In short

As Footwear Tooling Engineer you will create groundbreaking concepts and products for high-performance athletes while advancing On’s sustainability goals. Working in a collaborative environment, you’ll shape the future direction of our pinnacle performance product and technologies through Innovation and Design.

You will act as the owner of the bottom unit development for our pinnacle performance product and technologies. You will work in close collaboration with designers and developers here at On Labs in Zurich and our Tooling team in Vietnam to create the highest quality products. From concept creation through prototyping, you will guide the team on bottom unit materials, geometries, and construction from a critical manufacturing, biomechanical performance, and durability viewpoint. You will also be a key player in identifying and creating process improvements for all bottom unit development across the company.

Your mission

- Lead the bottom unit development for On’s performance products

- Provide solutions to design and construction constraints by using your demonstrated knowledge of materials, mold construction and manufacturing

- Evaluate and improve product designs for manufacturability and durability by reviewing 2D/3D CADs, prototypes, and feedback from the testing teams

- Ensure alignment with product specifications and manufacturing capabilities

- Use your understanding of plastics injection molding to advise cost, design, and molding capabilities of injected components in the bottom unit

- Collaborate with our Asian counterparts and support mold shop teams on tooling revisions and manufacturing concerns

- Assist the development, product management, and design teams with any tooling related questions or issues

- Evaluate current workflows and create process improvements to maximize efficiencies and advance testing

Your story

- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Design, or a related field

- Minimum of 5 years experience within a footwear engineering role working closely with development and production, ideally in a footwear tooling development

- Technical knowledge of various materials, mold construction, and manufacturing processes relevant to footwear; In-depth knowledge of plastics injection molding principles, including advising on cost, design, and molding capabilities of injected components

- Experience working with 2D and 3D CADs (Rhino a bonus); proficiency in reviewing and evaluating 2D/3D CADs for manufacturability, durability, and alignment with product specifications

- Experience in 3D modelling and rapid prototyping tools

- Demonstrated experience in project management, costing, and the ability to provide solutions within complex constraints

- Experience working with biomechanical performance principles as they relate to footwear bottom unit design

- Experience working cross-functionally across designers, developers, product management, and testing teams

- Experience collaborating with international manufacturing partners on tooling revisions and manufacturing concerns

- Strong communication skills to provide clear guidance and technical support to various stakeholders.

- Excellent time management skills and ability to work with multiple deadlines

- Available to travel to Asia at least 2 times a year

The team

Our mission is to define and create the future of sportswear bringing to life groundbreaking innovations. Acting at the forefront of material science, sport science and engineering we develop products that push the boundaries of performance and sustainability, blending in unique aesthetic appeal that embodies On’s design DNA.

In short: 

This is your chance to kickstart your career in the sportswear industry!

Become part of On's unique rotational development program - the Product Creation Academy. This 2 year journey is designed to develop you into a true functional expert with the potential to grow in our dynamic organization. You will embark on a specialized learning journey, with rotations designed to build depth in Footwear Engineering. But that’s not all! One of your rotations will take you to vibrant Vietnam, where you will learn first-hand what it takes to bring our products to life. To top it off, you’ll receive personalized mentorship from one of our senior leaders, ensuring you make the most of this transformative experience.

Are you ready to shape the future of the fastest growing sportswear company in the world? Dream On!

Program start date: September 1st, 2026.

Application period: Due to the expected high volume of applications, the role will be open for a limited time. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Your mission: 

Over the course of the program, you will rotate through multiple connected teams, building a deep understanding of how Footwear Engineering contributes to bringing products to life. 

From working with data and engineering inputs to uncover insights, to learning how to translate these into parametric 3D models, digital tools, and repeatable workflows, and collaborating closely with engineers, developers, and innovation teams — over the 24 months, you will gain hands-on experience in rethinking how footwear is engineered through a computational and systems-driven approach.

Operating at the intersection of data, AI, and physical product creation, you will contribute to building tools, toolboxes, and processes that transform complex engineering standards, testing data, and product feedback into actionable outputs for footwear development. You will help design and implement digital solutions that automate workflows and elevate how teams create and engineer products.

This experience will set you up for success to start as a true functional expert in computational footwear engineering and support your long-term growth as a key contributor to shaping the future of data-driven, digitally enabled product creation at On.

Your story: 

• Preferably you have an educational background in a relevant field such as Computational Design, Industrial Design, Engineering, Architecture, or similar.
• Approximately 2-3 years of hands-on work in computational design or engineering, whether through professional roles, academic research, or significant personal technical projects.
• You have hands-on project experience (academic or personal) where you built something — e.g. a parametric model, script, or small tool, showing a “builder mindset”.
• You have experience with computational design tools (e.g. Rhino 3D, Grasshopper or similar) and show interest in using them beyond visual design (e.g. solving geometry or process-related problems).
• You have programming competency, ideally in Python, and are comfortable writing scripts to automate tasks or process data.
• You have experience working with data, using tools such as Python libraries (e.g. Pandas) or similar, and are able to apply data or AI in a product design or engineering context.
• You demonstrate structured problem-solving skills and an interest in translating complex, real-world problems into simple, repeatable approaches or workflows.
• You are able to communicate technical ideas clearly, and can explain your thinking to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• You resonate with the On spirits, bring a positive and proactive attitude, and are eager to learn and grow in a fast-paced environment
• You communicate clearly and effectively and are fluent in English (written and spoken).
• You have the right to work in Switzerland or the EU.

Meet the team: 

Our mission is to define and create the future of sportswear bringing to life groundbreaking innovations. Acting at the forefront of material science, sport science and engineering we develop products that push the boundaries of performance and sustainability, blending in unique aesthetic appeal that embodies On’s design DNA.

What we offer: 

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.

On is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating a work environment that is fair and inclusive, where all decisions related to recruitment, advancement, and retention are free of discrimination.