Head of Product Management, Product/R&D

In short As the Head of Strategy & Operations, you are the architect of Footwear Creation's operating model. You will translate On's 2030 Long Range Plan into executable transformation- driving the strategic initiatives, processes, and systems that enable our team to deliver breakthrough footwear with Swiss-engineered precision. Sitting at the intersection of Development, Engineering, Materials, and Sustainability, you will influence leaders across functions, build organizational excitement for new ways of working, and make decisive calls on initiative prioritization and execution. Your mission: own the LRP initiative portfolio, orchestrate the leadership operating rhythm, and deliver measurable transformation that elevates how we create. Your mission STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP & VISION (LRP TO ACTION) * Architect the Roadmap: Translate On’s 2030 LRP and annual goals into a multi-year strategic roadmap for Footwear Product Creation * Strategic Prioritization: Act as the Creation gatekeeper for the footwear portfolio, ensuring technical breakthroughs are sequenced and resourced for maximum commercial impact. PORTFOLIO STRATEGY & OPERATING RHYTHM * Own seasonal range portfolio planning: capacity modeling, resource allocation, project prioritization * Design and manage the Footwear Creation operating rhythm: weekly leadership standups, monthly business reviews, quarterly strategic planning * Facilitate high-stakes leadership discussions; Own the agendas, pre-reads, drive decisions and follow-through for all leadership forums * Serve as the primary coordination point between Creation and cross-functional partners (Innovation, Sourcing, Brand, Supply Chain) * Build portfolio dashboards that give leadership real-time visibility into capacity, progress, risks, and trade-offs. PROCESS EXCELLENCE & TRANSFORMATION * Lead strategic initiatives to improve creation velocity: stage-gate optimization, systems integration, capacity planning frameworks * Identify and eliminate process inefficiencies; challenge any workflow that doesn't add value * Drive adoption of new ways of working through clear metrics, change management, and feedback loops * Build a high-accountability, fast-decision culture within the Creation leadership team. CHANGE MANAGEMENT & ADOPTION EXCELLENCE * Drive adoption of new initiatives through comprehensive change management: communication strategies, training programs, adoption metrics, feedback mechanisms * Build organizational excitement and understanding of the strategic rationale behind transformational changes * Navigate politics and complexity to drive decisions and unblock progress * Hold partners accountable to commitments- even when they don't report to you * Monitor leading indicators of adoption; implement course corrections when resistance or confusion emerges * Foster a culture of accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement within Footwear Creation. YOUR STORY * Experience: 10+ years of leadership in Product Strategy, Program Management, or Footwear Creation, with a proven track record of translating corporate strategy into actionable cross-functional initiatives * Operational Rigor: Exceptional executive facilitation skills; you are comfortable holding senior stakeholders accountable and running high-stakes leadership rhythms * Influence without authority: You've led initiatives where success required getting leaders who don't report to you to change how they work. You have low self orientation * Footwear Acumen: Deep understanding of the end-to-end product creation lifecycle- from innovation and engineering to global manufacturing * Data-Driven Mindset: Exceptional analytical and visualization skills; you can turn complex project data into clear insights for executive decision-making * Transformation Leader: Experience leading organizational change, including "Future State" org design and the implementation of new operating models * Communication: A natural storyteller, capable of inspiring large teams on stage and navigating complex cross-functional partnerships * Passion: An undeniable drive for sports, footwear technology, and Swiss-engineered innovation. Why This Matters On is scaling fast. Footwear Creation needs to evolve- not just work harder, but work smarter. We need new systems, new processes, new ways of collaborating. We need someone who can drive that transformation across a complex, cross-functional organization. You won't build the products. But you'll build the operating model, the systems, and the culture that enable products and brand initiatives to be adopted and built with excellence, at speed, at scale. If you're the kind of transformation leader who thrives on complexity, who knows how to influence without authority, who can make tough calls and drive change that sticks- this is your role. Meet The Team Our mission is to define and create the future of sportswear bringing to life groundbreaking innovations. Acting at the forefront of material science, sport science and engineering we develop products that push the boundaries of performance and sustainability, blending in unique aesthetic appeal that embodies On’s design DNA. 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.

As the Head of Product Operations, you will build and run the operating system that enables the product organization to plan, decide, and ship with clarity, speed, and accountability. Reporting to the Head of R&D Strategy and Operations, you will own the cadences, governance mechanisms, operating metrics, source-of-truth systems, and release management workflows that keep product information accurate, discoverable, and usable across the company.  You will serve as the connective tissue across R&D and customer-facing teams—ensuring that marketing, support, success, sales, and other partners have the information they need to market, sell, and support our products. We are looking for a strategic operator who can design the systems and rituals that improve decision quality, portfolio governance, and cross-functional coordination across a complex product organization. This role is based in our Vancouver office with an office-centric hybrid schedule. The standard in-office days are Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Most Asanas have the option to work from home on Wednesdays. Working from home on Fridays depends on the type of work you do and the teams with which you partner. If you're interviewing for this role, your recruiter will share more about the in-office requirements. WHAT YOU'LL ACHIEVE * Own the product operating model—planning cadences, quarterly and annual planning processes, portfolio-level planning, roadmap governance, leadership review forums, decision logs, and accountability mechanisms—partnering with Product, Design, and Engineering leadership to improve decision quality and execution rigor. * Build and run release management as a core function of Product Operations: design the systems, templates, intake mechanisms, and source-of-truth workflows that keep product information accurate and current, so marketing, support, success, sales, and other customer-facing teams are fully equipped to set clear customer expectations and answer questions before, during, and after launches. * Establish and maintain clear standards—in partnership with PMs—for how product truth is captured, reviewed, and distributed internally, reducing ambiguity, duplication, and operational friction across the product ecosystem. * Define and track the operating metrics that indicate product organization health and effectiveness, including planning quality, roadmap predictability, decision velocity, launch readiness, and execution follow-through. * Define and evolve the engagement model between Product/R&D and cross-functional partners—forums, escalation paths, intake routes, decision rights, and handoffs—and coordinate cross-functional launch readiness and dependency management in partnership with TPM. * Build and run mechanisms that collect, normalize, and route customer and field signals back into product planning and tradeoff discussions, turning fragmented inputs into strategic insight that informs prioritization and investment decisions. * Own and improve the product organization's tooling ecosystem, operating rituals, templates, and workflow design, embedding AI-augmented workflows and scalable practices to increase leverage and execution quality.   ABOUT YOU * Demonstrate curiosity about AI tools and emerging technologies, with a willingness to learn and leverage them to enhance productivity, collaboration, or decision-making. * Bring 8+ years of experience in product operations, product management, strategy and operations, or a related discipline, with meaningful experience building operating systems in a complex product organization. * Possess deep expertise in planning systems, governance design, operating cadences, metrics, and cross-functional coordination. * Exhibit strong judgment on where product decisions belong versus where operational systems and governance should sit, with demonstrated ability to influence senior leaders and improve execution without owning every downstream function. * Show strong analytical and executive communication skills, with the ability to turn ambiguity and fragmented inputs into clear recommendations, operating mechanisms, and actionable dashboards. * Demonstrate experience modernizing workflows, tooling, and team practices in fast-paced, AI-enabled product environments. * Operate with exceptional organization, strong judgment, and the independent drive necessary to navigate ambiguity successfully.   At Asana, we're committed to building teams that include a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills, as this is critical to helping us achieve our mission. If you're interested in this role and don't meet every listed requirement, we still encourage you to apply. What we’ll offer Our comprehensive compensation package plays a big part in how we recognize you for the impact you have on our path to achieving our mission. We believe that compensation should be reflective of the value you create relative to the market value of your role. To ensure pay is fair and not impacted by biases, we're committed to looking at market value which is why we check ourselves and conduct a yearly pay equity audit. For this role, the estimated base salary range is between $200,000 - $250,000 CAD. The actual base salary will vary based on various factors, including market and individual qualifications objectively assessed during the interview process. The listed range above is a guideline, and the base salary range for this role may be modified. In addition to base salary, your compensation package may include additional components such as equity, sales incentive pay (for most sales roles), and benefits. If you're interviewing for this role, speak with your Talent Acquisition Partner to learn more about the total compensation and benefits for this role. We strive to provide equitable and competitive benefits packages that support our employees worldwide and include: * Mental health, wellness & fitness benefits * Career coaching & support * Inclusive family building benefits * Long-term savings or retirement plans * In-office culinary options to cater to your dietary preferences  These are just some of the benefits we offer, and benefits may vary based on role, country, and local regulations. If you're interviewing for this role, speak with your Talent Acquisition Partner to learn more about the total compensation and benefits for this role. #LI-Hybrid About us Asana is a leading platform for human + AI collaboration. Millions of teams around the world rely on Asana to achieve their most important goals, faster. Asana has been named to Fortune's Best Workplaces for 7+ years and recognized by Fast Company, Forbes, and Gartner for excellence in workplace culture and innovation. We offer an exceptional office-centric culture while adopting the best elements of hybrid models to ensure that every one of our global team members can work together effortlessly. With 13+ offices all over the world, we are always looking for individuals who care about building technology that drives positive change in the world and a culture where everyone feels that they belong. Join Asana’s Talent Network to stay up to date on job opportunities and life at Asana.