Senior Lead - Exhibiton Programming

In short

We are establishing our first-ever public cultural destination and dedicated exhibition space at our Zurich HQ, launching early 2027. We are looking for a visionary, globally-connected Senior Lead Exhibition Programming & Curation to shape and build this new cultural landmark from the ground up.

As an exceptional cross-disciplinary curator and autonomous project leader, you will design and orchestrate a living ecosystem that sits at the intersection of design, innovation, and art. Operating as the strategic engine of this space, you will maintain a continuous, highly dynamic calendar of exhibitions, artist-in-residence programs, and discursive events. You will ensure the space remains a continuously populated, world-class inspiration hub that seamlessly bridges public cultural engagement with dynamic internal workshops, co-creation sessions, and cross-disciplinary inspiration for our product teams.

Your mission

• Establish the Curatorial Vision: Define and execute a holistic, multi-disciplinary exhibition and event strategy that builds brand equity and long-term cultural legitimacy. You will develop overarching annual narratives that thread contemporary art, cinema, design, movement, and technology into an expansive, accessible public dialogue.
• Bridge worlds: Act as the vital link between external creative communities, global cultural institutions, and our internal product teams. You will design public-facing cultural moments while simultaneously programming the space as an internal sandbox for design workshops, co-creation sessions, and cross-disciplinary inspiration. 
• Orchestrate the Artist-in-Residence Program: Head the strategic definition and curation of the Artist-in-Residence Program. You will invite established international talent and launch open calls for young creative communities, empowering residents to populate the space with their networks while embedding them into our technological research environment.
• Maintain Continuous Programming & Occupancy: Direct a rolling, continuous calendar of exhibitions, public community events, and internal activations. You will maximize the space's utility and inspiration potential year-round, ensuring it stays dynamically utilized and seamlessly adapted to changing programming needs.
• Operational Excellence: Manage and maintain full oversight of the programming budget, resource allocation, vendor contracts, and artist fees. You will source and supervise external technical teams, art handlers, and operational logistics, ensuring the exhibition infrastructure functions at a high-performance, premium scale.

Your story

• Cultural & Cross-Disciplinary Expert: You bring a deep background (10-12+ years) in curating and producing contemporary art exhibitions, residencies, or cultural programming, backed by an active global network.
• Strategic & Para-Curatorial Thinker: You excel at shifting ideas into alternative, highly desirable formats (talks, dinners, workshops) to build deep community engagement rather than just static showcases.
• Autonomous and Agile Self-Starter: You thrive in fast-paced, high-growth environments and are comfortable running a solo operation. You are equally skilled at driving long-term curatorial strategy and managing the practical realities of complex, multi-year timelines, international artist logistics, and external vendor networks without waiting for a predefined playbook. 
• Collaboration-Minded Thinker: You understand how to align a cultural calendar with corporate realities. You possess the diplomacy to manage internal stakeholders, ensuring the space effortlessly transitions between public exhibition mode and internal team alignment/workshop mode.
• Inspirational Storyteller: You can translate complex artistic, technological, or design concepts into highly compelling copy, editorial initiatives, or physical media that resonate with a global fan base.

About the team

You will report directly to the Chief of Staff (CoS) of Design, sitting at the heart of a vibrant and diverse Design Studio that drives On’s disruptive product design across footwear, apparel, and accessories. We are a team that values creativity, curiosity, and collaboration, and we are looking for someone who shares our passion for turning the "why" of our past into the "what's next" of our future.