In short

The Head of Apparel Development is a pivotal leader within the product creation pod, encompassing Design, Product Management, and Development. This role requires a deep commitment to product excellence, with a strong focus on the technical craft of apparel, including garment engineering, pattern making, and fit. The ideal candidate will not only lead long-term development strategy but also bring hands-on expertise to ensure the highest standards in garment construction, apparel innovation, and product buy-readiness. This role is crucial for driving game-changing innovation and building cohesive teams that excel in technical product development.

Your Mission

  • Lead and Execute Technical Excellence: Co-create and execute a long-term apparel development vision and strategy that prioritizes product craftsmanship, ensuring technical excellence in garment construction, pattern making, and fit excellence. This vision should push the needle in terms of both innovation and technical precision.
  • Hands-on Technical Leadership: Actively engage in the technical development process, from the concept stage through to manufacturing readiness. This includes attending fit sessions, pattern reviews, and material selections, ensuring that the end product meets the highest standards of quality, fit, and function.
  • Champion Apparel Engineering: Collaborate with the Apparel Engineering Lead to drive fit, sizing, and construction initiatives, ensuring a coherent and superior consumer experience across all apparel categories.
  • Advanced Garment Technology: Stay at the forefront of the latest garment technologies, processes, workflows, equipment, and software. Implement these innovations to maintain and advance the company's cutting-edge position in the market.
  • Product Quality: Work closely with the Head of Apparel Product Integrity and the Testing Lead to ensure all apparel products meet rigorous quality, garment, and wear testing standards. Engage directly with global suppliers to explore and introduce new technologies and materials that elevate product outlook.
  • Product Development Leadership: Represent product development within the product creation pod, driving both innovation, technical and PLM accuracy in every product. Ensure a seamless coordination of cross-functional alignment pertaining to creation calendar deliverables (milestones and timelines) across inline, in-season, brand collaboration, and innovation projects.
  • Team Leadership with Technical Focus: Lead, mentor, and develop the apparel development team with a focus on technical skill-building. Empower your team to excel in craftsmanship while fostering an environment of continuous learning and innovation.
  • Process Optimization: Continuously evaluate and refine development processes, with a particular focus on technical accuracy, efficiency, workmanship, buy-readiness, and cost engineering. Set clear guidelines and lean processes to improve the team's technical capabilities and speed to market, while ensuring the highest product quality.
  • Supplier Innovation: Build and maintain strong relationships with global T1 suppliers, with a focus on introducing new garment manufacturing technologies that enhance the product's aesthetic, performance, and technical attributes.
Group of girls smiling
  • Man and woman sat at desks talking
  • Open planned office with men and women sat on a a large curved sofa
  • Group of runners talking outside the office
  • A team of people sat on the steps with a view of mountains outside the office.
  • Two women smiling at each other in a meeting room with large curved windows
  • A group of people sat around a table looking at large design papers
  • 3 men sat around with laptops smiling at each other
  • a large group of runners holding an On flag smiling at the camera
  • Man and woman sat at desks talking
  • Open planned office with men and women sat on a a large curved sofa
  • Group of runners talking outside the office
  • A team of people sat on the steps with a view of mountains outside the office.
  • Two women smiling at each other in a meeting room with large curved windows
  • A group of people sat around a table looking at large design papers
  • 3 men sat around with laptops smiling at each other
  • a large group of runners holding an On flag smiling at the camera
  • Man and woman sat at desks talking
  • Open planned office with men and women sat on a a large curved sofa
  • Group of runners talking outside the office
  • A team of people sat on the steps with a view of mountains outside the office.
  • Two women smiling at each other in a meeting room with large curved windows
  • A group of people sat around a table looking at large design papers
  • 3 men sat around with laptops smiling at each other
  • a large group of runners holding an On flag smiling at the camera

Your story

  • Deep Product Development Expertise: Minimum of 8 years of hands-on experience in apparel development, with a strong emphasis on garment engineering, cost engineering, pattern making, fit, and product testing & quality. Experience working with a wide array of global suppliers and manufacturers is essential.
  • Leadership in Technical Development: At least 10 years of experience leading highly technical teams, with a demonstrated ability to mentor and develop technical talent. The ideal candidate should have a strong track record in elevating the technical skills of their team.
  • Proficient in Apparel Craftsmanship: Extensive knowledge of garment construction, materials science, and the product creation lifecycle.
  • Must have a keen eye for detail and a deep understanding of fit and finish, with a proven ability to translate design concepts into technically sound products.
  • Collaborative Problem Solver: Experience working directly with designers and product creation teams to solve complex technical challenges. Ability to bring innovative thinking to the table while ensuring practical and technically accurate execution.
  • Advanced Technical Communication: Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to articulate technical goals and objectives clearly. Proficiency in digital product creation tools and software is highly desirable.
  • Educational Background: Bachelor's Degree in Product Development, Design, Product Management, Sourcing, or a related field from a globally recognized university.
  • Detail-Oriented and Organised: Highly attentive to detail, with the ability to organise and lead technical reviews and strategy discussions. Must be able to balance creativity with technical discipline in a fast-paced environment.
  • Interpersonal Skills with Technical Focus: Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across diverse, cross-functional teams, maximizing the technical productivity of the apparel development team.
Three On colleagues eating lunch together

About the Team

We are engineers that steer ideas into reality. Development is a mindset, not a department - and every team member is empowered to make decisions, with the understanding that failure is part of the learning process. As an integrated function in the design and briefing process; we are detail, execution and solution-oriented - guiding products with tight timelines and the highest possible product quality, both on the shelf and in use.

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A woman working on apparel & accessory product creation
A woman working on apparel & accessory product creation

Athlete

Athlete

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Performance is in our DNA. We channel the Athlete mindset to create for anyone who loves to move – precision-first products that deliver on quality, form and function to help our fans push limits and look good doing it.

Learn about our Spirits
A woman focussed on working with fabric on the table in front of her.

Sindy

Apparel Developer

We always look for better decisions, we always listen to people and listen to different colleagues. We listen, we digest, and we find the most suitable one for all the team and everybody benefits. That process makes us really innovative.
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What we offer

On is a place that is centered around growth and progress. We offer an environment designed to give people the tools to develop holistically – to stay active, to learn, explore and innovate. Our distinctive approach combines a supportive, team-oriented atmosphere, with access to personal self-care for both physical and mental well-being, so each person is led by purpose.

On is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating a work environment that is fair and inclusive, where all decisions related to recruitment, advancement, and retention are free of discrimination.

Build the better you

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.