Lead - Global Retail Design Project Manager

In short

The On retail fleet is expanding, has big ambitions, and we’re looking for a confident Retail Design Project Manager Lead to help us take Retail to the next level. The Retail Design Project Manager will oversee the complete lifecycle of key Global Retail Design Concepts projects and strategic initiatives for both Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) and B2B stores. This role ensures high-quality results that align with brand standards and strategic objectives. The Project Manager will collaborate with a range of internal teams - including Visual Merchandising, Retail Operations, Marketing & Campaigns, Real Estate, and Finance - as well as external vendors such as construction, material suppliers, and manufacturers, to drive initiatives from conception to completion. The role sits in the Creative Operations team within Global Retail Design and reports to the Senior Lead Program Manager, Global Retail Design. The role will work in close collaboration with the Head of Retail Design and leads across the team and wider organization. This isn't just about tracking timelines; it’s about navigating a fast-paced, evolving organization to land high-stakes global concepts. You will be the bridge between visionary design and operational reality, requiring the influential skills to manage senior leadership and the grit to execute the administrative 'nuts and bolts' yourself.

Your Mission

• Lead and deliver multiple concurrent retail design concept projects from inception to completion, independently navigating a complex global organization to ensure timely, on-scope results.
• Serve as the strategic partner for senior leadership, providing absolute project clarity through high-level communication flows, proactive risk mitigation, and clear dependency management.
• Drive cross-functional alignment between Strategy, Creative, and Agency partners, translating high-level visionary briefs into executable retail realities.
• Own the end-to-end financial and administrative lifecycle, from budget tracking to the granular execution of PO creation and vendor onboarding.
• Build the roadmap within creative workflows, creating sophisticated project plans and schedules in Jira that prioritize automation and minimize administrative friction for the wider team.
• Navigate the "Last Mile" of delivery, collaborating closely with Legal, Procurement, and Real Estate to establish vendor agreements and ensure operational readiness.
• Oversee Pilot Execution and Global Rollouts: Act as the operational lead for pilot installations and global concept executions, partnering with Construction and external contractors to manage on-site implementation, troubleshoot build-phase complexities, and ensure the final physical delivery aligns perfectly with design intent.
• Champion process improvement and strategic problem-solving, identifying bottlenecks before they impact the timeline and optimizing workflows for future scalability.
• Facilitate rigorous design reviews and feedback loops, ensuring every touchpoint maintains our premium brand standards and strategic objectives. Track timelines and conduct post-project evaluations, ensuring that reporting, key learnings, and optimizations are effectively implemented across the global fleet.
• Coordinate diverse internal teams - including Retail Marketing, Visual Merchandising, Retail Ops, and regional teams - to create a seamless, identical consumer experience across all touchpoints.

Your story

• 8+ years of experience, with a proven track record of leading high-pressure global initiatives in rapidly scaling environments.
• Executive Presence: Exceptional ability to distill complex project risks into concise, actionable briefings for senior leadership and C-suite stakeholders.
• Cross-functional Influence: Demonstrated ability to drive alignment across departments (Legal, Marketing, Procurement, Real Estate) without direct authority.
• Ownership & Grit: A mindset that thrives in 'creative chaos.' You are comfortable building the plane while flying it and don't wait for a roadmap to take action.
• Full-Cycle Delivery: Proven ability to deliver large-scale projects on time and within budget, with the discipline to personally manage the administrative "last mile" (PO creation, vendor onboarding, etc.).
• Technical Proficiency: Highly proficient in project management tools (Jira preferred), with a focus on automation and creating efficient workflows.
• Communication & Presentation: Ability to create clear and compelling presentations that effectively convey project status and strategic progress to diverse audiences.
• Industry Context: An understanding of sportswear or premium fashion brands in retail teams is highly welcomed; experience in DTC and B2B retail is a plus.
• Sector Knowledge: Experience in architecture, retail design, or construction is a plus, but your core strength is in business operations and project delivery.

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.