Lead - Apparel & Accessories Product

In short

We are seeking a highly experienced Lead, Product Manager to join our Apparel Product Strategy team, focusing on the Performance Run segment. This is a pivotal role that offers a unique opportunity to help shape the future of our brand by leading the largest and most technical segment within On’s performance apparel. The ideal candidate will bring 7+ years of specialized experience in performance apparel, combining deep expertise in the product lifecycle with a strong understanding of fabrics, fit, construction, and emerging market trends within the sports apparel industry. You will act as an informal leader for a highly collaborative cross-functional team, driving both long-term strategic vision and daily product execution.

Your Mission

• Apparel Product Strategy & Vision: Drive the creation and execution of the 3-5 year global product strategy for Performance Run Apparel, ensuring alignment with Consumer and brand goals, market trends, and technical innovation.
• Product Briefing & Execution: With a Consumer first mindset you translate high-level strategic goals into clear, actionable product briefs and solutions for Design and Development, ensuring feasibility, quality, and alignment with brand direction.
• Market Intelligence & Trend Analysis: Conduct sophisticated market research and competitive analysis, with a keen eye on both performance running innovations and broader fashion/apparel trends. Leverage these insights to create culturally relevant and commercially successful assortments.
• Cross-Functional Leadership Skills: Excellent communicator, collaborator and mentor who thrives in cross-functional partnerships, particularly with Design, Development, Merchandising and Marketing, to bring a unified, consumer-centered product vision to life. Drive consensus and ensure seamless execution of seasonal product lines and capsule collections.
• Strategic, Creative & Operational Balance: Deliver against both the strategic development of seasonal product releases and the day-to-day operational excellence of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) work combined with an innovative mindset that facilitates teams to innovate and push the boundaries of creativity.
• Fabric & Product Expertise: Serve as a partner to the Material Specialist ensuring fabrication meets the brief and withstands the rigours of commercialization.
• Product Data Management: Accurately manage all product data across multiple collections within the PLM system, ensuring timely and meticulous updates in line with dedicated creation calendars. Ability to travel frequently, including internationally.

Your story

• Specialized Apparel Experience: 7+ years of experience in global product teams, with a proven track record in the performance or technical sportswear apparel industry.
• Technical & Trend Fluency: Strong, demonstrated understanding of fabric technology, performance attributes, construction methods, and current apparel fashion trends.
• Leadership & Communication: Excellent leadership, communication, and presentation skills, with the ability to positively influence stakeholders across all functions and levels without formal reporting authority.
• Passion for Movement: A personal connection to, and deep understanding of, the running consumer and the culture of performance sport.
• Strategic & Operational Acumen: Proven ability to manage high-volume, complex projects while simultaneously defining and driving a long-term product vision.
• System Proficiency: Demonstrated advanced proficiency in product systems and PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) tools.
• Skilled at navigating fast-paced, creative environments with multiple priorities. Fluent in English (written and spoken).

What to expect

We want to set everyone up for success, so here’s the lowdown on how we hire. Our process is a two-way street – bringing you into our culture, while helping us learn how you think.

Our full process can last about eight weeks from application to offer, because we care about getting it right. These steps explain how we usually do things.

Before you get started, feel free to consider if you want to work with us. Strange question? Well, we give people a lot of space to navigate their day-to-day and that style isn't for everyone. We want you to be passionate about what you do and be sure this is the right fit. Because when skills and passion combine – it creates that 'Wow' moment.

• 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 to 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.

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 to 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.