Lead - Product Merchandising (6-Month Contract)
About the role
As the Lead - Product Merchant, Footwear, you will curate consumer-centric and trend-right product assortments that support the strategic direction for the footwear category. You will translate marketplace insights into actionable growth strategies, ensuring On’s footwear offering reflects brand values and captures commercial opportunities. Reporting to the Head of Merchandising, Footwear on the Merchandising team, you will navigate a global-local matrix to deliver premium execution and influence regional product success. While this is a lead-level role with strategic ownership across the footwear function, it focuses on high-impact contribution and cross-functional collaboration rather than direct people management.
Responsibilities
- Curate and communicate seasonal footwear assortments that balance brand vision with regional commercial needs and consumer trends
- Build and maintain critical cross-functional relationships with global product teams and regional commercial partners to ensure alignment on strategy and execution
- Analyze business data and consumer marketplace trends to identify growth opportunities and optimize product lifecycle performance
- Drive the development of channel-specific assortment plans that support differentiation across wholesale and DTC environments
- Partner with demand planning and sales planning teams to ensure seasonal forecasts and inventory levels align with regional revenue targets
- Present strategic product directions to key stakeholders, utilizing retail and merchandising acumen to inform decision-making
- Monitor and report on category KPIs including sell-through, sales comp and margin performance in-season as well as providing an end of season hindsight recap — both initiatives leveraged to inform go-forward seasonal strategies as well as identify risks and opportunities
Requirements
- 6+ years of experience in merchandising or product management within the footwear, activewear, premium sportswear, and fashion industry
- Minimum of 3 years of footwear experience
- Proven track record of executing end-to-end assortment strategies that deliver both brand impact and commercial results in a fast-paced environment
- Strong analytical expertise with the ability to synthesize marketplace data into clear product recommendations
- Excellent communication and relational skills, with experience collaborating and influencing within a global-local matrix organization
- Proven ability to analyze and present data to support product strategies and to support cross functional conversations
- Deep understanding of the footwear landscape, including consumer behavior, trend forecasting, and competitive positioning across multiple channels
Team
You will join the Americas Merchandising team, acting as trusted advisors in setting the vision and direction for product for the region. The team acts as a bridge between our Global Product/Commercial teams and regional business leaders. Our cross-functional interaction is driven by a market-relevant, consumer-focused mindset touching on all departments inside our organization to set a commercial plan and identify profitable growth and act on sales opportunities and actions together. Our Americas team is growing; help us drive that journey.
Benefits
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.
Pay
Typical cash compensation range for this position inclusive of base + bonus + equity: $130,000-$160,000. Individual compensation packages are based on various factors unique to each candidate including experience, industry knowledge, qualifications, skill set, and location.