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Senior Director of Merchandising EMEA
Location: Zurich
Apply for this role(opens in a new tab)In short
As the Senior Director of Merchandising for EMEA, you are the leading product authority within our regional leadership team, architecting the assortment and product strategy for a $1B+ business across all channels. You bring a deep understanding of the diverse European, Middle Eastern and African consumer landscape and the leadership presence required to drive strategic, cross-channel decisions across DtC, E-commerce, and Wholesale. Leading a high-caliber team of merchandising and planning specialists, you will harmonize and elevate our presence across various platforms—ensuring our brand values are upheld with digital partners or strategic accounts. As an inclusive and visionary leader, you will represent the voice of the EMEA region globally, ensuring our regional insights help shape the future of the brand.
Your Mission
- Guide the EMEA Product Vision: Lead the overarching regional strategy, providing inclusive and data-driven directional input on our footwear, apparel and accessory collection to Global Product and Merchandising teams, ensuring EMEA market needs and product lifecycles are informing our product creation.
- Strategic Channel Harmonization: Drive key decisions on regional and country-specific assortments, balancing the nuances of Wholesale and DtC to ensure a consistent premium consumer experience across the entire region and all channels.
- Collaborative Executive Leadership: Act as a senior representative for all product-related strategies, possessing the professional gravity to influence the Extended EMEA Leadership team and Global Product partners.
- Foster Category Growth: Lead the expansion of On’s apparel and footwear business in EMEA by identifying commercial opportunities that resonate with a wide range of athletes and enthusiasts, bridging the gap between performance and lifestyle.
- Actionable Market Intelligence & Strategy: Translate complex market insights and competitor landscapes into merchandising strategy that reaches the right consumers in the right places at the right time.
- Pricing & Market Health: Define the pricing strategy for European markets to ensure sustainable premium growth while maintaining the brand's desirability and credibility.
- Cross-Functional Commercial Connector: Serve as a vital link between Sales, DtC, Marketing, and Operations, helping to define the commercial and GTM narrative that guides our teams from season to season in line with our vision 2030, our long-term strategy and long range plan.
- Sustainable Business Management: Direct a sophisticated forecasting process, using collaborative insights and retail analytics to ensure long-term brand health and inventory efficiency.
- Forecast Accuracy & Planning: Deliver accurate seasonal forecasts in a smart, increasingly automated way, that take consumer insights across channels into account. Partner with integrated planning teams across functions (Finance, Sales, Supply Chain) to deliver the right products in the right quantities to the right channels on time and in full.
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Your story
- 12+ years of progressive leadership experience in merchandising or product management within global, high-growth organizations.
- Deep Multi-Channel Expertise: Proven success in managing complex retail ecosystems and a sophisticated understanding of the EMEA retail landscape, including digital marketplaces and key wholesale accounts.
- Versatile Industry Background: Experience navigating large-scale ranges in both the Sports and Fashion sectors, with a track record of managing diverse consumer segments.
- Inclusive Leadership DNA: A conscious leader with the vision to build high-performing teams; you inspire trust and are committed to fostering a workplace where different cultural perspectives and backgrounds are valued as a strength.
- Strategic & Analytical Acumen: A results-oriented mindset with the ability to analyze data and market trends to make informed, timely decisions that drive the business forward.
- Effective Communicator: Experience driving purpose for large, diverse audiences and the ability to articulate a clear vision in a collaborative and influential manner.
- Consumer Advocate: An intuitive passion for product and a deep respect for the consumer experience, with an eye for how our brand is represented both online and offline.
- Global Mindset: Professional proficiency in English is required; experience working across different cultural and regional contexts is highly valued.
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.