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Specialist - Apparel Product Management , Athlete Innovation
Location: Zurich
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In short
This isn’t a standard product role. You will sit at the intersection of Athlete Innovation and Athlete Servicing. You’ll be responsible for ensuring our athletes have exactly what they need to win, whether that’s a ground-breaking new apparel technology or tailored collection towards teams or events (olympics, national championships)
Your Mission
- Bridge the Gap: Translate raw athlete feedback into technical product briefs, following the journey from initial concept to final validation and handover.
- Precision Servicing: Manage the "fine details" that matter—customizations, adaptations, and sponsor integrations for elite competition.
- Support & Execute: Own the data, manage the samples and build the presentations that keep the Lightning team moving fast.
- Own Your Project: Beyond support, you’ll take the lead on a specific innovation pillar or a unique athlete-led project.
- Specialized Focus: You’ll have the opportunity to dive deep into specific silos like Tennis or diverse Running disciplines.
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Your story
- Sport is Your Pulse: Sport isn't just a hobby; it’s how you see the world. You live the lifestyle, you understand the grind, you learn from the wins and most importantly have failed enough to know that every setback is just data for the next breakthrough.
- A Product Mindset: You likely come from a background in Product Management or Engineering. You don’t just like gear; you understand why a seam is placed where it is and how a textile reacts under tension.
- Athlete-First Empathy: You can get into the mindset of a pro athlete to understand their needs before they even articulate them.
- Analytical Rigor: You are comfortable with data and use it to tell the story of why a product change is necessary.
- Operational Excellence: You are organized enough to handle the logistical intensity of the Olympics and the "Federation" needs without breaking a sweat.
- Bonus Points: If you have experience in story telling around personalities or sporting moments, that’s great, but your technical understanding of how products are built is what will make you successful here.
About the Team
In Lightning, we don’t just make gear; we solve problems for the fastest people on Earth. The Lightning Athletes team is the bridge between human potential and technical execution. Our mission is simple: we listen. We obsess over the extreme use cases, the mid-race friction points and the unique journeys of our global athletes to ensure their equipment is never the ceiling to their performance.
About the Team video
Hyeyoung
Head of Strategic Product Initiatives
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.
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.