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Global Merchandising Head Of Lifestyle & Special Projects

Location: Zurich

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Product Strategy

In short

As the Global Merchandising Head Of Lifestyle & Special Projects, you will shape and drive the Global Merchandising strategy across On’s Lifestyle portfolio, spanning both Lifestyle Footwear and Special Projects across Footwear, Apparel and Accessories. You will own the global range architecture, consumer proposition and tailored assortments, ensuring On delivers the right product, to the right consumer, in the right channel, at the right time and at the right price. At the heart of this role is creating consumer desirability and brand heat while building a sustainable and scalable Lifestyle business. You will translate On’s global brand and product strategy into compelling assortments that balance commercial performance with premium brand positioning. You will bring a strong point of view on consumer, product, channel and market opportunity, influencing product briefs and franchise strategies from the earliest stages of development through to seasonal execution and sell-through. For Special Projects, you will apply the same commercial and consumer lens to build high-impact, culturally relevant and strategically important product stories, using controlled distribution, scarcity and tailored assortments to create demand and strengthen On’s premium positioning. You will partner closely with Product, Design, Innovation, Brand, Regional Merchandising, Partnership Management, VM and Global and Regional Sales to ensure consumer and market insights translate into differentiated product strategies, global range architecture and commercially successful assortments.

Your Mission

Build the Global Lifestyle Merchandising Strategy

Define and evolve the global merchandising strategy for Lifestyle and Special Projects, translating On’s broader brand and product priorities into clear consumer and commercial strategies.
Build the global range architecture ensuring an efficient yet compelling Lifestyle proposition.
Identify opportunities to expand Lifestyle into new consumer segments, channels and categories while protecting On’s premium positioning.
Develop clear merchandising frameworks that balance consumer desirability, brand heat, commercial opportunity and sustainable profitability.

Drive Product & Franchise Strategy

Influence product briefs and franchise strategies from concept through to commercialization, ensuring products are rooted in clear consumer and market opportunities.
Establish clear roles for hero, core, growth and incubation franchises, ensuring the portfolio evolves with consumer demand.
Identify when franchises should be scaled, reset, repositioned or exited based on consumer and commercial signals.

Own Global Range & Assortment Excellence

Build seasonal range plans across Lifestyle and Special Projects, translating global strategy into detailed SKU-level line plans.
Build consumer-right tailored channel assortments globally, balancing global consistency with regional and account-specific opportunities.
Provide a clear point of view on product flow, colour needs, depth, price and channel distribution to maximize seasonal performance.
Ensure global and regional teams are aligned on the range strategy while allowing appropriate market localization.

Lead Special Projects

Own the global merchandising strategy for Special Projects, working project-by-project to define the consumer proposition, range, targets, distribution and commercial strategy.
Develop clear scarcity and allocation frameworks to balance brand heat with commercial opportunity.
Partner closely with Product, Design and Brand to bring strategically important innovations and collaborations to market.
Ensure Special Projects acts as an incubator for future Lifestyle franchises, consumer insights and new business opportunities.
Set sell-through, volume, NS and productivity targets and ensure the range is structured to deliver against them.

Drive Commercial Performance

Own global seasonal targets and commercial KPIs across Lifestyle and Special Projects.
Identify commercial risks and opportunities early and drive cross-functional actions to address them.
Use performance data, consumer signals and market intelligence to continuously refine the global range strategy.

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Your story

8+ years of experience within premium sportswear, luxury fashion or streetwear with significant experience owning global or multi-market businesses.
Strong people leader with the ability to build, develop and inspire a high-performing global merchandising team.
Proven track record of building global merchandising strategies and commercial plans across multiple channels and markets.
Deep understanding of Lifestyle and sneaker culture, with a strong instinct for what will create consumer relevance and brand heat.
Commercially strong, with the ability to balance brand aspiration, consumer desirability and financial performance.
Highly comfortable operating in a fast-paced, matrixed global environment, with strong executive presence and the ability to influence senior stakeholders.
A strategic thinker who can move seamlessly between 5-year vision and SKU-level detail.
Exceptional relationship builder who can connect Product, Design, Innovation, Brand, Merchandising, Sales and Regional teams around a common consumer and commercial ambition.
A resilient, entrepreneurial leader who thrives in ambiguity, embraces change and proactively builds solutions in a high-growth environment.
Data-led but consumer obsessed, able to combine quantitative insights with strong product and cultural intuition.

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About the Team

On’s Global Merchandising Team sits at the center of Product, Brand and Commercial Strategy, ensuring we create and deliver the right product to the right consumer, in the right market, at the right time and at the right scale. As the Global Merchandising Head of Lifestyle (Inline) & Special Projects, you will lead the merchandising strategy for one of On’s key future growth opportunities, working across global and regional teams to build a consumer-led, commercially sustainable and culturally relevant Lifestyle business. You will be a key voice in shaping not only what we sell, but where On plays, how we build demand and how we scale the Lifestyle business globally

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Hyeyoung

Head of Strategic Product Initiatives

The way we solve problems is very unique and that brings a very unique energy into it. It motivates me everyday, waking up with this excitement that's quite unusual.

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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.