Community & Brand Activation Specialist, Africa

Location:Nairobi

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Marketing

In short

Welcome to On! As one of the world’s fastest-growing premium sportswear brands, On is redefining performance across footwear, apparel, and accessories through innovative technology, bold design, and a commitment to sustainability. Having already inspired millions of runners—and those who move in different ways—around the world, we are now looking for a Community & Brand Activation Specialist (Africa) to help build and shape On’s presence across the continent, starting with Kenya and South Africa.

You will lead the planning and execution of locally relevant brand initiatives that connect with communities, athletes, retailers, and distribution partners. From supporting grassroots running groups and emerging athletes to strengthening commercial partnerships, you will help define how On shows up in key running hubs across the continent. Working closely with teams across EMEA and global functions—particularly Commercial and Brand Experience—you’ll balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution in a fast-moving, collaborative environment.

Your Mission

You will connect and ignite the brand with run crews, clubs and groups - creating relationships as an authentic part of their communities.
You will build and manage the ambassador program, owning the ambassador activation calendar and driving community outreach.
You will build strong cross-functional connections between On and our retail and distributor partners to drive brand awareness and loyalty with running groups, ambassadors, and other community leaders.
You will plan and deliver impactful 360° brand experiences, ensuring everything is customer-centric and focused on future growth.
You will conduct regular market research to understand the needs, challenges, and trends within local running communities and adapt community initiatives accordingly.
You will gather feedback from community members to identify opportunities for new programs, partnerships, and brand engagement.
You will monitor community growth, engagement metrics, and event attendance to evaluate program success and report insights to the global team.

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Your story

Typically we look for 3–5 years’ experience in community building, brand activation, or partnerships within sportswear, running, outdoor, or a related consumer-facing industry, with clear examples of communities or programs you’ve grown
You must have a genuine connection to the local running or movement scenes—you know the crews, clubs, races, and key players shaping the culture in markets like Kenya or South Africa and other key markets across the continent
Proven ability to plan and deliver activations end-to-end (events, run crews, ambassador programs), managing budgets, timelines, and multiple partners.
Strong stakeholder management skills, confident collaborating across global teams and local networks to deliver impactful, 360° initiatives.
Data-informed mindset, with experience tracking metrics like attendance, engagement, and community growth to improve performance.
A hands-on, adaptable approach—comfortable working in growth environments and to embrace new challenges and learn new skills.
Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to engage authentically across diverse communities.
Fluent in English as this is our shared professional language at On, with excellent written and spoken communication skills. Swahili is a strong advantage!
Open to frequent travel (~40%) and excited to be present where the community is.
You embody the 5 On’s spirits — check out our career page for more on these!

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About the Team

The Africa team at On is newly established and dedicated to building and shaping the brand across emerging markets on the continent. We play a critical role in defining how On’s performance-driven identity is brought to life throughout Africa. As a diverse and highly collaborative team, we work closely with colleagues across Europe, the Middle East, and our global functions to ensure the successful planning and execution of brand initiatives. We are moving fast, building from the ground up, and defining our path as we go. We are not following a playbook—we are creating it.

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Ann

Senior Director of Brand Studio

I think something that unites people here is the pace and the drive. The ambition is quite high in everything we do and when you bring these people together, you see the outcome can be multiplied. It's super impressive to see what happens when you put these creative teams together who really help each other grow.

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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.