Lead - Design Studio Manager (CD, Apparel & Accessories)

In short

We are looking for a highly capable and experienced Design Studio Manager to support the operations, organization, and executive coordination of On’s Creative Direction and Apparel & Accessories Design Studio.

In this role, you will partner closely with the Senior Director of Apparel & Accessories Design (CD) and a senior creative leadership team, ensuring consistent operational clarity, elevated presentation standards, and seamless cross-functional alignment.

Beyond studio operations, you will serve as Executive Assistant to the Creative Director, managing an intense, fast-moving calendar and orchestrating high-level touchpoints with leadership, management, and cross-functional partners across the business.

You are not responsible for managing the design team, but you play a critical role in enabling an environment where a 30-person creative team can deliver with excellence.

Your Mission

Studio Operations & Strategic Support:

• Oversee the daily operations of the Apparel & Accessories design studio ensuring efficient workflows and a highly functional creative environment.
• Build and refine systems, routines, and processes that elevate how the studio works and communicates.
• Support the Creative Director and senior creative leadership team in prioritizing projects, key deliverables, and seasonal milestones.

Executive Partner to the CD:

• Manage a complex, fast-paced calendar for the Creative Director with proactive prioritization, anticipating conflicts and enabling strategic use of time.
• Coordinate all high-level meetings, creative reviews, and leadership touchpoints across Design, Product, Marketing, and Commercial.
• Prepare briefing materials, talking points, and pre-read documentation to ensure the CD is always ready for high-level presentations and discussions.

Presentations & Events:

• Lead the operational setup of presentations, reviews, and leadership sessions—ensuring space, flow, technology, materials, and narrative structure are impeccable.
• Partner with the creative team to build compelling presentation environments for internal reviews, global meetings, or key product milestones.
• Manage logistics for design events, workshops, and leadership gatherings.

Talent Coordination:

• Coordinate with external creatives, freelancers, stylists, photographers, and talent needed for design or presentation purposes.
• Negotiate rates, availability, and scopes of work in alignment with internal guidelines.
• Ensure smooth onboarding and alignment of external partners with studio needs and expectations.

Cross-Functional Communication:

• Act as an operational bridge between the Apparel & Accessories design team and key partners across the organization.
• Maintain consistent communication with Marketing, Commercial, Innovation, and Product teams to align calendars, expectations, and deliverables.
• Flag misalignments early and facilitate clarity around priorities.

Studio Culture & Team Experience:

• Support onboarding and integration of new team members, reinforcing studio rituals and values.
• Help maintain an inspiring, organized, and inclusive studio space.
• Facilitate studio offsites, inspiration sessions, and cultural moments.

Your story

• 8+ years of experience in studio management, creative operations, or project coordination—ideally within apparel, fashion, sportswear, or a fast-paced creative environment.
• Demonstrated experience supporting senior executives and managing complex, high-volume calendars.
• Proven ability to run and elevate presentation environments and high-impact review sessions.
• Experience negotiating with freelancers, creative talent, or external partners, with strong commercial awareness.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to operate confidently among senior leaders and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Highly organized, proactive, and able to navigate ambiguity with composure and clarity.
• Passion for creativity, design culture, and building world-class product experiences.
• Fluency in English; German is a plus.

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.