Senior Lead - Footwear Testing

JobsCloseBy Editorial Insights

On is seeking a Senior Lead - Footwear Testing in Zürich to lead a high-performing team and drive end-to-end validation from development to market, partnering with Design, Development, Materials, Product Strategy and Sports Science to ensure fit, comfort, durability and performance. The role demands translating complex testing data into actionable insights, overseeing testing programs, expanding the tester network, and maintaining data integrity in testing systems. Key requirements include 8+ years in footwear testing, proven leadership, cross-functional influence, excellent communication, and fluency in English; strong Excel and PowerPoint plus data analysis skills. In your application, quantify impact, show leadership outcomes, illustrate collaboration across teams, and express a genuine passion for performance running.

In short:

Product Testing is the voice of the athlete and the consumer at On. We’re responsible for ensuring every On product meets the highest quality standards and delivers a premium, high-performance experience by combining scientific rigor with real-world insight. Through rigorous testing and validation, only products that truly perform make it to market.

As a Footwear Testing Senior Lead you will be responsible for validating footwear products from development through to market and driving excellence and leading the team in the Running category. You’ll work in a fast-paced, collaborative environment and act as a key partner across Design, Development, Materials, Product Strategy and Sports Science to ensure excellence in fit, comfort, durability, and performance.

Your Mission:

• Lead a high-performing team of Specialists, fostering a culture of growth and exploration while elevating existing, successful workflows. 
• Serve as a senior point of contact for internal stakeholders in the Run category, providing guidance and alignment on testing projects.
• Collaborate closely with key stakeholders to identify testing requirements based on product briefs and target consumers, owning end to end processes for assigned projects 
• Define and execute rigorous testing strategies across durability, fit, comfort, and performance,  taking charge of high-complexity testing programs.  
• Lead qualitative and quantitative footwear testing, perception studies, and real-world validation to ensure products reflect authentic athlete and consumer needs.
• Build and maintain strategic partnerships to integrate consumer insights, scientific expertise, and performance analysis into standardized, evidence-based product evaluations.
• Translate complex testing data into powerful insights and clear reports that enable confident decision-making and elevate product excellence across the organization. 
• Ensure testing timelines are efficient and seamlessly integrated into the fast-moving Product Creation calendars.
• Expand and cultivate a diverse tester network to support project timelines and enhance community engagement. 
• Work seamlessly with  testing systems and databases to ensure accurate & high-quality data integrity.
• As a leader you will significantly contribute to team goals and process improvements. 

Your Story:

• 8+ years of experience in footwear testing or a closely related role within the footwear industry
• A strong passion for run culture and performance running footwear.
• Proven leadership experience, with a passion for building high-performance teams
• Ability to influence cross-functional team effectiveness through partnership & advisory
• Excellent communication skills and confidence in working with cross-functional stakeholders.
• A detail-oriented, creative, and solutions-focused mindset.
• Flexibility to work outside standard hours when necessary.
• Proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint & capable of adapting to internal databases 
• Analysis expertise with complex data and analysis methods 
• Fluent in English (written and spoken).

Your Team:

We’re a team responsible for making sure that the products for On represent the highest quality & performance standards. We have a lot of responsibility to meet the needs and demands of our customers. So we analyse, test and validate our products in the most comprehensive manner. Only products that pass our rigorous tests ever go to market.

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.