaborations, or advanced concepts.
- A strong portfolio that demonstrates innovative and strategic design work across lifestyle and/or performance footwear.
- Proven ability to lead projects across multiple timelines while balancing creative vision with technical feasibility.
- Strong communication and presentation skills; confident in sharing and defending design direction across diverse teams.
- Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and 3D design/rendering tools (e.g., Rhino, KeyShot, Blender).
- Entrepreneurial, team-oriented, and driven by curiosity and experimentation.
- Fluent in English, written and spoken; additional languages are a plus.
- Lead the design direction and creative development of ON’s Special Projects footwear collections.
- Translate cultural insights, market trends, and strategic opportunities into compelling and commercially relevant design concepts.
- Guide and mentor a team of designers, ensuring consistent quality and creative alignment across all Special Projects initiatives.
- Drive collaboration with cross-functional teams—including Product Management, Innovation, Development, and Marketing—to bring concepts to life.
- Own the design process end-to-end, delivering sketches, 2D/3D CADs, specs, and prototypes that meet ON’s performance and design standards.
- Partner with internal and external stakeholders, including collaborators and factories, to ensure smooth execution from design to production.
- Stay ahead of global design, lifestyle, and performance trends, translating insights into fresh and future-ready product stories.
- Represent Special Projects design in key meetings, retail visits, and industry events to inform creative strategy and elevate brand presence.
- 3D
- Marketing
- UX UI Design
More:
Join On’s Special Projects Design team, where innovation, performance, and brand storytelling converge. You’ll collaborate with a tight-knit group of designers, CMF specialists, developers, and marketers to bring bold ideas to life. Whether working on limited-edition collaborations, retailer exclusives, or high-visibility launches, your work will push the boundaries of material innovation and design excellence.
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.