We’re looking for a senior creative leader to own, evolve and protect the core visual design language of the On brand.
As Head of Creative, Core Brand Design, you will be responsible for the design systems, frameworks and guidelines that ensure every expression of On feels coherent, consistent and unmistakably On. This role focuses on the brand’s core — the visual rules, structures and tools that enable scale without dilution.
You will lead and empower a design team responsible for maintaining and evolving On’s core brand assets across packaging, retail graphic systems, brand guidelines and beyond. Working closely with Brand Foundations, Brand Voice and downstream creative teams, you will ensure that creative ambition is translated into clear, usable systems that teams around the world can execute with confidence.
This is a senior leadership role focused on stewardship, clarity and long-term brand integrity. The role reports to the Global Head of Brand Creative, Brand Voice.
Your Mission
* Own and evolve the core visual design systems that give the On brand its coherence and recognisability.
* Set a bold direction for the team, bringing clarity to complexity and translating creative ambition into clear, scalable design systems.
* Design, maintain and refine frameworks, guidelines and toolkits that enable consistent execution across all touchpoints.
* Empower and coach a high-performing design team, creating the conditions for individuals to grow and do their best work.
* Lead through others: building trust, removing barriers and enabling teams across the organisation to execute the brand with excellence.
* Ensure the brand’s visual language scales globally without losing clarity, craft or distinctiveness.
* Translate creative intent into robust, practical design systems that teams can apply with precision.
* Partner closely with Brand Foundations to interpret upstream creative direction into executable brand systems.
* Work with product, retail, digital and marketing teams to ensure alignment and consistency across categories and channels.
* Act as a steward of the brand - protecting quality, coherence and integrity while enabling evolution.
* Lead with clarity and rigor, balancing creative excellence with operational effectiveness
Your story
* 10+ years of experience in brand design, graphic design or creative direction, with 5+ years in senior leadership roles
* Proven track record of coaching and empowering high-performing design teams, supporting the growth and development of individuals
* Proven experience leading and evolving brand design systems within a global brand or top-tier agency
* A strong portfolio demonstrating system-led thinking, design governance and large-scale brand implementation
* You act as a multiplier, not the star. You raise others up, give honest feedback, and create conditions where people can do their best work
* Highly detail-oriented, with a strong eye for craft, consistency and executional excellence
* Comfortable working at scale, managing complexity and enabling multiple teams to succeed
* A clear and confident communicator, able to articulate design decisions and standards with authority
* Fluent in English, written and spoken
About the Team
You’ll be part of the Brand Voice team, responsible for shaping how the On brand sounds, looks, feels and evolves globally. We work across product storytelling, retail and brand moments - from defining creative foundations to delivering best-in-class guidelines.
This role plays a critical connective function within the team, ensuring that creative work across categories and channels is anchored in a shared, elevated brand vision.
Just by the banks of the Limmat you’ll find our largest global hub in Zürich West – On Labs – where you can hike up 12 floors through our custom-built spiral trail.
I think something that unites people here is the pace and the drive. The ambition is quite high in everything we do and when you bring these people together, you see the outcome can be multiplied. It's super impressive to see what happens when you put these creative teams together who really help each other grow.
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.
We want to set everyone up for success, so here’s the lowdown on how we hire. Our process is a two-way street – bringing you into our culture, while helping us learn how you think.
Our full process can last about eight weeks from application to offer, because we care about getting it right. These steps explain how we usually do things.
Before you get started, feel free to consider if you want to work with us. Strange question? Well, we give people a lot of space to navigate their day-to-day and that style isn't for everyone. We want you to be passionate about what you do and be sure this is the right fit. Because when skills and passion combine – it creates that 'Wow' moment.
Step One:
It starts with you...
You'll start by submitting your application to a specific role.
We try to keep this step as simple as possible. We do get a lot of applications, but we review them all. If you're a good fit to the role, a recruiter will follow up with you directly. If you didn't receive a reply, or were unsuccessful this time around, we encourage you to look for other possible matches at On.
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