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Lead - Apparel Material Development (Performance)

Location: Zurich

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Apparel & Accessories Product Creation

In short

As Lead – Apparel Materials Development Performance, you will take responsibility for executing the global performance materials strategy and advancing textile technology in line with the company vision. The role includes overseeing fabric creation, advanced material development, and technical execution, as well as collaborating across functions to support performance, sustainability, and high-performance product objectives.

Reporting to the Apparel Materials Team Sr Lead, you will manage material development projects across multiple seasons, support the execution of the global materials strategy, and work closely with Design, Development, Product Management, and Sustainability teams. You will also mentor junior specialists depending on project scope, and guide cross-functional partners to deliver innovative material solutions from concept through to garment production.

Your Mission

Strategic Sourcing & Creation: Define, develop, and lead the creation and strategic sourcing of technical, high-performance apparel materials (including knits, wovens, and applicable trims or embellishment) in accordance with design briefs, product roadmaps, timelines, sourcing policies, and sustainability requirements.
Standards & Quality Control: Establish and manage fabric availability standards, sourcing policies, and quality assurance processes, supporting target prices and adherence to program timelines across the global supply chain.
Multi-Season Management: Lead material development workstreams within assigned projects, coordinating across multiple apparel product seasons to ensure alignment with program objectives.
Sustainability Leadership: Drive and report on material-specific targets in line with the company sustainability roadmap, ensuring compliance, circularity, and supporting continuous improvement in raw materials.
Technical Specifications: Create and maintain material and trim specifications, print applications, and related documentation using PLM system, supporting the adoption of best practices within the team.
Lifecycle & Testing: Manage the material lifecycle, ensuring all textiles and substrates are robustly tested for high-intensity sports applications, approved, and continuously improved, leveraging expertise in yarns, fabric structures, dyeing, finishing, & printing..
Supplier Partnerships: Build and maintain strategic relationships with T2 material suppliers (textile mills, print vendors) and T1 factory teams (garment manufacturers) to support material development, quality, and process improvements.
Library Innovation: Contribute to the development and maintenance of the digital and physical apparel material library and tools used across the product creation team, supporting both inline commercial lines and special innovation projects.
Cross-Functional Alignment: Collaborate cross-functionally with internal teams — Design, Product Development, Product Management, Innovation, Sustainability, and Testing — across global regions (Eu & Asia Sourcing office) to ensure seamless alignment and successful execution of apparel material initiatives.

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Your story

Education: Bachelor’s degree (minimum) in Textile Engineering, Textile Technology, Apparel Science, or a related field; Master’s degree or equivalent experience preferred.
Experience: 8+ years of experience in performance apparel material/fabric development, with a proven track record in technical textiles, innovative synthetics, or sports apparel execution, including extensive collaboration with Asia-based suppliers and factories.
Global Mobility: Extensive global travel experience to T2 material mills/suppliers and T1 garment factories to troubleshoot, create, develop, and source materials at the source.
Project Leadership: Proven experience managing cross-functional material development projects from initial concept to commercial production across a matrixed organization.
Sport Tech Expertise: Deep affinity for apparel design and technology in the technical performance category, with strong knowledge of performance fabric, garment construction methods (e.g., bonding, seam-sealing, knitting), and industry manufacturing processes.
Innovation Mindset: Demonstrated success in driving innovation in performance materials (such as moisture management, thermoregulation, and lightweight durability), with experience managing multiple overlapping seasons of product development.
Analytical & Organized: Strong attention to detail, with the ability to organize complex material data and deliver well-structured presentations and long-term planning documents to leadership.
Leadership & Mentorship: Deep understanding of apparel industry processes, with the ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across teams and mentoring junior colleagues.
Communication & Negotiation: Strong collaborative skills and experience engaging with diverse global stakeholders, featuring excellent verbal and written communication and negotiation abilities.
Agility: Able to balance creative design intent with rigorous technical organization and discipline, thriving in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

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About the Team

The Apparel Materials Development Performance team develops and delivers the company’s performance and sustainability strategy for all apparel textiles and raw materials. The team conducts cutting-edge research, defines global material strategies, and supports projects that advance more sustainable materials, products, and manufacturing processes.

We work closely with cross-functional partners to embed material sustainability and high-performance priorities into the core of garment creation, with a strong focus on effective communication and knowledge sharing. As a Lead, you will contribute your deep technical textile expertise, drive the execution of material strategy, and ensure world-class fabrics and components are successfully integrated across our global sports product lines.

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Sindy

Apparel Developer

We always look for better decisions, we always listen to people and listen to different colleagues. We listen, we digest, and we find the most suitable one for all the team and everybody benefits. That process makes us really innovative.

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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.