Senior Lead - Apparel Development

In short

As a Senior Lead Apparel Development at On, you serve as the technical architect and strategic developer for the global apparel organisation. At this level, your influence extends beyond the execution of individual products; you are responsible for defining the engineering standards, technical roadmaps, and operational frameworks that allow our teams to scale. You act as a critical bridge between visionary design and commercial reality, balancing an entrepreneurial drive for innovation with the structural discipline required for global excellence. You are a trusted advisor to senior leadership, a mentor to the wider development community, and the final authority on technical integrity for our most complex and high-visibility initiatives.

Your mission

- Lead the development of complex technical apparel styles and seasonal projects, ensuring excellence in performance, durability, and fit consistency across all size scales.

- Drive technical solutions tailored to high-performance environments, including durability for high-intensity movement, repeated laundering, and complex branding integrations.

- Partner closely with Design to translate creative concepts into scalable, production-ready Tech Packs that maintain visual identity while delivering elite performance standards.

- Oversee fit, grading, and size-set consistency for premium product lines, ensuring accuracy across global consumer and professional size ranges.

- Collaborate with Materials and Innovation to advance lightweight constructions, moisture management systems, bonded or seamless applications, and advanced ventilation mapping.

- Act as a technical lead for high-visibility product launches, managing risk, timelines, and stakeholder alignment with professional authority.

- Work directly with global manufacturing partners to ensure repeatability, durability, and quality at scale for large-volume product programs.

- Manage seasonal costing excellence by advising on material choices, yield, construction methods, and vendor suitability while maintaining quality and performance standards.

- Drive hands-on cost engineering initiatives, making development decisions that balance performance, margin targets, and scalability.

- Maintain data integrity and ensure accuracy of all development information within PLM, enabling clear communication, traceability, and scalable execution.

- Mentor Junior and Mid-Level Developers within the category, sharing expertise in construction and development best practices.

- Stay ahead of industry innovation in team apparel systems, including advancements in lightweight fabrics, athlete data integration, and sustainable material solutions.

Your story

- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Apparel Engineering, Textile Technology, or a related field, combined with an entrepreneurial spirit that challenges the status quo.

- 12+ years of apparel development experience, with a significant track record of leading complex, high-performance categories at a top-tier global sports or outdoor brand.

- Industry-recognised expertise in functional garment engineering, advanced textile mechanics, and specialised construction (e.g., bonding, seam-sealing, 3D body mapping).

- Demonstrated ability to look beyond the garment to the system-optimising PLM workflows, Digital Product Creation (DPC) integration, and global quality protocols.

- Exceptional communication skills with the ability to translate complex technical risks into strategic business language for C-suite and cross-functional leaders.

- Experience managing multiple seasonal drops aligned to fixed competition calendars.

- Experience managing a diverse international vendor base and a willingness to travel globally to support technical development and production excellence at the source.

- Fluent in English; additional languages are a plus.

Meet the team

We are a collaborative, creative, and science-driven development team working closely to convert cutting-edge ideas into viable prototypes and eventually commercialising them into exceptional performance products sold globally at premium sport retailers, in our global flagship stores, and in our DTC channel. High quality, aesthetically pleasing, and truly functional attributes are top of mind when creating our two season apparel collections and multiple fashion collaborations. Our cross-functional teams combine the best experts in fields such as Development, Design, Materials, Innovation, Sourcing, Testing, and Product Management/Merchandising to create truly extraordinary sportswear products.

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.