Senior Specialist – Footwear Testing (Fit & Wear)

Product Testing is the voice of the consumer at On, ensuring every product meets premium quality standards by combining hands-on technical evaluation with authentic real-world insights. The Senior Specialist – Footwear Testing (Fit & Wear) leads product validation and fit excellence across different footwear categories. The role shapes how fit and comfort are defined, innovates testing protocols for novel footwear concepts, and coaches expanding testing teams in Vietnam to enable local validation and faster go-to-market calendars.

• Own and continuously evolve shoe fitting methodologies, survey frameworks and testing standards from the Zurich Lab.
• Reevaluate consumer interaction setups, refine survey questions to eliminate bias, and create repeatable testing protocols for novel or non-standard product concepts.
• Act as the primary HQ partner for regional testing teams in Vietnam, providing continuous coaching, training and standard operating procedure (SOP) calibration to enable high-quality local validation and streamline go-to-market timelines.
• Plan, schedule and execute qualitative consumer wear trials, fit sessions and focus groups across lifestyle and youth consumer segments to gather unbiased, qualitative step-in comfort and fit feedback.
• Analyse qualitative and quantitative testing datasets using advanced data tools such as Excel and database systems.
• Create clear, visual reporting and corrective action recommendations for Design, Development and Materials teams when testing standards are not met.
• Recruit, build and maintain an active, diverse pool of lifestyle, kids and young mover wear-testers aligned with seasonal product creation calendars.
• Manage test validation cycles across three simultaneous seasonal calendars, acting as a consultative fit expert across cross-functional creation teams.
• Partner with Product Development, Product Management, Design and Materials to translate consumer feedback into actionable technical guidance that elevates on-foot comfort.

• 2+ years of experience in a field focused on the human experience with a product or service, including but not limited to footwear or sportswear product testing or development, biomechanics, kinesiology, human factors, or footwear or sportswear retail leadership or technical product advisory.
• Proficient in gathering, structuring and visualising qualitative and quantitative datasets using tools such as MS Excel and PowerPoint.
• Demonstrated ability to ask probing, unbiased questions and build consumer surveys that yield actionable product feedback.
• Strong communication skills with a track record of coaching teams, explaining complex details clearly, and working effectively with non-native English-speaking factory partners in Asia.
• Comfortable navigating ambiguous testing scenarios, making informed assumptions, and managing multiple seasonal calendars simultaneously.
• Fluent in English, both written and spoken.

• Understanding of footwear creation, including familiarity with shoe construction, last shapes, upper pattern geometry and volume balance.
• Additional languages such as German, Vietnamese or Mandarin.

• An environment designed to give people the tools to develop holistically – to stay active, to learn, explore and innovate.
• A supportive, team-oriented atmosphere.
• Access to personal self-care for both physical and mental well-being, so each person is led by purpose.