Head of Distribution & Logistics Procurement

At a Glance:

On's success comes down to two reasons: incredible products - and incredible people. It has one simple mission: Ignite the Human Spirit Through Movement. Available today in over 50 countries and cited as “the fastest growing sports company in the world”, On is looking for a Head of Distribution & Logistics Procurement to lead our global procurement strategy.

This is our most critical leadership role within the procurement organization. You will be responsible for the end-to-end strategic vision, goal setting, and organizational change required to scale On’s distribution and logistics categories globally. This role requires an exceptional procurement professional with a proven track record of managing high-performing teams and driving complex, large-scale transformations.

Your Team:

You will lead a specialized team of five direct reports, including Category Managers and Excellence Leads. As a member of the Global Supply Chain Transformation leadership team, you will collaborate with various functions, including various Supply Chain sub-functions, Finance, IT, Legal, etc., as well as numerous third party vendors. You will report into the Senior Director of Global Supply Chain Transformation.

Responsibilities:

• Strategic Leadership: Define and execute the global procurement strategy for distribution and logistics, ensuring alignment with On’s rapid growth and long-term business objectives.

• Team Management: Lead, mentor, and develop a multi-layered team of procurement professionals, fostering a culture of excellence, accountability, and continuous development.

• Organization Change: Drive large-scale organizational change initiatives to modernize procurement processes and enhance the maturity of the global supply chain.

• Goal Setting & KPI Ownership: Establish and track annual procurement goals, cost-saving targets, and sustainability milestones, serving as the ‘single source of truth’ for leadership. Ensure alignment across functions (e.g., Finance)

• Cross-Functional Synergy: Partner with other Indirect Procurement teams to drive global synergies, best practices, and unified sourcing methodologies.

• Executive Stakeholder Management: Facilitate high-level alignment and decision-making with executive-level stakeholders across Supply Chain, Finance, IT, and Commercial teams.

• Strategic Sourcing & Negotiation: Oversee the global RFP calendar for high-stakes categories including ocean freight, air, outbound logistics, and warehousing.

• Continuous Improvement: Proactively identify value engineering and total cost of ownership (TCO) reduction opportunities across the entire EMEA and global network.

• Digital Transformation: Champion the adoption of advanced procurement technology and data-intensive reporting to drive operational visibility, AI improvements and adaption, automation of procurement tasks and sourcing decisions.

• Strategic Partnership Development: Establish and foster long-term strategic partnerships with key global suppliers and 3PLs, moving beyond transactional relationships to drive mutual innovation, sustainability, and shared value.

• Contracting Excellence: Drive a culture of contracting excellence by establishing robust legal frameworks, standardized global templates, and rigorous contract management lifecycles that mitigate risk and ensure high service levels.

• Exceptional Negotiation Command: Demonstrate an exceptional command of complex contractual negotiations, leading high-stakes discussions to secure advantageous commercial terms while maintaining strong, collaborative supplier relationships

The Successful Candidate Will Demonstrate:

• Exceptional Procurement Knowledge: Mastery of end-to-end procurement lifecycles, category management, and advanced negotiation strategies.

• Proven Leadership: A strong background in team management with the ability to inspire and lead a diverse, remote, and fast-paced team.

• Change Agency: Capacity to act as a change agent, demonstrating persistence and resilience when navigating organizational shifts or market challenges.

• Commercial Credibility: Skill to quickly build trust with executive-level stakeholders and external global partners.

• Analytical Vision: Ability to translate complex data into actionable strategies and build compelling business cases for strategic initiatives.

Basic Qualifications:

• A Bachelor’s degree; however, a combination of college education and related work experience may be used as a substitute.

• Minimum 10+ years of experience in strategic procurement and category management, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership or team management role.

• Expert knowledge of MS Office applications and professional proficiency with modern sourcing tools (e.g., Ariba, Coupa, or similar platforms).

Additional Skills:

• Exceptional interpersonal, organizational, and communication skills with the ability to engage with executive-level stakeholders.

• Excellent discretion, judgment, tact, and diplomacy when handling sensitive commercial data and high-stakes negotiations.

• Capacity to thrive in a highly proactive and fast-paced environment where problem-solving is key.

• Must demonstrate an energetic, positive, and helpful demeanor with a passion for the On brand.

What We Offer:

We offer a dynamic, challenging and sportive environment that has been ranked as the ‘fastest growing sports company’ of its time. With offices across the globe, we are an international team who is hungry to innovate and build something incredible. We foster an active environment where each individual thrives for excellence and can achieve their full potential. This is where your work matters, you’re hands-on and your team members are amongst the very best in their respective disciplines and fields.

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.