Senior Manager, Mechanical Engineering

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.

Senior Manager, Mechanical Engineering (Onsite OR Hybrid)

Lead and manage the R&D Mechanical Design Engineering Team.

Responsibilities:

Product Development Leadership

• Provide the vision, drive, persistence and team-building skills necessary to develop reliable products (implants, electrodes, external speech processor platforms and related accessories) in a timely manner that meet market needs and exceed performance and quality standards in the industry
• Oversee conceptualization, development and design of active implantable medical devices including permanently implantable components, electrode leads and surgical tooling
• Oversee conceptualization, development and design of active externals medical devices including BTE, HP, OPS and corresponding accessories
• Working with Manufacturing Engineering, develop manufacturing processes and ensure successful transfer of products on to the production line.
• Participate in and present project status and problem solving results to senior leadership team and at department level meetings
• Participate and present department activities, product quality, produce reliability, product performance, manufacturing problems, and department projects at general company meetings and to the company management staff
• Working with the Project Management group; provide schedule, resource and budget estimates for new development projects
• Participate in product definition, verification and validation  processes
• Closely collaborate with customers, consumers, surgeon’s as well as internal stakeholders (product managers, regulatory, design assurance, manufacturing, quality, procurement)
• Author and review technical product specifications for implants, electrodes and externals
• Oversee design of experiments and test development to ensure product reliability during all development stages (test to failure where appropriate).

Cross Functional Collaboration:

• Technical supplier assessment and management
• Take responsibility for assigned corrective actions on existing products (CAPA).
• Foster innovation and IP activities (invention disclosures and reviews)
• Support IP maintenance and clearance
• Support SPCN process (sustaining engineering)
• Support design verification and validation activities
• Support root cause and failure analysis (Reliability Engineering & Sustaining)
• Support regulatory activities
• Support risk assessment and management

People Management

• Develop, coach and mentor team members to foster professional and personal growth
• Strengthen group with performance feedback, training, and help each individual develop career paths
• Ensure close and efficient cross functional collaboration
• Knowledge management and development
• Provide mechanical staffing and expertise to projects
• Recruit and hire to strengthen the organization. Participate in the hiring process for other departments
• Other duties as assigned.

Travelling Requirement: Up to 5%

More about you:

Education

• B. Sc. in Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering or equivalent

Nice to Have

• Master’s Degree

Further Education

Nice to Have

• Six Sigma, Lean-Management, FMEA, statistical analysis and methods, TRIZ

Work Experience

• 7-10 years of professional experience in product design and development of medical devices.
• 3+ years of people management experience
• 5+ years of experience within a cross-functional matrix environment
• Proven track record in product lifecycle phases from concept through manufacturing transfer to  product release and launch
• Broad industrial background with a strong focus on medical devices and/ or body worn consumer electronics.
• Proven experience in technical team building and management.

Nice to Have

• Experience with medical device class III or other highly regulated industry
• CI and/or Spinal Cord Stimulation background
• Micro component manufacture and assembly
• Project management
• Technical leadership
• People management and coaching

Personal Competencies

• Self-starter, passionate, quick learner, creative, innovative, hands-on, well-organized, result-oriented

Social Competencies

• Excellent communication skills, team player, profound presentation skills, strong networking skills

Leadership Competencies

• Ability to inspire and motivate others, drive decisions, leading by example, hands-on leadership style, well-rounded coaching and mentoring skills.

Professional Competencies

• Profound knowledge in design and development of  permanently implantable active medical devices and/ or hearing aids or similar body worn device
• Advanced knowledge in subtractive and additive manufacturing methods
• Proven track record in creating, managing and reviewing technical documentation in a highly regulated environment
• Profound knowledge in design for manufacturability, design for quality, design to cost
• Advanced knowledge in inspection methods and metrology equipment
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills
• Open, innovative and creative mindset

Nice to Have

•    Background in hermetic feedthrough technology

•    Background in electrode lead design and fabrication

•    Familiarity with hearing loss, causes and possible therapies

•    Familiarity of the anatomy and physiology of the human ear

•    Familiarity with the subject matter of electrical nerve stimulation

•    Familiarity with Human Factors Design/ Ergonomics

•    Kaizen and Lean principles

•    Knowledge in materials used in implantable medical devices

•    Well-rounded knowledge of bio-compatibility requirements

Language(s)/ Level

• English/ Proficient

IT Skills

• Proficient in MS Office 365, PLM/PDM systems, ProEngineer CREO CAD or equivalent

Nice to Have

• MS Project, MoldFlow, ANSYS/ COMSOL FEA, Minitab

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! 

 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.

This role's pay range is between: $120,000/yr - $180,000/yr (based on location). This role is also bonus eligible. 

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.