Staefa, Switzerland

Senior Director Individualization Functions

Sonova is a global leader in hearing solutions, dedicated to improving the lives of millions through cutting-edge technology. To strengthen our innovation leadership and accelerate our vision of deeply personalized hearing care, we are seeking a strategic and influential Senior Director for Individualization Functions.

This critical role defines how our solutions adjust and respond to each user’s unique hearing profile—whether based on measured data, user interaction patterns, anatomical characteristics, or clinical outcomes. You will lead the strategy and development of key functional domains including Loss Compensation, Fitting Functions, Acoustic Coupling, Ear Anatomy & Modeling, Accessibility & Usage, and Subjective & Clinical Outcome Measures.

Your leadership ensures that Sonova continues delivering highly individualized, high-quality, and user-centered hearing experiences across our entire ecosystem.

The Role

As Senior Director Individualization Functions, you will provide long-term strategic direction for the technologies and functions that enable precise personalization of hearing care. You will guide research, influence architecture decisions, connect market insights with functional development, and strengthen collaboration across product management, technology leadership, marketing, clinical teams, and R&D.

This is a role for a visionary leader who combines scientific depth with strategic clarity and the ability to transform complex systems into powerful, user-focused solutions.

What You Will Lead & Deliver

Strategic & Functional Leadership

• Define the overarching functional strategy and ensure alignment with Product Management and Technology Leadership.
• Identify opportunities grounded in Jobs to Be Done and market evidence.
• Serve as the leading internal advocate for the Individualization domain, enabling informed decision-making across the business.
• Build system-wide coherence by resolving functional, architectural, and cross-team dependencies.
• Shape architecture decisions together with Technology Leaders to maximize functional value.
• Develop frameworks to compare functional approaches and emerging technological pathways.

Innovation, Exploration & External Engagement

• Scout and evaluate emerging concepts, methods, and technologies in the individualization space.
• Connect early-stage explorations with strategic priorities and measurable business impact.
• Integrate exploration activities with clinical studies and scientific steering committees.
• Represent Sonova in scientific communities, conferences, and professional associations.

Organizational & Capability Development

• Strengthen domain expertise and develop future-ready skills across teams.
• Assign leaders and experts to strategic innovation streams and ILSP projects.
• Ensure standards compliance, address implementation challenges, and guide the creation of intellectual property.
• Foster a culture of scientific excellence, cross-functional collaboration, and continuous improvement.

What You Bring

Experience & Knowledge

• Advanced scientific degree in a relevant field; PhD strongly preferred.
• 10+ years in a relevant technical or scientific domain, including years spent in PhD research.
• Track record of strategic leadership, innovation management, and cross-functional influence.
• Strong business acumen including budgeting, resource planning, and strategic prioritization.
• Deep understanding of hearing solutions or closely related domains.