About this role
Who we are
You enjoy taking complex problems apart, making sense of them, and driving them to a conclusion. You are not satisfied with giving advice — you want to see results actually happen. You thrive close to the front line, where you can watch decisions being made and play a direct hand in shaping them. Above all, you want your work to matter: Welcome to our world!
At Sonova, our retail business is our closest point of contact with consumers — through AudioNova Hysound, we operate over 200 professional hearing care centers across 20+ provinces and 70+ cities in China, and continue to expand our physical network so more people can access world-class hearing care close to home.
If you want to grow fast in a seat close to decision-making and use your analysis and drive to fuel business growth, this is the place for you.
Chief of Staff (Retail Business)
You will act as the business partner to the Retail Business Leader, sitting at the center of business decision-making: structuring complex issues, driving strategic initiatives to execution, and owning the materials that shape how decisions get made. This is a core support role alongside the Retail Business Leader — not an administrative or executive assistant position.
You will be based in Shanghai, reporting to the Retail Business Leader.
More about the role
- Track core retail metrics (store count, footfall, conversion rate, fitting volume, average order value, follow-up rate) and deliver regular performance analysis; identify growth opportunities and risks
- Run deep-dive analyses on business pain points; monitor industry trends and competitive dynamics, translating them into judgment that is actually useful to the business
- Support the Retail Business Leader in translating strategy into executable initiatives with clear milestones and owners, and follow through on delivery
- Lead cross-functional project coordination across product, store operations, marketing, audiologist teams and supply chain; identify blockers, drive course correction and ensure closure
- Prepare materials for business reviews, quarterly retrospectives and leadership meetings; draft key internal and external communications
- Organize critical meetings, capture minutes, and follow through on action items
- Manage the Retail Business Leader's time and issue priorities — judge what genuinely requires their involvement versus what can be delegated or redirected
- Act as the information hub between the Retail Business Leader and business lines, ensuring accurate and timely two-way flow
- Own high-priority special assignments end-to-end, from problem definition to execution
More about you
- Bachelor's degree or above from a reputable university
- 5-8 years of experience, with one of the following backgrounds:
- Consultant or Senior Consultant at a management consulting firm (strategy or operations practice)
- Strategy & Operations, business analysis, PMO or CEO Office role at a retail / consumer goods company
- Combined consulting + in-house background strongly preferred
- Retail, consumer goods or new retail industry experience preferred; healthcare or professional service chain background also welcome
- Strong structured problem solving — able to turn ambiguous issues into clear frameworks
- Solid material craft — able to distill analysis into "one headline + one storyline"
- Excellent cross-functional drive — able to move things forward without direct authority
- Solid data fluency; Excel and PowerPoint as core toolkit
- Mature interpersonal skills and judgment — able to hold a view in front of senior executives and drive execution with business teams
- High resilience, comfortable in a fast-paced and ambiguous environment, willing to take on a meaningful share of execution-level work
- Native in Mandarin and fluent in English
More about what we offer
- Report directly to the Retail Business Leader — participate in core business reviews and be in the room where decisions happen
- From advice to outcomes — this is not a role where you hand over a report and walk away; you see results happen and drive them yourself
- Full business picture — work across product, store operations, marketing, audiologist teams and supply chain to build a complete understanding of hearing care retail
- More sustainable rhythm — a steadier pace compared to the travel intensity and project cycles of consulting
- Comprehensive training and individual development plans with a clear growth path
- A flexible hybrid working model that helps you balance a successful career with your commitments outside of work
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 marketplace. 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.