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Head of Strategy & Operations, Footwear Product Creation
Location: Zurich
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In short
As the Head of Strategy & Operations, you are the architect of Footwear Creation's operating model. You will translate On's 2030 Long Range Plan into executable transformation - driving the strategic initiatives, processes, and systems that enable our team to deliver breakthrough footwear with Swiss-engineered precision. Sitting at the intersection of Development, Engineering, Materials, and Sustainability, you will influence leaders across functions, build organizational excitement for new ways of working, and make decisive calls on initiative prioritization and execution. Your mission: own the LRP initiative portfolio, orchestrate the leadership operating rhythm, and deliver measurable transformation that elevates how we create.
Your Mission
Strategic Leadership & Vision (LRP to Action)
- Architect the Roadmap: Translate On’s 2030 LRP and annual goals into a multi-year strategic roadmap for Footwear Product Creation.
- Strategic Prioritization: Act as the Creation gatekeeper for the footwear portfolio, ensuring technical breakthroughs are sequenced and resourced for maximum commercial impact.
Portfolio Strategy & Operating Rhythm
- Own seasonal range portfolio planning: capacity modeling, resource allocation, project prioritization.
- Design and manage the Footwear Creation operating rhythm: weekly leadership standups, monthly business reviews, quarterly strategic planning.
- Facilitate high-stakes leadership discussions; Own the agendas, pre-reads, drive decisions and follow-through for all leadership forums.
- Serve as the primary coordination point between Creation and cross-functional partners (Innovation, Sourcing, Brand, Supply Chain).
- Build portfolio dashboards that give leadership real-time visibility into capacity, progress, risks, and trade-offs.
Process Excellence & Transformation
- Lead strategic initiatives to improve creation velocity: stage-gate optimization, systems integration, capacity planning frameworks.
- Identify and eliminate process inefficiencies; challenge any workflow that doesn't add value.
- Drive adoption of new ways of working through clear metrics, change management, and feedback loops.
- Build a high-accountability, fast-decision culture within the Creation leadership team.
Change Management & Adoption Excellence
- Drive adoption of new initiatives through comprehensive change management: communication strategies, training programs, adoption metrics, feedback mechanisms.
- Build organizational excitement and understanding of the strategic rationale behind transformational changes.
- Navigate politics and complexity to drive decisions and unblock progress.
- Hold partners accountable to commitments even when they don't report to you.
- Monitor leading indicators of adoption; implement course corrections when resistance or confusion emerges.
- Foster a culture of accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement within Footwear Creation.
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Your story
- Experience: 10+ years of leadership in Product Strategy, Program Management, or Footwear Creation, with a proven track record of translating corporate strategy into actionable cross-functional initiatives.
- Operational Rigor: Exceptional executive facilitation skills; you are comfortable holding senior stakeholders accountable and running high-stakes leadership rhythms.
- Influence without authority: You've led initiatives where success required getting leaders who don't report to you to change how they work. You have low self orientation.
- Footwear Acumen: Deep understanding of the end-to-end product creation lifecycle from innovation and engineering to global manufacturing.
- Data-Driven Mindset: Exceptional analytical and visualization skills; you can turn complex project data into clear insights for executive decision-making.
- Transformation Leader: Experience leading organizational change, including "Future State" org design and the implementation of new operating models.
- Communication: A natural storyteller, capable of inspiring large teams on stage and navigating complex cross-functional partnerships.
- Passion: An undeniable drive for sports, footwear technology, and Swiss-engineered innovation.
Why This Matters
On is scaling fast. Footwear Creation needs to evolve - not just work harder, but work smarter. We need new systems, new processes, new ways of collaborating. We need someone who can drive that transformation across a complex, cross-functional organization.
You won't build the products. But you'll build the operating model, the systems, and the culture that enable products and brand initiatives to be adopted and built with excellence, at speed, at scale.
If you're the kind of transformation leader who thrives on complexity, who knows how to influence without authority, who can make tough calls and drive change that sticks - this is your role.
About the Team
Our mission is to define and create the future of sportswear bringing to life groundbreaking innovations. Acting at the forefront of material science, sport science and engineering we develop products that push the boundaries of performance and sustainability, blending in unique aesthetic appeal that embodies On’s design DNA.
About the Team video
Ernest
Footwear Development, Ho Chi Minh City
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.