Senior Lead - Apparel Development

In short

Product excellence and innovation is at the heart of our success. Achieving a leadership position in the marketplace requires innovative thinking and the ability to inspire all product creation stakeholders. The Senior Lead Apparel Development Lifestyle will be responsible for driving this creation forward by managing a diverse development team that brings our highly technical sportswear products to life with a sharper, tailored and luxury lens. With a keen eye for process, a detail-oriented mind coupled with a passion for innovation, this key position will be a vital part in the creation of tomorrow’s effortless lifestyle fashion apparel. You will have had several dedicated years working in product development with complex processes and solid experience running a multi-faceted, high performance teams. You’ll look at challenges with a solutions-oriented outlook and take initiative to improve them, continuously striving for pinnacle products that excite our global customer class.

Your Mission

• Play a critical part of building On’s world class Lifestyle apparel collection that pushes the boundaries of product innovation, responding to the specific needs of On customers, and fusing unrivaled function with timeless styling in our pinnacle product range
• Develop and improve the On Apparel fit by bringing function, form, comfort, and aesthetic to all lifestyle-related garments (which includes Collabs, SMU, Olympics, PAD & PO verticals)
• Lead fitting sessions while advising on pattern and fit amendments alongside the Apparel Engineering team
• Co-create 3D strategy for the development and sample prototyping process alongside our Head of Technical Development
• Play a leading role in owning special innovation projects and key strategic initiatives with other Apparel Development Leads and the Director of Apparel Creation
• Maintain creation calendar integrity within your team and own all key development milestones that center around our brand mission, design intent, and our stringent quality standards
• Manage and own the holistic product development process from concept sampling up to STS and size set samples, right before styles go into bulk production (handled by our Asia Sourcing Office based in Hanoi, Vietnam)
• Possess a strong understanding of how fabrics play a crucial part of our product creation and cost engineering efforts
• Work with our Sourcing partners on seasonal T1 product allocation in terms of supplier capability, technical expertise, and workmanship/construction requirements
• Collaborate with the relevant Product Managers to identify product requirements for seasonal line assortments, commercial market needs, product delivery schedules, and product sales performance in relation to future lifestyle collections
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key strategic business partners such as our T1 garment vendors (in Asia and EU), T2 material suppliers, and third-party wash/dye, printing, and other garment finishing facilities around the world
• Provide leadership and mentoring to your immediate team as well as the overall development org by setting attainable goals, providing on the spot feedback and empathetic mentorship that will increase both individual and team productivity and happiness

Your story

• Bachelor’s degree or higher (with emphasis on Apparel, Fashion, Design, Textiles, Retail, etc. a plus)
• Minimum 10+ years of relevant work and team management experience in the fashion industry (premium sportswear and luxury brand experience preferred) specializing in product development, technical development, design, or other apparel related fields
• Excellent understanding of the industry’s processes and sportswear/fashion market knowledge with the ability to lead cross-functional projects toward a collaborative vision
• Willingness to travel globally on a regular basis to our suppliers to create, develop, and commercialize On apparel, in line with our company strategy and vision
• Be the true embodiment of a team player and human-first leader
• Balance creativity with organization and discipline in a fast-paced environment
• Embrace ambiguity and change management while bringing an entrepreneurial spirit when facing unexpected challenges
• Work calmly and reliably in an ever-changing environment, attention to detail, and react quickly with the ever-changing global retail landscape
• Strong experience in garment construction and components, fit and sizing protocol, pattern making, 3D prototyping, and product creation processes and SOPs
• Exposure to and interest in the latest emerging concepts and technologies in design, product development, and material innovation
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills
• Share in our passion for igniting the human spirit through movement!

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. We ask that you allow around 14 days for us to come back to you with a response. If you are a good fit to the role, someone will follow up with you within that window. 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. We ask that you allow around 14 days for us to come back to you with a response. If you are a good fit to the role, someone will follow up with you within that window. If you didn't receive a reply, or were unsuccessful this time around, we encourage you to look for other possible matches at On.