Driven by the passion to improve quality of people’s lives, WS Audiology continues to grow as market leader in the hearing aid industry. With our commitment to increase penetration in an underserved hearing care market, we want to accelerate our business transformation in order to reach more people, more effectively.

This Senior Category Specialist will drive towards optimal TCO conditions (cost, commercial, quality, delivery, innovation) by developing and implementing category strategies to improve supply chain efficiencies, ensure resiliency, and reduce the total cost of supply chain. Outcomes should sustain a competitive advantage for WSA, utilizing global market exploitation, leveraging spend and technologies.

What you will do

• This person will lead negotiation and cost-saving initiatives for outsourcing (EMS) of power supplies and accessories, managing ~EUR 30 million annual spend. 
• Develop and own supplier relationships for strategic initiatives to implement cross-business synergies across a rationalized set of global and regional preferred supplier partners. 
• Serve as Sourcing–R&D–Engineering liaison to ensure visibility and alignment on timelines, target costs, new platforms/technologies, supplier selection, and NPI risk mitigation.
• Develop innovative solutions, forecast category projections and provide mitigation actions as applicable to ensure key metrics for the procurement function are achieved. Special focus on risk mitigation and Supply continuity.
• Ensure commercial terms align with organizational goals (payment and shipping terms, liability).

What you bring

Experience

• Over 5 years’ experience in a strategic sourcing of direct materials or EMS
• Technical and cost driver knowledge in direct materials and components, if possible, in electronics
• Program and process development to integrate cost savings strategy into product development context
• Since many suppliers are based in North Asia, the ability to speak mandarin is a preference for this role
• Experience working and managing external vendors to deliver results within designated timelines
• Experience handling internal and external stakeholders
• Knowledge of cost modelling and strategic sourcing process

Personal competencies

• Learning Agility - demonstrates a swift understanding of the core aspects in unfamiliar situations and seeks to assimilate new facts, data, and information
• Manage complexity - asks the right questions to accurately analyze situations; acquires data from diverse sources when solving problems; uncovers root causes to difficult problems
• Drive results - has a strong bottom-line orientation; persists in accomplishing objectives despite obstacles and setbacks; has a track record of exceeding goals successfully
• Collaborates - builds partnerships and works collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives
• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal – ability to clearly demonstrate and explain technical opportunities

Who we are

At WS Audiology, we provide innovative hearing aids and hearing health services.

Together with our 12,000 colleagues in 130 countries, we invite you to help unlock human potential by bringing back hearing for millions of people around the world.

With us, you will become part of a truly global company where we care for one another, welcome diversity and celebrate our successes.

Sounds wonderful? We can't wait to hear from you.

WS Audiology is an equal-opportunity employer and committed to creating an inclusive employee experience for all and we firmly believe that our work is at its best when everyone feels free to be their most authentic self.