Senior Specialist - Graphic Designer

In short

At On, graphics are not an added layer. They are an extension of the footwear design itself, shaping how the product expresses function, technology, and brand identity through a three-dimensional form in motion, where graphics must work in dialogue with shape, movement, and performance. To help define and deliver that expression, we are looking for a Graphic & Color Designer — LightSpray / Performance to join the Color & Material Design team, reporting to the Senior Lead of Footwear Graphics. This is a primarily graphic design-led role focused on LightSpray and Performance, with color design also part of the role.

As a brand rooted in design, technology, Swiss engineering, and Swiss design principles, we are looking for a designer with a strong graphic design foundation and a clear understanding of the nuances that come with that heritage. This includes principles such as clarity, functionality, typography, visual hierarchy, precision, and attention to detail. At the same time, this person should be able to think beyond convention, explore new approaches, and help push graphic design forward where relevant.

In close partnership with footwear designers, Innovation, Development, and the apparel graphics team, this role helps translate design direction into graphics that are both compelling and implementation-ready. It combines concept development with a meaningful amount of hands-on execution, including refinement, rollout, production support, and detail resolution. As a brand, we place strong emphasis on premiumness, quality, and refined detail, and this role is expected to deliver to that standard. Because color design is part of the role, accurate color perception is an essential requirement, including the ability to distinguish and match colors to references and brand color standards. The selection process will include a color vision assessment (e.g. Farnsworth Munsell 100 Hue Test or similar).

Your Mission

• Graphic Direction – Translate design direction, product intent, and technical innovation into clear, purposeful graphic design for LightSpray and Performance footwear.
• Color Contribution – Contribute to color design as part of the role, while maintaining a primary focus on graphic design.
• Footwear Integration – Develop graphics as an integral extension of the footwear design, working in close partnership with footwear designers to support product function, technology, and overall visual expression.
• Creative Exploration – Explore new graphic approaches and expressions while maintaining the clarity, consistency, and quality expected of the brand.
• Creative Partnership – Work closely with the Senior Lead of Footwear Graphics to develop strong solutions, combining aligned execution with independent ideas and constructive challenge.
• Cross-Functional Interface – Act as a key interface between CMD, Innovation, and Development, helping ensure that graphic ideas are compelling, feasible, and implementation-ready.
• Brand Alignment – Maintain strong exchange and alignment with the apparel graphics team as well as the Brand Studio side in Marketing to support consistency, shared thinking, and a more holistic graphic expression across the brand.
• Technical Realization – Ensure graphic concepts are translated into solutions that are not only visually strong, but also technically feasible and well prepared for implementation.
• Execution & Refinement – Take ownership of both concept development and a meaningful amount of hands-on executional work, including refinement, rollout, production support, and detail resolution.
• Workflow Foundations – Support the development of guidelines, templates, and workflow tools together with the Senior Lead and cross-functional partners to help build a more sustainable and efficient way of working over time.

Your story

• Strong background in graphic design, ideally with a Bachelor’s degree in Visual Communication, Graphic Design, or a related design discipline
• Strong understanding of Swiss graphic design principles, with sensitivity to typography, composition, hierarchy, and detail
• Highly conceptual, while also comfortable with executional and detail-driven work
• Ability to work independently and proactively within clear creative direction, while refining and executing sketches, concepts, and design directions from the Senior Lead of Footwear Graphics
• Confidence to bring alternative proposals and fresh ideas when they improve the work
• Clear understanding that graphics should support product design, functionality, and tech expression rather than simply decorate
• Good understanding of 3D design workflows, including experience with 3D assets, UV maps, UV meshes, texturing, and applying graphics in 3D space
• Ability to create 3D mock-ups for design development and presentations
• Excellent command of Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop; ideally also Adobe InDesign
• Interest in the technical side of realization and in workflows that bring graphic concepts into product reality
• Ability to bridge artistic expression and technical understanding
• Strong sense for premium quality, refinement, and precision
• Strong color acuity and the ability to work accurately to brand color standards and references, including subtle tonal and shade distinctions
• Strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate clearly across creative and technical partners; fluent in English, written and spoken
• Optional plus: familiarity with generative design approaches, such as bitmap generation

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.