Senior Director, Early Entry Hearing / Over The Counter (Otc) Job Details | Sonova AG

Who we are

In a life without sound, our work provides meaning. As a leading provider of innovative hearing care solutions, we are not just a company that makes products: we are a team on a mission to help people enjoy the delight of hearing. To enable a life without limitations, through our core business brands - Advanced Bionics, Audiological Care, Phonak, Sennheiser (under license) and Unitron - we develop, manufacture and distribute solutions that push the limits of technology and redefine the future of our industry.

Who is Sennheiser

We live and breathe audio. We are driven by the passion to create audio solutions that make a difference. The business with consumer devices such as headphones, soundbars and speech-enhanced hearables is now operated by Sonova Holding AG under the license of Sennheiser.

With the well-known Sennheiser brand, the company stands for premium quality in the field of audio products. In order to remain among the best in its field, Sonova Consumer Hearing is always on the lookout for outstanding talent for the Sennheiser brand. The company is headquartered in Wedemark, Germany, with approximately 650 employees worldwide.

Aurora, IL (Hybrid)

Senior Director, Early Entry Hearing / OTC

The Senior Director of our OTC division will have a commercial focus on the distribution expansion and sales/P&L delivery of the OTC category in the US. This leader will manage all aspects of go-to-market, including cross-functional responsibility for driving integrated marketing plans, P&L responsibility, channel management and managing strategic partnerships with key US retailers and audiological care providers as appropriate. In a new and growing category, this role will have enormous opportunity for growth and interaction with both regional senior leadership and global functions.

Responsibilities:

• End to End Business Unit Owner of OTC category in the US, including Internal & External stakeholders and team accountability

• Drive distribution gains and sales achievements thru leading existing sales manager to growth, and direct key account sales outreach (food & drug, mass, regional, club and specialty)

• Own and shape OTC P&L including delivery of aligned top, middle, and bottom-line metrics as defined 5-year growth plan.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment and support for increasing OTC hearing products in the US to 10% share and beyond. Potential for dotted-line reporting structure like GM structure with further scale (marketing, customer service)

• Implement comprehensive marketing strategy to drive awareness and demand for OTC hearing products in US

• Utilize market research to identify and leverage key consumer segments, insights, and preferences for OTC hearing products

• Segment, Stratify, and Prioritize critical Retailers to form Strategic Partnerships, with ability to drive directly as needed

• Own, define, and drive DPSM metrics;

• Design specific SKU roadmap to building PODs availability to maximum targets (Points of Distribution)

• Activate PODs roadmap with hyper focus measurement of progress and enablement of teams

• Lead strategy and implement pricing and promotional strategies to maximize sales volume, profitability, acquisition, and retention

• Define and execute Perfect Store and Shelf, Digital and Offline

• Collaborate with marketing to leverage and deploy targeted advertising campaigns to reach targeted consumers in key channels including social media, digital advertising, and Customer-owned advertising

• Establish partnerships with relevant OTC providers and organizations to promote benefits of OTC hearing products

• Monitor market trends and competitor activities to identify opportunities for growth and differentiation

• Work closely with product managers and R&D teams to ensure OTC products meet Consumer preferences and Retail Customer needs

• Lead x-functional team and overseeing daily operations

• Control budget and manage cost as a function of revenue

• Drive OTC business success by defining, implementing, and improving:

• Go-to-market strategy i.e., channel mix, marketing spend, pricing strategy

• End to end consumer journey to drive

• Acquisition (Lead Generation, Omni-Channel)

• Retention of new consumers, built into the Pricing & Service business model

• Customer support & value-added services (e.g., fitting by HCPs) to reduce returns, maximize attachment rate and create leads for HI business

• Website and product features to guarantee seamless consumer experience

• Interact as needed with internal Sonova business units; negotiate with retailers on terms and conditions, manage external marketing agencies, etc.

• Track & analyze key performance indicators to measure success of progress and priorities on a weekly basis (Bowler) and report back to US VP / CHB LT / Sonova Management Board. Identify and adjust strategies for success as required.

More about you:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience required

• 8 years related sales management experience, with at least 3 years of supervisory experience preferably in FMCG

• Required experience selling big box US retailers (ex. Walmart, Target, Food/Drug, etc.)

• Strong sales and competitive drive

• Outstanding and proven consultative sales abilities

• Strong knowledge of big box retail sales management

• P&L management and financial grasp

• Demonstrated and proven ability to meet and exceed sales goals within channel

• Ability to establish and grow distribution through fostering retailer relationships, strategic selling, and account management excellence

• Strong ethics/high integrity with the ability to maintain professional internal and external relationships that meet core company values

• Ownership and leadership of demand planning/SIOP principle for forecast accuracy

• Knowledge of CE, wellness/monitoring, IOT a plus

• General Management leadership experience a plus

A minimum of 200Mb/sec download and 10Mb/sec upload speed internet connectivity is required to support any remote/hybrid employee functionality at Sonova

Don't meet all the criteria? If you're willing to go all in and learn we'd love to hear from you!

We are looking forward to receiving your application via our online job application platform. For this position only direct applications will be considered. Sonova does not recruit via app, telegram, carrier pigeon or any other format that does not include speaking with an actual human. If you are offered a job without speaking with someone please contact wholesalehr@sonova.com

What we offer:

• Medical, dental and vision coverage*

• Health Savings, Health Reimbursement, Flexible Spending/Dependent Care Accounts

• TeleHealth options

• 401k plan with company match*

• Company paid life/ad&d insurance

• Additional supplemental life/ad&d coverage available

• Company paid Short/Long-Term Disability coverage (STD/LTD)

• STD LTD Buy-ups available

• Accident/Hospital Indemnity coverage

• Legal/ID Theft Assistance

• PTO (or sick and vacation time), floating Diversity Day, & paid holidays*

• Paid parental bonding leave

• Employee Assistance Program (24/7 mental health support hotline, 5 company paid counseling sessions and more)

• Robust Internal Career Growth opportunities

• Tuition reimbursement

• Hearing aid discount for employees and family

• Internal social recognition platform

• D&I focused: D&I council and employee resource groups

• Plan rules/offerings dependent upon group Company/location.

How we work:

At Sonova, we prioritize the well-being of our employees and foster an inclusive environment that promotes engagement and collaboration. Our team-customized hybrid work model empowers teams to balance individual needs with business goals, offering flexibility and individualized time management. We recognize the importance of life outside of work and strive to create a supportive and motivating workplace where innovation thrives.

Pay Ranges: $140-000-$190,000 (Compensation may vary based on experience and location)

Eligible for bonus

Health Benefits & Perks:

• Medical, dental and vision coverage*

• Health Savings, Health Reimbursement, Flexible Spending/Dependent Care Accounts

• TeleHealth options

• 401k plan with company match*

• Company paid life/ad&d insurance

• Additional supplemental life/ad&d coverage available

• Short/Long-Term Disability coverage (STD/LTD)

• STD LTD Buy-ups available

• Accident/Hospital Indemnity coverage

• Legal/ID Theft Assistance

• PTO & paid holidays*

• Employee Assistance Program

• Plan rules/offerings dependent upon group Company/location.

The Sennheiser brand

The Sennheiser brand stands for premium quality in the field of audio products.

At Sonova Consumer Hearing, we develop and offer consumer devices such as headphones, soundbars and speech-enhanced hearables under the brand license of Sennheiser.

The business is headquartered in Wedemark, Germany, and has approximately 650 employees worldwide. To continue to be among the best in the industry, we are always on the lookout for outstanding talent.