Lead - Pattern Engineer

Location: Zurich

Footwear Product Creation

In short

At On, the perfect fit is engineered, not guessed. We are looking for a highly skilled Pattern Engineer to elevate our footwear uppers by establishing robust pattern standards and bringing our innovative designs to life. In this role, you will bridge the gap between 2D concepts and 3D realities, working closely with Design, Development, Last Engineering, and Manufacturing. You will champion best practices and precise engineering, ensuring our inline footwear collections deliver the exact fit, performance, and quality our global community expects.

Your Mission

• Pattern Standards & Development: Develop, establish, and implement comprehensive pattern standards for inline footwear, outlining best practices, construction methods, and strict quality benchmarks.
• Pattern & Last Synergy: Collaborate deeply with the Last Engineering team to ensure upper patterns and footwear lasts complement each other perfectly, optimizing designs for mass production without compromising comfort or aesthetic goals.
• Prototype Refinement: Lead the transition from digital design to physical sample. Oversee the prototype refinement process, addressing fit, construction, or performance concerns, and feeding those solutions back into our standard practices.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Inline Product Designers, Upper Engineers, and Manufacturing teams. Guide them on adhering to standards while ensuring production feasibility and aligning with the overall design vision.
• Documentation & Training: Create clear, comprehensive documentation outlining pattern standards. Conduct training sessions to educate internal teams, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and precise execution.
• Continuous Improvement: Regularly assess inline footwear patterns against established standards. Proactively research and incorporate industry advancements, new construction methods, and software capabilities to elevate our product.
• Sustainable Pattern Engineering: Champion On’s sustainability goals by optimizing pattern nesting, material yield, and cutting efficiency to minimize waste. Leverage your deep understanding of sustainable and innovative materials to anticipate how they impact pattern behavior during the manufacturing process.
• Mentorship & Strategic Leadership: Lead, mentor, and elevate creation teams, fostering a culture of technical excellence and continuous learning.

Your story

• Pattern Engineering Experience: 8+ years of proven, hands-on experience in footwear pattern engineering, demonstrating successful integration of pattern standards into the product development process.
• Technical Proficiency: Advanced skills in 2D and 3D pattern-making software/CAD tools (e.g., Romans CAD, Dimension, Jevero, MindCAD).
• Material & Construction Knowledge: Deep understanding of footwear upper materials, textiles, and modern construction techniques relevant to performance and lifestyle footwear.
• Problem-Solving Skills: Strong analytical ability to troubleshoot and resolve complex fit, comfort, and manufacturability challenges within standardized patterns.
• Attention to Detail: A meticulous, detail-oriented mindset with an unwavering commitment to precision and quality in pattern execution.
• Communication Skills: Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with a proven ability to promote collaboration, educate team members, and translate technical constraints to creative design teams.
• Global Factory Collaboration: Proven track record of collaborating closely with Tier 1 (T1) development facilities and overseas manufacturing partners. Must possess strong cross-cultural communication skills and a willingness to travel internationally to oversee sampling, troubleshoot complex technical issues on the factory floor, and ensure seamless commercialization.
  About the Team

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The Footwear Engineering team is a highly specialized collective of Pattern Engineers, Tooling Engineers, and Last Engineers who hold the keys to the ultimate fit, feel, and ride of every On shoe. Rooted in our proud heritage of meticulous Swiss engineering, we obsess over every millimeter and material to craft the absolute best performance products for elite athletes and everyday consumers alike. We are the critical bridge between radical design and physical reality, working in a fast-paced, highly collaborative environment where data-driven precision fuels our relentless dedication to human movement.

Zürich

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.

Förrlibuckstrasse 190,

8005

Switzerland

Location
Ernest

Footwear Development, Ho Chi Minh City

Unlike other brands, we aren't just executioners out here in Vietnam, we give ideas as well. Sometimes they have a new idea in Zurich and we might find a process to make it more efficient and we share that.
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.

Build the better you
What to expect

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.

• Step Two

Interview with a recruiter

What ignites your spirit? This is where we’ll start getting to know all about you and what makes you tick – and it’s your first chance to get a feel for our culture. Chatting with a member of our talent team, you’ll learn more about On and how we work. We’ll learn about what motivates you and what you could bring to the team.

• Step Three

Interview with a hiring manager

Ready to dig into the details? This second interview will be held with your future manager and will focus on the specifics of the job. Together you’ll delve into your unique skills and experiences and how they could be relevant at On. It's also a time to assess how you might feel working side-by-side. Bring any questions you have about the job, the team or anything else you might like to know – this is an open forum.

• Step Four

The Case Study

What's your style? This task will help us understand how you think, face a challenge and give insight into your novel ideas. Designed to give everyone their best shot, your case study is based on something you might typically experience on the job. This is your chance to show us what you’ve got. So express yourself. Be you.

• Step Five

The Experience Day

Your first taste of the Oniverse. This is a time to meet some of the people you'll be working closest with. In person or virtually, you'll get a feel for the day-to-day at On and the people who make it happen. You'll chat with a few potential teammates - the conversations will be as equally driven by the role and your experience as by our values. We believe how you do things is just as important as what you do.

• Step Six

The Result

Are we a good fit? We’ll get together internally to share our feedback and decide if we’re a match. We know that job searching is a big time investment, so it’s not a decision we take lightly. It’s also time for you to reflect on the experience – are we the right place for you? No matter the outcome, we’ll give you meaningful feedback.