Senior Lead - Pattern Engineer at On in Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

In short:

We are seeking an internationally seasoned, highly specialized Senior Lead - Pattern Engineer to spearhead the technical lifecycle of our global product lines from concept to production. This strategic leadership role requires an elite mastery of both digital and manual pattern architecture, combined with a proven track record of managing garment engineers while working closely with Design, Technical Design, and suppliers.

The successful candidate will directly lead, manage, and scale our internal team of pattern engineers. This position acts as the definitive global technical authority for pattern engineering - architecting scalable fitting systems, optimizing cross-functional 2D/3D workflows, and driving the professional growth of their direct reports to reduce development timelines and ensure flawless global fit consistency.

Your Mission:

• Lead, manage, and evaluate a dedicated internal team of Pattern Engineers.
• Design and execute internal training on advanced fitting techniques, complex pattern adjustments, and Gerber Accumark instruction.
• Manage team workflow distribution and capacity against dynamic seasonal product creation calendars.
• Establish global pattern standards and technical production standards relative to fit and quality benchmarks.
• Spearhead high-profile franchise updates and complex special projects, translating technical sketches into scalable, production-ready patterns.
• Implement and maintain robust systems for fitting processes, digital pattern management, and PLM pipelines to improve sample approval rates.
• Lead high-level fit sessions on live models, acting as the ultimate cross-functional expert between Design, Sourcing, and Materials.
• Drive the integration of 2D digital pattern making with 3D prototyping software (CLO/Browzwear) to optimize fabric efficiency.

Your Story:

• A minimum of 10–12+ years of progressive experience in pattern engineering and technical apparel design within premier global brands.international vendor communication. Knowledge of a Swiss national language (German, French, or Italian) is considered a strong asset.
• A degree in Apparel Design, Pattern Engineering, or a related field. Prior experience acting as an industry instructor or academic specialist in CAD/Pattern software is highly preferred.
• Proven track record of direct people management and supervisory experience, having previously led a team of pattern engineers, patternmakers, or technical designers in a brand environment.
• Expert-level proficiency in industry-leading CAD systems (specifically Gerber Accumark Explorer/Design & Marker Making or Lectra), PLM software, and Adobe Illustrator. High proficiency in 3D apparel simulation tools (CLO 3D or Browzwear) is required.
• Deep expertise in the unique physical properties of technical, performance, stretch-woven, and multi-category fabrics (including experience in complex categories like performance bottoms and custom structured garments).
• Exceptional cross-functional leadership skills with a proven track record of driving process improvements, managing team performance, and presenting technical solutions to senior leadership.
• Full professional fluency in English (written and spoken) is required as the primary language for global cross-functional collaboration and

Your Team:

In this role, you will collaborate with the Development, Design, Materials, Sourcing, suppliers, and Product Management teams to translate the product design intent and style vision into a consistent fit, quality, and execution level by leading the team responsible for our product’s technical specifications on fit, sizing, and commercialization requirements.