Senior Lead - Footwear Design

We are excited to offer the opportunity for a Senior Lead – Pinnacle Performance Footwear Designer within the Lightning vertical of our design team. This is a senior creative leadership role at the forefront of performance innovation, where you will drive the design vision for next-generation pinnacle performance footwear and lay the foundations for the teamsport space.You will operate in a fast-paced, future-focused environment, guiding the full creative process—from initial concept and athlete insights through to production-ready product execution.

• Lead the end-to-end design exploration of pinnacle performance footwear—from ideation and research to final product delivery.
• Develop and mentor future design talent, helping to build and structure a new design team as the category grows.
• Drive the creation of technology-infused, athlete-driven products that push the limits of performance, innovation, and style.
• Create and present design narratives, mock-ups, and visuals that communicate a clear and compelling performance story.
• Work collaboratively with development, engineering, and innovation teams in Zurich and Vietnam to translate creative vision into functional excellence.
• Identify emerging trends, materials, and processes to ensure our pinnacle products remain at the forefront of performance and design innovation.
• Engage deeply with athlete feedback, biomechanics insights, and consumer data to inform future design directions.
• Stay informed about cultural and regional nuances, ensuring product relevance and resonance across global markets.
• Present concepts confidently to executive and cross-functional stakeholders, influencing strategic direction and brand positioning.
• Champion a progressive, curious, and experimental design culture, inspiring new thinking within the wider design organization.

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Industrial Design, Product Design, or a related field.
• 8+ years of experience in performance or sports footwear design, ideally with exposure to pinnacle or innovation-level projects.
• Proven track record of leading design initiatives that have resulted in new product categories, breakthrough technologies, or performance innovations.
• Strong expertise in 2D and 3D design tools (Adobe Creative Suite, Rhino, Blender, or equivalent); knowledge of AI-assisted tools for concept exploration is a plus.
• Deep understanding of performance materials, including textiles, knits, and engineered composites.
• Excellent conceptual, sketching, and prototyping skills with a clear eye for performance-driven aesthetics.
• Confident communicator and inspirational presenter, skilled in aligning creative direction with strategic goals.
• Strategic mindset with organizational and leadership skills to help shape and scale a new design function.
• Highly collaborative, open-minded, and adaptable in a global, cross-functional environment.
• Fluent in English (written and spoken); additional languages are a plus.