Senior Specialist - Color Designer Performance Footwear

On Holding AG seeks a Senior Specialist - Color Designer for Performance Footwear in Zürich. The role focuses on developing disruptive color strategies and narratives for high-performance athletic products.

This position is central to reshaping the brand's visual identity through advanced color strategies. The specialist will design color blocking that influences product architecture and enhances how items appear across various athletic environments. The role requires creating compelling color stories that connect with elite athletes and align with the company's core values.

Responsibilities

• Spearhead the development of innovative color blocking techniques that transform product perception and enhance visual impact across performance categories.
• Design consumer-oriented color solutions tailored specifically to the elite performance market.
• Manage workloads efficiently in a fast-paced setting while operating with a high degree of autonomy.
• Create creative narratives that push boundaries while staying within the broader color framework, using advanced renders and dynamic visuals.
• Collaborate closely with the Apparel Color Design team to ensure cohesive Head-to-Toe integration for performance gear.
• Serve as a proactive communicator within the Inline Performance Footwear team, sharing insights and concepts to influence the commercial footwear area.
• Execute color CADs, manage PLM data, and maintain a digital and physical inspiration library based on contemporary art, culture, and sports fashion.
• Present complex color proposals and emotional narratives with high-fidelity renders to secure approval from leadership and partners.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial Design, Color Sciences, Graphic Design, Fine Arts, or a related discipline.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in the footwear industry, with specific expertise in high-performance footwear.
• A portfolio showcasing unconventional thinking, advanced color-blocking skills, and an understanding of color interaction with movement.
• Ability to work independently, manage stress, and make critical design decisions under tight deadlines.
• Strong technical knowledge of color processes for performance-driven materials.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and 3D visualization software.
• Fluent English communication skills (written and spoken).

Nice to have

• Proficiency in additional languages beyond English.

About the company

The Color Team at On Holding AG is a creative powerhouse that shapes the visual identity and aesthetic appeal of products across all categories. Comprising talented professionals with diverse backgrounds, the team collaborates seamlessly to deliver innovative and trend-setting designs. By pulling together past, present, and future perspectives, the team drives the visual experience of products through a collaborative and multidisciplinary approach.

• The team plays a pivotal role in shaping the visual identity and aesthetic appeal of products across all categories.
• Comprises talented professionals with diverse backgrounds who collaborate seamlessly to deliver innovative and trend-setting designs.
• Serves as a creative powerhouse pulling together past, present, and future perspectives to drive the visual experience of products.
• Uses a collaborative and multidisciplinary approach to craft compelling color design solutions that captivate consumers, differentiate the brand, and inspire lasting connections in the competitive marketplace.

How to apply

Documents to submit:

• Portfolio