Director HR Specialists & Operations

Location: Zurich

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Talent

In short

At On, we believe that every touchpoint in the employee journey should reflect the same energy, care, and clarity we bring to our products. As Director of HR Specialists & Operations, you’ll architect and lead the engine that powers our global People experience, combining strategy, service delivery, compliance, and systems into one seamless, scalable, and human-centred function. This role sits at the heart of our global HR ecosystem. You’ll lead a team of HR Specialists and partner cross-functionally to ensure our people operations are robust, responsive, and ready for what’s next.

Your Mission

Strategy & Process Excellence

Lead the design and continuous evolution of global HR processes (onboarding, offboarding, performance, rewards, and other employee lifecycle moments).
Harmonise our policies and procedures, globally consistent, locally relevant.
Partner with HRBPs, DEIB, and People Experience teams to ensure our operations reflect our values and fuel our growth.

Compliance & Risk Management

Own global HR compliance: employment law, data privacy, and labour regulations.
Work closely with Legal, Finance, and external partners to anticipate and mitigate risks.
Oversee audits, ensure governance, and drive continuous improvement in controls.

Systems & Data Leadership

Work closely with Talent Technology to shape and evolve our HR technology landscape (HRIS, Workday, people services tools).
Champion data integrity, reporting, and insight generation to inform better decisions.
Drive digitalisation and automation to increase scale, consistency, and efficiency.

Global Service Delivery

Lead and inspire our global HR Specialists and Operations team.
Set clear SLAs, ensure seamless employee experiences, and support all regions consistently.
Own core operational pillars: new hire orientation, HR records, offboarding, payroll partnerships, benefits, and mobility.
Contribute to On’s Retail growth guiding the areas of HR Operations, to ensure we have the proper set up to scale and grow the retail population.

Culture & Experience

Build people operations that feel frictionless, fair, and deeply On.
Gather feedback, track satisfaction, and act on what matters.
Lead global change management efforts as processes and systems evolve.

Leadership & Influence

Grow and mentor a high-performing HR Ops team.
Operate as a strategic leader across HR, Legal, IT, Finance, and the wider business.
Influence globally, ensuring alignment across countries and regions.

Your story

Must-Haves

8–12+ years in HR Operations, People Services, or global HR in fast-scaling, multi-country businesses.
Proven success in building and scaling HR processes across regions.
Strong working knowledge of international labour law, payroll, benefits, and compliance.
Deep experience with HR systems (Workday preferred), vendor management, and automation.
Analytical mindset: you love data and know how to act on it.
Strong communicator and stakeholder influencer, clear, credible, and collaborative.
A natural leader: you’ve built, led, and developed high-performing teams.

Bonus Points

Experience supporting hybrid/remote teams across borders.
Background in mobility, relocation, or international workforce models.
Understanding of DEIB and how to embed inclusive practices into HR operations.
Experience in a culture-driven, high-growth environment (e.g. tech, creative, or consumer brands).
Experience working in a scaling Retail organization

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About the Team

Being part of the talent team at On means to do things differently, we don’t do things just because they are what “HR does”. We build, grow, enable and empower the team to drive the future of On. Because this is what matters to us. Because we are On.

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Gavin

Talent Acquisition Specialist

I’m getting people curious about On – what we're working on, and ultimately what kind of working environment we have, the essence as to what life here is like. I love to get people on a call and change their perception.

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What we offer

A rare opportunity to design and lead people operations at a truly global scale.
A seat at the table: partner directly with our CHRO and HR leadership team.
Competitive compensation and benefits package.
Flexibility in how and where you work.
A culture rooted in movement, purpose, innovation, and care.

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.