Procurement Senior Manager - Development & Innovation

Who we are

You enjoy creating and innovating. You never stop striving for better. You take responsibility and you get results. You love being part of a team. Above all, you want your work to matter: Welcome to our world! At Sonova we create sense by bringing sound to life. Our innovative hearing care solutions help millions of people enjoy life’s unforgettable moments.

We offer exceptional career opportunities through market-leading brands from consumer to medical, products and services that keep pushing hearing care forward, and a culture where you can quickly belong and perform at your best.

If you want the freedom to explore, opportunities to grow, and make positive change on people lives through your work, this is the place for you.

Procurement Senior Manager - Development & Innovation

The Senior Manager, Product Development & Innovation Procurement is an execution-focused role responsible for the hands-on delivery of procurement activities across product concept, design, development, and New Product Introduction (NPI) phases.

The role operates within the strategy, governance, and frameworks defined by senior procurement leadership and ensures high-quality day-to-day execution, cost transparency, risk mitigation, and on-time delivery for assigned development projects.

This position does not carry people management responsibility and focuses on operational ownership and cross-functional execution.

More about the role:

Procurement Execution in Product Development & NPI

• Execute procurement activities across product concept, design, development, and industrialization phases.


• Act as the primary procurement counterpart for assigned development projects.


• Ensure procurement deliverables align with project milestones and gates.

Early Supplier Involvement (ESI) & Design Support

• Support early supplier involvement through supplier scouting, feasibility checks, and technical discussions.


• Contribute to Design-for-Sourcing and Design-to-Cost initiatives with sourcing and cost input.


• Support engineering and R&D teams with supplier and market insights.

Cost Control & Value Engineering

• Develop and maintain Should-Cost models and cost benchmarks.


• Track BOM cost development versus business case targets.


• Execute and support Value Analysis / Value Engineering initiatives during development.

Project Execution & Time-to-Market

• Execute prototype and sample sourcing activities.


• Track tooling fabrication, validation, and readiness with suppliers.


• Execute early-buy activities for long-lead components to protect timelines.

Supply Chain Setup & Local Sourcing

• Support supply chain setup and scalability for new products.


• Execute local and regional sourcing activities aligned with manufacturing footprint.


• Support sub-tier visibility and logistics setup when required.

Supplier, Systems & BAU Handover

• Execute sourcing activities including RFQs, negotiations, and contract implementation.


• Ensure accuracy and completeness of ERP and sourcing data.


• Support smooth handover from NPI to serial production

More about you:  

Education

Must have:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Business, Supply Chain, or related field

Nice to have:

• Master’s degree or Project / Procurement certification (MCIPS, PMP)

Professional Experience

• 5–8 years of experience in Direct Procurement, preferably in product development or NPI environments.


• Hands-on experience executing sourcing activities, RFQs, and supplier negotiations.


• Experience working in cross-functional and global organizations.


• Exposure to cost analysis, BOM tracking, and should-cost methodologies.


• Experience supporting NPI handover into serial production is a plus.


• Industry experience in Automotive, Medical, Electronics, or Food is advantageous.

Key Competencies

• Strong execution and delivery focus.


• Analytical problem-solving and structured working style.


• Solid negotiation and supplier communication skills.


• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.


• Team-oriented contributor without people management responsibility.

Language Skills

• English: Business proficient – able to negotiate contracts and manage suppliers in an international environment


• Additional languages are an advantage

More about what we offer:

As one of the world’s leading hearing care providers headquartered in Switzerland, we’re committed to building an inclusive culture. We want to create an environment where you can balance a successful career with your commitments and interests outside of work, through our flexible hybrid working model. We offer a wide range of training opportunities for both your professional and personal development, and there are exceptional growth opportunities with individual development plans.

Sonova is an equal opportunity employer.

We team up. We grow talent. We collaborate with people of diverse backgrounds to win with the best team in the marketplace. We guarantee every person equal treatment in regard to employment and opportunity for employment, regardless of a candidate's ethnic or national origin, religion, sexual orientation or marital status, gender, genetic identity, age, disability or any other legally protected status.