Senior Specialist - Footwear Material

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IN SHORT Drive premium footwear execution by partnering with Zurich HQ and tanneries to commercialize leather innovations. You will own end-to-end quality governance—establishing strict testing, grading, and cutting parameters across T1/T2 suppliers—while optimizing material utilization, onboarding new tanneries, and building our core leather manual to ensure production consistency. Offered on a contract basis YOUR MISSION - Partner with ZH Leather management team to commercialize new leathers and material innovations. - Work with Product Development, On-Site Teams(QA Teams), and suppliers to establish grading, testing, and cutting parameters for new leather programs. - Support the implementation of new leather techniques across leather collections. - Participate in material trials, evaluations, and approvals during development and commercialization stages. - Ensure T1 factories consistently maintain company quality and aesthetic standards. - Evaluate leather selection, grading, cutting, and utilization practices to ensure compliance with approved quality guidelines. - Partner with T1 factories to resolve leather quality issues, including replacement or recutting of non-conforming materials. - Collaborate with the leather suppliers to quickly address leather concerns that may impact production schedules. - Visit T1 factories and T2 leather suppliers to educate teams on:Testing standards procedures; Grading guidelines; Leather receiving procedures; Cutting and material utilization practices - Drive continuous improvement initiatives with suppliers to enhance quality consistency and operational efficiency. - Partner with the Costing Team to ensure fair and accurate leather waste factors are applied by T1 factories. - Monitor leather utilization and support opportunities for material optimization without compromising quality standards. - Support material tracking and organization for development and production needs. - Build up the leather core board, set up leather manual process - Onboarding new Tanneries YOUR STORY 5+ years of experience in leather sourcing, leather quality, product development, or material management within footwear, or accessories industries. Strong technical understanding of leather grading, tanning, cutting, testing, and manufacturing processes. Experience working with tanneries, factories, and external partners across Asia. Knowledge of footwear, construction and material applications preferred. Strong problem-solving, communication, and supplier management skills. Ability to manage multiple projects and timelines in a fast-paced environment. Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Powerpoint and material tracking systems. Willingness to travel frequently MEET THE TEAM You will be working with the brightest minds in the footwear sourcing industry 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.

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IN SHORT The Senior Specialist, Footwear Compound & Bottom Unit Costing drives cost engineering excellence and pricing transparency for compound and bottom units within the Global Footwear Sourcing & Costing Team.  In this capacity, by blending polymer science expertise with strong "should-cost" modeling and negotiation, this role ensures long-term cost efficiency, scalability and product commercialization with partnering cross-functionally from innovation to commercialization.    YOUR MISSION * Cost Engineering & Modeling: Develop, validate & maintain "should-cost" models for polymer-based compounds (outsoles, midsoles, and speedboards) utilized in footwear manufacturing. Connect technical polymer-science-driven solutions to commercially viable costing solutions. * Strategic Negotiation: Lead formula & market-based pricing discussions with global chemical/ material suppliers to secure competitive landing costs and long term commercial agreements. * Market Intelligence: Analyze global petrochemical markets and raw material indices to deliver risk-mitigating forecasts. Establish frameworks connecting raw material costs to compound pricing. * Cost Governance & Analytics: Build and standardize databases, assumptions and tracking tools for chemical materials to support global strategic cost initiatives. * Sustainable Material Costing: Establish financial and costing frameworks for sustainable polymers, aligned with On's sustainability goals. * Cross-functional Collaboration: Act as the strategic costing partner, aligning with Polymer Science & Engineering, Innovation, Footwear Sourcing, and external business partners to manage compound & bottom unit costing process within Product Creation & Commercialization timeline.   Your story * 05+ years of experience in material costing, compound development, polymer/ chemical engineering or footwear manufacturing engineering. * Education: Bachelor’s degree in Chemical/ Polymer Engineering, Polymer Science, Finance or Business. * Technical & Commercial Business Acumen: Strong understanding of footwear bottom construction & foam technologies; proven ability to translate technical specs into commercial savings. * Analytical Skills: Advanced proficiency in Google Sheets/ Excel, financial modeling, and index-based pricing mechanisms. Experience with PLM systems is preferred. * Soft Skills: Entrepreneurial mindset; exceptional communication skills with the ability to challenge suppliers and align stakeholders in a dynamic, global matrix environment. * Languages: Professional fluency in English, additional language skills are a plus. * Preferred Qualifications: Expertise in high-performance materials designed to transform the underfoot experience. Comprehensive knowledge of manufacturing techniques, including IM, CMP, SCF, and high-pressure injection molding. Previous engagement with sustainable material solutions and initiatives aimed at carbon reduction.   MEET THE TEAM You will join the Global Footwear Costing team, a group focused on delivering precision and transparency in footwear & material costing. We prioritize data-driven decisions and collaborative problem-solving to support the brand's long-term growth and innovation goals.

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In short We are excited to offer the position of Senior Specialist – Footwear Design Performance (Team Sports) within our Design team. In this role, you will contribute to the creation of next-generation performance footwear for team sports, translating athlete insights, biomechanical data and advanced technologies into innovative design solutions.  You will operate in a fast-paced environment where the full design process — from concept exploration to production briefing — is driven by performance, precision and speed. Working at the intersection of sport science, computational design, AI-enabled workflows and advanced manufacturing, you will help shape the future of performance footwear within the Team Sports category YOUR MISSION: * You will be an integral part of the Performance Footwear Team Sports vertical, contributing to the development of high-performance products built for elite athletes. * You will own projects across the full design process — from initial research and concept creation through final commercialization. * You will translate athlete insights, biomechanical analysis and sport-specific movement patterns into meaningful design solutions that elevate performance on the field. * You will develop concepts, mockups, visuals, and high-quality 2D and 3D assets, supporting rapid iteration and clear communication across teams. * You will leverage advanced digital workflows including 3D design, computational tools and AI-driven ideation to accelerate concept exploration and innovation. * You will collaborate closely with sports engineering, biomechanics and testing teams to validate and refine performance hypotheses. * You will work closely with our development partners in Vietnam, traveling two to four times per year to finalize prototypes and bring concepts to production. * You will contribute to shaping On’s design vision and creative culture, pushing the boundaries of performance footwear within the Team Sports category. YOUR STORY: * Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Industrial Design, Product Design or a related field. * Proven experience in performance footwear design (5+ years), preferably within team sports or sport performance categories. * Strong understanding of athlete needs, movement patterns and performance requirements within team sports. * Expert skills in sketching and storytelling, combined with strong proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite. * Advanced knowledge of 3D design tools such as Maya, ZBrush, Blender, Rhino or similar platforms. * Experience with AI-enabled creative tools, generative design workflows, and computational approaches to design exploration. * Understanding of footwear construction, materials and industrial manufacturing processes. * Hands-on mindset with the ability to build physical mockups and proof-of-concept prototypes. * Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to clearly articulate design ideas within cross-functional teams. * Fluent in English (written and spoken). YOUR TEAM: As part of the On Design team, our mission is to disrupt the performance footwear landscape through innovative, athlete-driven design. By combining design excellence, engineering precision and emerging digital tools, we translate athlete needs into high-performance products that push the boundaries of sport. Working at the intersection of design, innovation, development, sport science and testing, we create footwear that delivers performance without compromise — merging functional excellence with progressive design.