Senior Director of Product Vertical PAD

Location: Zurich

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Product Strategy

In short

As the Senior Director of Product PAD (Performance All Day), you will be the architect of our PAD product vision, setting the strategic direction that shapes the future of the PAD product strategy and long-term growth. In this pivotal role, you will provide visionary leadership for this vertical, ensuring its alignment with our global mission and long-term business objectives.

As a strategic leader, you will foster a culture of excellence and drive succession planning across the organization, ensuring the continued development of top-tier talent and the long-term sustainability of On’s leadership capabilities. This role is pivotal in ensuring that On continues to set industry benchmarks, through both product success and a robust leadership pipeline that fuels ongoing innovation.

Your Mission

Define and steer the long-term strategic vision for the PAD category, ensuring all product initiatives align with our broader business objectives.
Serve as the strategic advisor for product directors, empowering them to drive innovation while maintaining coherence with the overall product strategy. Guide new levels of excellence, best practices, and efficiencies within all creation teams.
Work collaboratively with the Leadership team on defining long-term growth strategies and align behind the company’s core vision and mission.
Establish a clear vision for how channel strategy, brand strategy, and product strategy together orchestrate the product portfolio's lifecycle across our different communities.
Lead with a focus on vision and innovation, ensuring that we stay ahead of industry trends and maintain our position as a leader in the lifestyle footwear market.
Foster an environment of functional and cross-functional collaboration and transparency, ensuring synergy between product development, design, marketing, and other critical teams, elevating the PAD product strategy.
Be a driving force behind our head-to-toe strategy balancing credibility, functionality, sustainability, and design, building the most premium sportswear product in the marketplace.
Lead your teams with a consumer-first approach, ensuring that the product strategy is rooted in deep market insights and evolving consumer demands.

Your story

12+ in product strategy, product management or strategic roles, specializing in global consumer brands within sportswear, fashion or related industries.
8+ years of experience in a leadership role - your leadership skills have been honed through previous management roles, and you have a demonstrated ability to inspire, motivate, and develop high-performing teams.
Multiple years of experience in the world of sportswear or fashion working directly on architect long-term plans.
A visionary leader with proven expertise in setting and executing product strategies that elevate brand positioning and market leadership in the sports industry.
Extensive experience in guiding senior leaders, with a focus on strategic alignment, leadership development, and fostering authentic collaboration.
Demonstrated ability to balance big-picture thinking with detailed execution, ensuring that the teams are equipped to deliver on both tactical and strategic initiatives.
Ability to inspire cross-functional teams and drive a culture of excellence. Proven experience being a driver of cross-functional alignment at crucial intersections to architect a robust GTM strategy.
Comprehensive knowledge of the entire product creation process.
Deep understanding of the premium lifestyle, sportswear and training market and its opportunities.
An understanding of youth culture and mindset.
Great communication skills are a must, with a high proficiency in English.

two women sitting at a table talking with laptops

About the Team

As the Product Strategy team, we’re responsible for managing product creation to facilitate go to market efforts; concept to consumer. Our cross functional interaction is driven by a consumer-focused mindset to ensure we create a product line that sells in and through.

Groups of people sit and chat around wooden tables in a brick-walled communal space with hanging paper lanterns and a wall of microwaves in the background.

Hyeyoung

Head of Strategic Product Initiatives

The way we solve problems is very unique and that brings a very unique energy into it. It motivates me everyday, waking up with this excitement that's quite unusual.

Happy women smiling and chatting in the office

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.