Lead - Footwear Costing Materials

Lead - Footwear Costing Materials

In short

We are seeking a hands-on Footwear Material Manufacturing Expert with deep knowledge of footwear-relevant materials, processes, and cost drivers. This role requires someone who truly understands how materials are made — from compounding to forming to finishing — and can translate that expertise into long-range cost strategy for On Running Footwear. As a collaborative partner across Materials, Development, Product Strategy, Innovation and Production, you will shape our multi-year material cost roadmap, define seasonal material cost direction, and guide strategic choices across categories. This role is more providing on material cost strategy and on selected supplier's discussion and negotiation.

Your mission

Material Cost Strategy & Roadmap

• Build and own the 3–5 year material cost roadmap across key categories (foams, textiles, rubbers, plastics, sustainability materials, etc.).

• Translate manufacturing trends, input-cost movement, and technology changes into cost strategic implications.

• Recommend proactive strategies including material substitution, platforming, sourcing shifts, and Volume leverage.

Seasonal Material Cost Direction

• Be able to provide seasonal material cost guardrails for Materials, Development, Design and Product Strategy from Costing perspective

• Identify high-impact materials each season and align cost expectations early.

• Influence material choices through early insights on cost, manufacturability, and future risk.

Material Manufacturing Expertise

Support as On Running’s material manufacturing experts, able to deep-dive into:

• EVA & Rubber compounding

• Foam and midsole technologies (traditional, supercritical, injection, etc.)

• Textile knitting/weaving/dyeing processes

• Plastics molding and recycling flows

• Adhesives, films, and structural components

• Evaluate new technologies for cost, scalability, manufacturability, and performance impact.

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Partner with Materials, Development, Product Strategy, Innovation, to align cost strategy and seasonal direction from Cost Perspective

• Support internally Costing team with frameworks and insights to guide their supplier price negotiation.

• Build trust-based relationships with T2/T3 suppliers as needed.

Data, Insights & Governance

• Build cost models and material insights to influence cross-functional decisions.

• Maintain governance on material cost logic and ensure alignment across all product creation teams.

• Communicate cost risks, opportunities, and long-term outlook.

Your story

• 7–10+ years in material manufacturing or material engineering — footwear materials strongly preferred.

• Strong technical understanding of EVA, rubber, foams, textiles, plastics, and advanced materials.

• Ability to translate technical material understanding into cost strategy and design guidance.

• Strong analytical skills and comfort with cost modeling.

• Excellent collaborator with a team-oriented, open, positive mindset.

• Able to influence without direct authority and work across functions with clarity and humility.

• Experience in material costing or cost engineering is a strong plus.⸻Why This Role Matters

• You will be the material cost expert guiding On Running’s cost competitiveness for the next coming years

• You will influence design and development early

• You will shape material Cost frameworks that support smarter decision-making across Materials, Development, Design and Product Strategy.

Meet the team

We, the Costing team, collaborates closely and cross-functionally with teams from development, materials, finance, production, and supply chain, to identify opportunities in increasing company margins