
On · Zurich
In short Product Testing is the voice of the athlete and the consumer at On. We ensure every product delivers a premium, high-performance experience by combini...
In short
Product Testing is the voice of the athlete and the consumer at On. We ensure every product delivers a premium, high-performance
experience by combining scientific rigor with real-world insight.
As Apparel and Accessories Testing Lead, you will be responsible for validating products from development through to market,
focusing on specialized, high performance sport categories. You’ll work in a fast-paced, collaborative environment and act as a
key partner across Design, Development, Materials, and Strategy to ensure excellence in the wearing experience including comfort,
durability, and performance.
Your mission
Command the Validation Strategy: Define and execute rigorous testing strategies across durability, comfort, and performance,
taking charge of specialized testing programs. You will identify testing requirements based on product briefs and target
consumers, confidently owning the end-to-end testing process.
Uncover the Truth in Data: Lead qualitative and quantitative apparel and accessories testing, perception studies, and real-world
validation to ensure our products reflect authentic athlete and consumer needs. Integrate consumer insights, scientific expertise,
and performance analysis into standardized, evidence-based product evaluations.
Drive Confident Decisions: Translate complex testing results into powerful insights that enable confident decision-making and
elevate product excellence across the organization. You will analyze performance and durability data, including behavior and
attitudinal insights, developing clear reports for project stakeholders.
Influence Product Creation: Conduct hands-on performance testing, directly presenting key findings and improvement recommendations
to critical stakeholders. Deliver benchmarking and competitor insights to spot opportunities for true innovation and product
differentiation in the global sports arena.
Build the Testing Ecosystem: Establish highly efficient testing processes, timelines, and feedback loops aligned seamlessly with
Product Creation calendars. You will actively build and maintain a dynamic tester network of agile, high-performance athletes that
supports both everyday testing needs and urgent project timelines. Set up high-energy testing events and initiatives to drive deep
engagement within the testing community.
Elevate Operations: Work seamlessly with testing systems and databases to ensure accurate, high-quality data and optimized
reporting flows. As a leader, you will contribute significantly to team goals, process improvements, and the continuous evolution
of our testing methodologies.
Your story
from concept to market.
scientific testing rigor with real-world, human-centric feedback.
cross-functional teams
global testing logistics.
from candidates from diverse backgrounds, including but not limited to:
and events.
Your Team
You'll be a leader in a global team fueled by a culture of relentless discovery. We test and validate our product promises,
transforming athlete feedback and scientific data into market-leading performance. While our creation partners work to make
products great, our mission is to prove they're great. Based in Zurich, our team of Footwear, Apparel & Accessories, and Lab
experts is the ultimate destination for individuals dedicated to enhancing the consumer experience.
IN SHORT: At On, we are obsessed with empowering human movement and delivering an unparalleled performance and sensory experience. We are seeking a visionary Director of Product Testing to lead the evolution of our lab, transforming it from a traditional mechanical testing center into a world-class hub for dynamic, consumer-centric, and subjective product validation. This is a pivotal leadership role designed to infuse the voice of the athlete and the psychology of the consumer into the heart of our product creation engine, ensuring every On product delivers on its promise of Swiss Engineering. YOUR MISSION: As the Director of Product Testing, you will be the architect of our future testing strategy. You will lead a talented team of technical experts, guiding them beyond the 'what' of objective durability to the 'why' of subjective feel, comfort, and performance. You will build and manage a new, independent lab function focused on fit, wear, and innovation, creating the methodologies and environment necessary to capture honest, actionable consumer insights. Your leadership will be instrumental in shifting our quality paradigm from reactionary analysis to preventative excellence, embedding quality and consumer obsession at the very beginning of the product lifecycle. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES * Strategic Leadership: Develop and execute a forward-thinking strategy for product testing that prioritizes subjective, consumer-focused feedback and psychological insights over traditional, objective mechanical testing. * Team Development & Mentorship: Lead, inspire, and upskill a team of technical testing experts. Foster a culture of trust, stability, and high performance, coaching the team in the principles of consumer psychology and sensory analysis. * Methodology Innovation: Design and implement novel testing frameworks, including dynamic focus groups and A/B testing protocols, to scientifically evaluate subjective product attributes like comfort, fit, and the feeling of speed. * Organizational Management & Alignment: Provide unified leadership and strategic direction to our global Product Testing organization. You will manage and align our geographically distributed teams, including the durability and fit team based in Asia and the consumer-centric testing team in Zurich. Your role is to harmonize these functions, ensuring our foundational durability and fit standards are seamlessly integrated with the advanced athlete and consumer insights gathered from Zurich's dynamic focus groups. * Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with Product Development, Design, Quality Engineering, and Strategy teams to ensure testing insights are integrated early in the design and manufacturing process, preventing issues before they arise. * Technological Advancement: Champion the use of new technologies, including AI and automation, to empower the team, streamline processes, and free up resources for more in-field, human-centric testing. * Insight Synthesis: Translate complex quantitative and qualitative data into a clear, compelling narrative that informs critical product decisions and reinforces our commitment to premium, consumer-obsessed products. YOUR STORY: * A World-Class People Leader: You are a fantastic and experienced leader, known for your ability to cultivate trust, manage down effectively, and develop the "superpowers" of your team members. Your primary passion is leading people, not just processes. * Consumer-Obsessed: You have a deep-seated curiosity about consumer behavior and are driven to understand the psychology behind their decisions and perceptions. You naturally put the consumer at the center of every decision. * A Strategic Thinker with an Explorer's Spirit: You are not a traditional technical tester. You have a background that allows you to approach testing in a new light, with an entrepreneurial mindset to challenge the status quo and explore new frontiers in product validation. * Psychologically Astute: You have a strong interest or formal background in psychology, consumer science, or a related field, enabling you to build a scientifically rigorous approach to subjective testing. * An Exceptional Communicator: You possess strong communication skills, capable of articulating a clear vision and providing candid, constructive feedback to your team and stakeholders. QUALIFICATIONS * Proven experience in a senior leadership role, with a strong track record of building and developing high-performing teams. * Experience in a consumer-facing industry is essential; a background in sporting goods (footwear, apparel, accessories), consumer electronics, or other premium product categories is highly preferred. * Demonstrated ability to lead through organizational change and transition. * While not mandatory, a degree or advanced studies in Psychology, Kinesiology, Human Factors, or a related field is a significant asset. * Passion for sport, movement, and the On brand. YOUR TEAM: You'll be a leader in a global team fueled by a culture of relentless discovery. We test and validate our product promises, transforming athlete feedback and scientific data into market-leading performance. While our creation partners work to make products great, our mission is to prove they're great. Based in Zurich, our team is the ultimate destination for individuals dedicated to enhancing the consumer experience. 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.
IN SHORT: WE ARE SEEKING AN INTERNATIONALLY SEASONED, HIGHLY SPECIALIZED SENIOR LEAD - PATTERN ENGINEER TO SPEARHEAD THE TECHNICAL LIFECYCLE OF OUR GLOBAL PRODUCT LINES FROM CONCEPT TO PRODUCTION. THIS STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP ROLE REQUIRES AN ELITE MASTERY OF BOTH DIGITAL AND MANUAL PATTERN ARCHITECTURE, COMBINED WITH A PROVEN TRACK RECORD OF MANAGING GARMENT ENGINEERS WHILE WORKING CLOSELY WITH DESIGN, TECHNICAL DESIGN, AND SUPPLIERS. THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE WILL DIRECTLY LEAD, MANAGE, AND SCALE OUR INTERNAL TEAM OF PATTERN ENGINEERS. THIS POSITION ACTS AS THE DEFINITIVE GLOBAL TECHNICAL AUTHORITY FOR PATTERN ENGINEERING - ARCHITECTING SCALABLE FITTING SYSTEMS, OPTIMIZING CROSS-FUNCTIONAL 2D/3D WORKFLOWS, AND DRIVING THE PROFESSIONAL GROWTH OF THEIR DIRECT REPORTS TO REDUCE DEVELOPMENT TIMELINES AND ENSURE FLAWLESS GLOBAL FIT CONSISTENCY. YOUR MISSION: * Lead, manage, and evaluate a dedicated internal team of Pattern Engineers. * Design and execute internal training on advanced fitting techniques, complex pattern adjustments, and Gerber Accumark instruction. * Manage team workflow distribution and capacity against dynamic seasonal product creation calendars. * Establish global pattern standards and technical production standards relative to fit and quality benchmarks. * Spearhead high-profile franchise updates and complex special projects, translating technical sketches into scalable, production-ready patterns. * Implement and maintain robust systems for fitting processes, digital pattern management, and PLM pipelines to improve sample approval rates. * Lead high-level fit sessions on live models, acting as the ultimate cross-functional expert between Design, Sourcing, and Materials. * Drive the integration of 2D digital pattern making with 3D prototyping software (CLO/Browzwear) to optimize fabric efficiency. YOUR STORY: * A minimum of 10–12+ years of progressive experience in pattern engineering and technical apparel design within premier global brands.international vendor communication. Knowledge of a Swiss national language (German, French, or Italian) is considered a strong asset. * A degree in Apparel Design, Pattern Engineering, or a related field. Prior experience acting as an industry instructor or academic specialist in CAD/Pattern software is highly preferred. * Proven track record of direct people management and supervisory experience, having previously led a team of pattern engineers, patternmakers, or technical designers in a brand environment. * Expert-level proficiency in industry-leading CAD systems (specifically Gerber Accumark Explorer/Design & Marker Making or Lectra), PLM software, and Adobe Illustrator. High proficiency in 3D apparel simulation tools (CLO 3D or Browzwear) is required. * Deep expertise in the unique physical properties of technical, performance, stretch-woven, and multi-category fabrics (including experience in complex categories like performance bottoms and custom structured garments). * Exceptional cross-functional leadership skills with a proven track record of driving process improvements, managing team performance, and presenting technical solutions to senior leadership. * Full professional fluency in English (written and spoken) is required as the primary language for global cross-functional collaboration and YOUR TEAM: In this role, you will collaborate with the Development, Design, Materials, Sourcing, suppliers, and Product Management teams to translate the product design intent and style vision into a consistent fit, quality, and execution level by leading the team responsible for our product’s technical specifications on fit, sizing, and commercialization requirements.
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