Lead - Apparel & Accessories Testing

Product Testing is the voice of the athlete and the consumer. This role validates products from development through to market, focusing on specialised, high-performance sport categories. It works in a fast-paced, collaborative environment and partners across Design, Development, Materials, and Strategy to ensure excellence in the wearing experience, including comfort, quality, and performance.

• Define and execute rigorous testing strategies across quality, comfort, and performance, taking charge of specialised testing programmes and identifying testing requirements based on product briefs and target consumers.
• Lead qualitative and quantitative apparel and accessories testing, perception studies, and real-world validation to ensure products reflect authentic athlete and consumer needs.
• Integrate consumer insights, scientific expertise, and performance analysis into standardised, evidence-based product evaluations.
• Translate complex testing results into insights that enable confident decision-making and elevate product excellence across the organisation.
• Analyse performance and durability data, including behavioural and attitudinal insights, and develop clear reports for project stakeholders.
• Conduct hands-on performance testing and present key findings and improvement recommendations to stakeholders.
• Deliver benchmarking and competitor insights to identify opportunities for innovation and product differentiation.
• Establish efficient testing processes, timelines, and feedback loops aligned with Product Creation calendars.
• Build and maintain a dynamic tester network of agile, high-performance athletes to support everyday testing needs and urgent project timelines, and set up high-energy testing events and initiatives to drive deep engagement within the testing community.
• Work with testing systems and databases to ensure accurate, high-quality data and optimised reporting flows, and contribute to team goals, process improvements, and the continuous evolution of testing methodologies.

• Strategic thinker with prior leadership experience and a coaching mindset, skilled at facilitating team development and maintaining high engagement in fast-paced or demanding environments.
• Proven track record of managing complex projects or product validation cycles from concept to market.
• Deep expertise in high-performance sports apparel and accessories.
• Ability to balance scientific testing rigour with real-world, human-centric feedback.
• Exceptional communicator able to translate dense data and testing metrics into clear, actionable recommendations for cross-functional teams.
• Highly organised, with capability to build robust tester networks, establish efficient processes, and manage global testing logistics.
• 7+ years of experience in a field focused on the human experience with a product or service.
• Willingness to travel to conduct testing every 1-2 months within Europe and globally.
• Flexibility to work outside typical hours to align with athlete schedules.
• Demonstrated experience conducting product testing directly with athletes, with a proven ability to translate athlete feedback into actionable insights that drive apparel and accessories creation.
• Commercial sports brand experience in apparel and accessories testing, coupled with cross-functional expertise to partner effectively with Design, Development, and Materials teams.
• Clear communicator in English, both verbal and written.

• Experience in Outdoor, Teamsport, or Running categories.
• Background in Apparel Product Testing or Development, User Experience Research (UXR), Biomechanics, or Kinesiology.
• Proficiency or fluency in Italian.

• Based in Zurich.