Specialist - Footwear Testing - Performance

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 Specialist, you will be responsible for the validation of products coming to market. You will be given high levels of responsibility, and work in a collaborative environment where we make ideas happen fast. You will be a key partner across Running & Performance projects acting as a consultant to departments such as design, development and materials to guarantee product excellence. This role will be based in our Testing Department in Zürich.

Your mission

• Define & execute rigorous testing strategies across durability, fit, comfort and performance across all test levels.
• Setting up processes to ensure efficient testing cycles and timely feedback loops aligned with the project calendar. You will work closely with our Sports - Science and Lab teams to define full 360 testing protocols.
• Collaborate with key stakeholders to identify testing requirements based on product briefs and target consumers.
• Analyse fit, durability and performance data to develop reports allowing valuable insights and suggestions to project stakeholders.
• Lead qualitative and quantitative footwear testing, perception studies, and real-world validation to ensure products reflect authentic athlete and consumer needs.
• Provide corrective action plans upon test fails in alignment with cross-functional teams such as Materials, Product Management, Development & Design.
• Ensure that product verification and judgement calls meet On global standards and are done based on the fit, comfort, performance and quality criteria.
• Build and maintain a tester network fulfilling the requirements of the Product Creation calendars.
• Set up events to drive engagement in the testing community.
• Contribute to team goals and process improvements within testing.
• Work with Testing Lead to build sustainable relationships with various institutions for test purposes
• Support Testing Lead with cross-functional projects within the Organisation
• Work with our Testing systems and databases to manage changes in data, ensure accurate high quality data and an optimised flow into testing reports.

Your story

• 2-3+ years of experience in a field focused on the human experience with a product or service. We’re excited to hear from candidates with experience in diverse backgrounds, including but not limited to:

Footwear/Sportswear Testing or Development

Footwear/Sportswear retail experience

Biomechanics or Kinesiology

User experience (UX) research

• Knowledge and passion for performance sports
• Solid capability in handling and visualizing large datasets using advanced data analysis tools to efficiently clean, process, and present complex testing results.
• Excellent communication & presentation skills.
• Proven ability to work well within a team and cross-functionally.
• A can-do attitude, able to work with a high degree of flexibility and outside of typical working hours when necessary.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office, especially Excel and PowerPoint.
• Vested interest in the footwear industry and testing
• Detail-oriented, creative, and solutions-focused, with a proactive mindset and a strong passion for performance footwear.
• Open to occasional global travel to connect, facilitate and test directly with our target consumers in key markets.
• A confident “people person”, adapt at building and maintaining relationships.
• Fluent or very good in English (written and spoken).