Senior Lead

**Location**:London
- Sales

**In short**:
As the Senior Merchandising Lead for Lifestyle Footwear in EMEA, you are the strategic owner of one of the most dynamic and culturally rich categories at On. From shaping the future of sneaker culture to architecting seasonal lines that drive both heat and scale, you will lead the Lifestyle category with vision, grit, and a deep understanding of consumer needs across the region.

This role demands in depth knowledge of the sneaker space and lifestyle culture, an entrepreneurial spirit, strong commercial acumen, and the ability to lead cross-functional teams with clarity and purpose. You’ll work hand-in-hand with global merchandising, planning, product, sales, and marketing to bring collections to life across EMEA, driving market-specific relevance and channel success. You’ll also spearhead special projects and collaborations, infusing cultural energy into the category while anchoring decisions in data and long-range planning.

You’re not just a product expert — you’re a storyteller, a community builder, and a cultural translator, helping shape how On shows up in the world of lifestyle and fashion.

**Your Mission**:
Category Ownership & Strategy
- Serve as the regional owner of the Lifestyle Footwear category, defining the seasonal and long-range strategy for EMEA.
- Develop and execute line architecture and seasonal frameworks that balance innovation, storytelling, commercial targets, and product lifecycle.
- Identify and drive opportunities to grow and evolve our Lifestyle franchises, aligning with consumer insights, market trends, and brand vision.
- Act as a thought leader in sneaker culture — bringing awareness of key trends, influential players, and fashion-forward movements into the GTM process.
- Ensure a cohesive and segmented product offer across account tiers and regions, with clear rationale rooted in consumer, business, and brand goals.

Forecasting & Planning Partnership
- Own the product forecasting process in collaboration with Planning and Sales, validating estimates through market feedback, sell-through data, historical performance, and future ambition.
- Ensure merchandising decisions are tightly connected to LRP targets, sell-in objectives, and in-season and post-season analysis.
- Translate strategic initiatives into commercial outcomes through data-driven planning and forecasting support.
- Partner with DTC and Wholesale teams to align channel strategy, ensure healthy flow, and optimize productivity and markdown risk.

Go-To-Market & Cross-Functional Leadership
- Lead the Lifestyle category across all GTM stages — from product creation through sell-in to sell-out — ensuring the consumer voice is present at every step.
- Act as a key partner to Global Merchandising, influencing the global line based on EMEA insights and securing the right product offer for the region.
- Collaborate closely with Marketing to ensure product stories land with power and precision in the right channels, communities, and cultural moments.
- Partner with Sales and VM to shape channel-specific assortments and anchor the right hero products by channel and region.
- Represent Lifestyle in milestone meetings, ensuring seasonal priorities are clear, data-backed, and regionally relevant.

Special Projects & Brand Heat
- Partner with global teams on driving key regional Lifestyle collaborations, limited drops, and special projects — from concept development to execution.
- Drive energy moments in the Lifestyle calendar, amplifying brand heat and creating emotional connection with consumers.
- Act as a connector between EMEA and global teams, helping turn cultural insights into breakthrough projects.

Sneaker Channel Leadership
- Be the expert and strategic driver of the sneaker channel across EMEA — understanding key players, doors, and dynamics.
- Curate channel-specific assortments and partner with Sales to unlock long-term growth in sneaker boutiques and tastemaker doors.
- Stay close to the pulse of fashion, youth culture, streetwear, and emerging trends — ensuring On is always relevant and one step ahead.

**Your story**:

- 7-10+ years of experience in footwear or lifestyle merchandising, ideally with regional or global scope.
- Deep knowledge of the sneaker space, lifestyle culture, and fashion-driven retail environments in EMEA.
- A strong pulse on the sneaker culture and fashion lifestyle market with proven knowledge of key players across tastemakers from retail to influencers to up and coming designers
- A strategic thinker with the ability to translate big ideas into actionable roadmaps and seasonal frameworks.
- Strong understanding of merchandising metrics, forecasting, and assortment planning across multiple channels.
- Entrepreneurial mindset — with grit, hustle, and a builder mentality. Collaborative leadership style — experienced in working cross-functionally across product, marketing, sales, and planning.
- Confident communicator, capable of influencing sen