Head of Merchandising - Performance Footwear Verticals, EMEA at On in Zürich

Job description

In Short Welcome to On! We’re that premium Swiss sportswear brand redefining performance and movement lifestyle. As the Head of Product Merchandising – Performance Footwear Verticals (EMEA), you will be the strategic visionary driving the product strategy, range architecture, and commercial performance for our technical and athletic footwear portfolios across the region. You will bridge high-performance innovation with market demand, balancing the continuous growth and refinement of our established core verticals (Performance Run, Train, and Tennis) with the strategic development and market entry of expanding verticals (Football and Golf). By defining consumer-first segmentations and leveraging market insights, you will empower your merchandising team to optimize line productivity and scale vertical growth. You are a key GTM leadership partner, bridging the gap between Global Product Creation/Innovation and Regional Commercial Execution across Wholesale, Digital, and Retail. Your Mission Vertical Category Strategy & Line Architecture: Define and execute the regional vision, range architecture, and line plans across performance footwear—sustaining growth in established categories (Performance Run, Train, Tennis) while building and commercializing new high-growth verticals (Football, Golf). Ensure optimal balance between technical innovation, price-point tiering, volume drivers, and margin targets. Agile Leadership (Strategic to Hands-On): Operating in a dynamic, high-growth environment, seamlessly transition between long-term strategic visioning and hands-on execution—getting deep into the details of SKU management, range building, and operational delivery whenever needed. Cross-Channel & GTM Integration: Serve as the strategic product lead across Wholesale, DtC-Ecom, and DtC-Retail. Align category segmentation, distribution strategies, and launch calendars with commercial channel leaders and marketing. Product Efficiency & Assortment Productivity: Own range productivity and lifecycle management (SKU efficiency, option counts, hero franchise growth, and hit rates). Dynamically adjust plans using real-time sell-through data, athlete/consumer insights, and competitive intelligence. Data & Tech-Driven Merchandising: Drive the adoption of advanced analytics, consumer insight platforms, and AI-driven forecasting tools to drive smarter line planning, predictive segmentation, and inventory responsiveness across all verticals. Global-to-Regional Voice: Represent the EMEA consumer, athlete communities, and market realities back to Global Product & Design teams, ensuring regional sport-specific needs directly shape global creation briefs. Team Creation & Talent Development: Recruit, build, and scale a high-performing team of Product Merchandisers from scratch. Provide clear direction and mentorship, instilling a culture of product passion, athletic authenticity, and analytical rigor. Your Story Typically we’re looking for 10+ years of progressive experience in product merchandising, buying, category management, or line planning, with deep expertise in performance footwear, sportswear, or athletic gear, including 5+ years in leadership roles. Proven track record of building, leading, and developing high-performing merchandising teams. You bring a clear leadership philosophy, with the ability to motivate and develop diverse talent, build strong team cultures, and lead effectively through growth, change, and evolving business needs. Deep passion for athletic performance, with technical footwear knowledge across core verticals (Run, Train, Tennis) and category expansion experience (Football, Golf, multi-sport). Proven track record of building and executing category strategies—balancing mature, high-volume footwear lines with the launch and incubation of new commercial categories. Expertise in range architecture, line adoption, SKU productivity, and financial targeting, combining strong product storytelling with analytical rigor at a regional