Innovation Director (m/f/d)

Sonova Group; Stäfa; Hybrid; CHF 180,000 - 320,000; Full time

Job summary

Sonova Group is seeking an Innovation Director in Switzerland to own a global product line and drive commercial success across its lifecycle. You will shape strategy, pricing, placement, and promotion while overseeing cross-functional collaboration with R&D, regions, Marcom, and Ops.

You will lead a high-performing team, focusing on revenue, margins, and portfolio performance, with a strong emphasis on stakeholder management and global market insights. Fluent English required; German is a plus.

Qualifications

• University degree in Business Administration, Engineering or related field.
• 10+ years in B2B/B2B2C marketing or business management.
• Proven global P&L responsibility and portfolio management.
• Strong product strategy, development, launch and lifecycle experience.
• Experience in cost optimization and cross-functional leadership.
• Successful track record in people leadership and team development.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management.
• Fluent English; German language skills are advantageous.
• Knowledge of hearing-care or medical-device industry is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Own product line strategy, roadmap, launch readiness and lifecycle decisions.
• Lead 4Ps (product, price, placement, promotion) aligned with brand strategy.
• Drive revenue and margins through robust business cases and growth initiatives.
• Translate customer needs, market trends, and tech developments into priorities.
• Lead cross-functional alignment across R&D, regions, Marcom, and Operations.
• Manage lifecycle economics including COGS, gross margin, and portfolio complexity.
• Prioritize engineering and portfolio changes; ensure disciplined execution.
• Lead, coach, and develop Senior Product Managers and Product Managers.

Skills

Product strategy

Cross-functional leadership

Global P&L management

Strategic thinking

Stakeholder management

Negotiation & influencing

Team coaching & development

English fluency

Cost optimization

Education

University degree in Business Administration or Engineering

Experience in B2B/B2B2C marketing or business management

Job description

At Sonova, we envision a world where everyone can enjoy the delight of hearing. This vision inspires us and fuels our commitment to developing innovative solutions that improve hearing health and human connection - from personal audio devices and wireless communication systems to hearing aids and cochlear implants. We're dedicated to providing outstanding customer experiences through our global audiological care services, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to engage fully with the world around them.

Guided by a culture of continuous improvement that fosters resilience and self-motivation, our team is united by a shared commitment to excellence and a deep sense of pride in our work, each of us playing a vital role in creating meaningful change,

Here you’ll find a diverse range of opportunities that span both consumer and medical solutions and the freedom to shape your career while making an impact on the lives of others. Join us in our mission to create a more connected world, where every voice is heard and every story matters.

Are you ready to take full ownership of a global product line and turn customer insights and technological innovation into sustainable commercial success?

As Innovation Director, you will lead a product line within Phonak and take full commercial and strategic ownership across its entire lifecycle—from initial concept and launch through in-market optimization and phase-out. You will lead decisions across product, price, placement, and promotion while driving sustainable revenue, margin, and portfolio performance.

More about the role

• Own the product line strategy, roadmap, launch readiness, in-market performance, and phase-out decisions.
• Lead the 4Ps—product, price, placement, and promotion in line with the brand and business strategy.
• Drive revenue, margin, and overall commercial performance through robust business cases, strategic plans, and growth initiatives.
• Translate customer needs, market trends, competitive activity, and technological developments into business opportunities and product priorities.
• Lead cross-functional alignment and execution across R&D, regions, Marcom, Portfolio Integration, Operations, and other key stakeholders.
• Manage lifecycle economics, including cost of goods, gross margin, portfolio complexity, and phase-in and phase-out planning.
• Prioritize relevant engineering and portfolio changes and ensure disciplined execution from concept through post-launch improvement.
• Lead, coach, and develop Senior Product Managers and Product Managers, creating a high-performing and inclusive team culture.

More about you

• A university degree in Business Administration, Engineering, or a related field, combined with a strong understanding of both marketing and engineering environments.
• At least 10 years of experience in B2B or B2B2C Marketing or Business Management, preferably within a technical and innovation-driven organization.
• Proven experience managing a product group or business segment with global P&L, revenue, and margin responsibility.
• Broad expertise across product strategy, definition, positioning, development, launch, in-market steering, and lifecycle management.
• Strong experience in cost optimization, portfolio management, project management, and cross-functional leadership across Marketing, Sales, and R&D.
• A successful track record in people leadership, coaching, and team development.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder-management skills, including the ability to influence stakeholders at Management Board and CEO level.
• Fluent English skills; German-language skills are advantageous.
• Knowledge of the hearing-care or broader medical-device industry would be considered an advantage.

More about what we offer

As one of the world’s leading hearing care providers headquartered in Switzerland, we are committed to building an inclusive culture where you can balance a successful career with your life outside of work through our flexible hybrid working model. We offer a wide range of training opportunities for both professional and personal development, with strong growth opportunities supported by 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 market place. 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.