Senior Specialist - Brand Activation, Italy

At a glance:

Welcome to On. We’re redefining the future of sportswear as one of the world’s fastest-growing premium performance brands.

As a Senior Specialist – Brand Activation for Italy you will shape how our brand comes to life across the market. Your mission is to empower local teams to deliver best-in-class partner training and create unforgettable grassroots experiences that connect deeply with our communities.

If you’re a natural collaborator who thrives on turning ideas into meaningful moments that move people, this is your opportunity to make a lasting impact in Italy — a dynamic and high-growth market for On.

Your Team:

Reporting to the Senior Lead - Brand Activation, Italy this role is responsible for driving best-in-class brand activations across Italy, a supercharged market for On.

The Brand Activation team brings this mission to life through impactful community initiatives, partnerships, and experiential campaigns. In Italy—a key growth market—you will work cross-functionally to deliver premium, locally relevant activations that inspire runners and movers and strengthen On’s presence at the heart of the community.

You will be part of the EMEA Marketing team, united by a clear mission: to amplify the brand and build meaningful connections with our communities.

Your Mission:

• Own and deliver best-in-class, integrated brand activations across Italy—including events, community initiatives, and partnerships—by translating global strategy into locally relevant experiences that enhance brand desirability while remaining anchored in On’s core DNA.

• Drive brand education as a core pillar of the role. Ensure retail teams and in-store staff are consistently up to date with the latest brand and product training, empowering them to confidently communicate On’s heritage and innovative technology. Support B2B activations in collaboration with commercial and retail teams, enhancing brand presence and partner engagement.

• You work autonomously, communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders, challenge conventions and the status quo, and champion innovative approaches to brand building. You are energized by complexity, thrive in dynamic environments, and are not afraid of being stretched or taking on ambitious challenges.

• Drive cross-functional excellence and strategic alignment by managing diverse relationships—including global teams, external agencies, athletes, partners, retailers and federations—to orchestrate complex B2B and B2C workstreams from conceptual planning through to final execution and evaluation.

• Act as the eyes and hands on the ground for Marketing, guaranteeing best-in-class visual merchandising and POS installations that showcase On’s products at the highest standard.

• Proactively engage, educate, and manage freelance Brand Activation and Visual Merchandising teams, supporting scheduling and coordination of their activities.

• Oversee campaign planning, event production, logistics, budgeting, and post-event evaluation.

• Track performance through KPIs, reporting insights and continuously optimizing impact.

• Ensure accurate and timely administration of all activation activities within CRM systems — a small but critical contribution to team transparency and performance tracking.

Your Story:

• Typically we look for 5+ years of relevant experience in brand activation, or related fields such as retail, sales, marketing, or events.

• A genuine passion for people and movement — essential to thriving as a Brand Activation Specialist at On. Deep knowledge of relevant running or movement lifestyle communities across Italy with a key city focus on Milan

• An entrepreneurial mindset and proactive attitude. You’re energized by being out in the community — leading runs, activating events, and building connections — rather than sitting behind a desk.

• Solid understanding of B2B environments, partnerships, and retail activations.

• Proven experience managing agencies, suppliers, and complex stakeholder ecosystems.

• Excellent organizational, communication, and project management skills.

• Ideally based in Milan or the Greater Milan area, as this is a regional role.

• Fluent Italian (C1+ level) and strong working proficiency in English (C1+ level).

• A valid driver’s license and comfort with driving for business needs.

• Willingness and flexibility to travel. You will have opportunities to attend global conferences, offsites, and major sporting industry events.

• Adaptability and a hands-on approach. You navigate evolving environments and on-the-ground challenges with a solution-oriented mindset. You know when to reinvent and when to optimize.

• Alignment with On’s 5 Spirits. Visit our careers page to learn more about the values that guide how we work and grow together.