Senior Lead - Footwear Design, Performance Running

On

In short We are establishing our first-ever public cultural destination and dedicated exhibition space at our Zurich HQ, launching early 2027. We are looking for a visionary, globally-connected Senior Lead Exhibition Programming & Curation to shape and build this new cultural landmark from the ground up. As an exceptional cross-disciplinary curator and autonomous project leader, you will design and orchestrate a living ecosystem that sits at the intersection of design, innovation, and art. Operating as the strategic engine of this space, you will maintain a continuous, highly dynamic calendar of exhibitions, artist-in-residence programs, and discursive events. You will ensure the space remains a continuously populated, world-class inspiration hub that seamlessly bridges public cultural engagement with dynamic internal workshops, co-creation sessions, and cross-disciplinary inspiration for our product teams.   Your mission   * Establish the Curatorial Vision: Define and execute a holistic, multi-disciplinary exhibition and event strategy that builds brand equity and long-term cultural legitimacy. You will develop overarching annual narratives that thread contemporary art, cinema, design, movement, and technology into an expansive, accessible public dialogue. * Bridge worlds: Act as the vital link between external creative communities, global cultural institutions, and our internal product teams. You will design public-facing cultural moments while simultaneously programming the space as an internal sandbox for design workshops, co-creation sessions, and cross-disciplinary inspiration.  * Orchestrate the Artist-in-Residence Program: Head the strategic definition and curation of the Artist-in-Residence Program. You will invite established international talent and launch open calls for young creative communities, empowering residents to populate the space with their networks while embedding them into our technological research environment. * Maintain Continuous Programming & Occupancy: Direct a rolling, continuous calendar of exhibitions, public community events, and internal activations. You will maximize the space's utility and inspiration potential year-round, ensuring it stays dynamically utilized and seamlessly adapted to changing programming needs. * Operational Excellence: Manage and maintain full oversight of the programming budget, resource allocation, vendor contracts, and artist fees. You will source and supervise external technical teams, art handlers, and operational logistics, ensuring the exhibition infrastructure functions at a high-performance, premium scale.   Your story * Cultural & Cross-Disciplinary Expert: You bring a deep background (10-12+ years) in curating and producing contemporary art exhibitions, residencies, or cultural programming, backed by an active global network. * Strategic & Para-Curatorial Thinker: You excel at shifting ideas into alternative, highly desirable formats (talks, dinners, workshops) to build deep community engagement rather than just static showcases. * Autonomous and Agile Self-Starter: You thrive in fast-paced, high-growth environments and are comfortable running a solo operation. You are equally skilled at driving long-term curatorial strategy and managing the practical realities of complex, multi-year timelines, international artist logistics, and external vendor networks without waiting for a predefined playbook.  * Collaboration-Minded Thinker: You understand how to align a cultural calendar with corporate realities. You possess the diplomacy to manage internal stakeholders, ensuring the space effortlessly transitions between public exhibition mode and internal team alignment/workshop mode. * Inspirational Storyteller: You can translate complex artistic, technological, or design concepts into highly compelling copy, editorial initiatives, or physical media that resonate with a global fan base.   About the team You will report directly to the Chief of Staff (CoS) of Design, sitting at the heart of a vibrant and diverse Design Studio that drives On’s disruptive product design across footwear, apparel, and accessories. We are a team that values creativity, curiosity, and collaboration, and we are looking for someone who shares our passion for turning the "why" of our past into the "what's next" of our future.

On

In short: Color has the power to shape our thoughts, moods, and emotions, influencing us both physiologically and psychologically. As a Senior Color Designer for Performance at On, you play a pivotal role in redefining the brand's identity through a disruptive, top-of-the-line color strategy. This is not a role for someone who just "colors within the lines"—we are looking for a visionary who creates the color blocking that completely changes product architecture and shifts how the brand reads on the track, road, and court. You will craft compelling, elite color stories that resonate with high-performance athletes, align with brand values, and drive the future of our fast-paced performance categories. YOUR MISSION: * Disruptive Color Blocking & Creation: Lead the creation of innovative color blocking strategies that alter product perception, maximize visual impact, and redefine how performance products read on and off the road, track, and court. * Elite Performance Contextualization: Strategize and execute consumer-focused color work specifically tailored to the elite performance world. * Independent Project Management: Act as an autonomous force, efficiently managing workloads through a rapid, fast-paced environment. * Out-of-the-Box Narrative Building: Develop highly creative narratives that push boundaries while maintaining a connection to the overarching CD color umbrella, utilizing advanced renders and dynamic visual communication to bring these concepts to life. * Cross-Functional Synergy (Apparel HT2): Deeply collaborate with the Apparel Color Design team to constantly check, co-create, and lock in Head-to-Toe (HT2) integration for our elite performance gear, ensuring a unified brand statement. * Cross-Functional Influence (Inline Footwear): Act as the "lightning strike" for the Inline Performance Footwear team; be highly proactive and vocal in sharing these collaborative insights and elite concepts, ensuring the energy successfully trickles down to influence and shape the commercial footwear area. * Digital & Physical Execution: High-level execution of color CADs, PLM data management, and the continuous building of a cutting-edge digital and physical inspiration library rooted in contemporary art, culture, and sports fashion. * Strategic Stakeholder Presentation: Present complex color proposals, concepts, and emotional narratives with high-fidelity renders and clear visual communication to gain immediate buy-in from internal leadership and external partners. YOUR STORY: * Bachelor's degree in Industrial Design, Color Sciences, Graphic Design, Fine Arts, or a related field. * 5+ years of experience in the footwear industry, with a proven track record specifically within high-performance footwear. * A portfolio that demonstrates "out-of-the-box" thinking, complex color-blocking expertise, and an innate understanding of how color interacts with movement. * Demonstrated ability to work completely independently, self-manage stress, and make critical design decisions under tight deadlines. * Deep technical knowledge of color processes across technical, performance-driven materials. * Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and 3D visualization programs. * Fluent in English (written and spoken); any additional languages are a plus. YOUR TEAM: Our Color Team plays a pivotal role in shaping the visual identity and aesthetic appeal of our products across all categories. Comprising talented professionals with diverse backgrounds, our team collaborates seamlessly to deliver innovative and trend-setting designs that resonate with our consumers and elevate our brand presence in the market. In essence, our Color Team serves as the creative powerhouse pulling together past, present, and future perspectives to drive the visual experience of our products. Through a collaborative and multidisciplinary approach, we craft compelling color design solutions that captivate consumers, differentiate our brand, and inspire lasting connections in the competitive marketplace.

On

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