Senior Lead - Commercialization Engineer

On seeks a Senior Lead Commercialization Engineer in Zürich to drive footwear product evolution, manage complex development projects, and ensure scalable, high-quality manufacturing.

This position serves as a key driver in the evolution of On’s product line, operating with significant autonomy to lead intricate projects and champion innovative solutions. The role demands the ability to master technical complexities, manage stakeholder relationships, and translate visionary concepts into scalable, performance-driven products.

Responsibilities

• Independently oversee multiple high-impact footwear development projects from initial confirmation through to production, establishing necessary methods and procedures.
• Lead the complete commercialization process by applying deep expertise in manufacturing techniques, fit, material properties, and mold or process manufacturing.
• Serve as a vital link between inline development and production teams, collaborating with strategic vendors to preserve product intent.
• Design products for efficient manufacturability, aiming for the lowest cost while maintaining the highest standards of quality and performance.
• Manage expectations and negotiate effectively with diverse internal teams, major external T1/T2 partners, and sourcing groups.
• Work with computational designers to adjust upper patterns and tooling construction, improving fit, durability, and scalable manufacturing.
• Handle full size run grading, technical manufacturing operation manuals, initial production trials, ERP system updates, and scalability sign-off.
• Document complex tooling and upper-related issues, defining and communicating clear correction actions to all stakeholders.

Requirements

• Over 10 years of progressive experience in the footwear industry, focusing on innovation and bringing new technologies to market.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Engineering, Material Science, or another relevant technical field.
• Expert-level knowledge of advanced footwear manufacturing processes, including robotics, automation, tooling, molding, injecting, welding, lasting, and assembly.
• Proven ability to lead the scaling of new technologies and assess their commercial viability and factory readiness.
• Exceptional communication, negotiation, and influencing skills, with the ability to confidently present to senior management and external partners.
• Ability to travel up to 15-20% of the time.

Nice to have

• 2D and 3D, computational design and algorithmic capabilities.
• Experience in mentoring junior team members or supervising project activities.

About the company

The Innovation team at On is an agile, interdisciplinary group comprising footwear creation, advanced manufacturing, and future of sport experts. The team challenges the status quo and pushes boundaries to pioneer footwear innovation, expecting members to think outside the box and bring new, innovative ideas to life.

• Agile, interdisciplinary team of footwear creation, advanced manufacturing, and future of sport experts.
• Challenges the status quo and pushes boundaries to pioneer footwear innovation.
• Encourages thinking outside the box and bringing new, innovative ideas to life.