Company Name
Shockwave Medical
Search Job Title
Buyer/Planner
Client Profile
Shockwave Medical, a leading medical device manufacturer based on the West Coast, is renowned for its innovative solutions in the healthcare industry. As they continued to scale operations, their planning team sought to modernize and streamline their processes to support growth and operational efficiency.
Role Objectives & Challenges
The planning team at Shockwave Medical needed a Buyer/Planner who could fulfill two critical objectives. The primary goal was to manage the day-to-day responsibilities of the role, including procurement and planning tasks. However, the position also required someone capable of implementing and enhancing the company’s Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) process. Up to this point, the team had been relying on analog tools like spreadsheets, and they needed a candidate who could transition the planning process into a more digitized and automated system. The role presented unique challenges. Shockwave Medical required a candidate with expertise in planning technology and familiarity with the medical device industry’s complex regulations and standards. Adding to the complexity, this person also needed an industrial manufacturing background to navigate the cross-disciplinary requirements of the role. The trickiest aspect wasn’t finding candidates with the right skill set but finding someone at the appropriate career level. Many professionals with this experience were already in managerial roles and not inclined to make a lateral move, especially given that the compensation wasn’t as competitive as the market demanded.
Our Approach to Solve the Search
The search strategy required a creative and focused approach. We targeted professionals within the medical device industry who had a blend of industrial manufacturing experience and advanced planning technology skills. This field is uniquely specialized, with various influences and regulatory demands that narrowed the talent pool. Despite the challenges, the client’s location offered an advantage. Many candidates from larger, local competitors were already familiar with the area and the industry. We leveraged this local talent pool while expanding our sourcing strategy to include candidates from boutique organizations who were likely to embrace the opportunity for impactful contributions in a smaller, more agile company.
The Hire & Results
We successfully identified a candidate with advanced planning and technology experience from a larger organization who had transitioned to a boutique setting. This individual brought both the technical expertise and the operational acumen needed for the role. Local to the area, they were able to seamlessly step into the Buyer/Planner position, handling the immediate procurement and planning duties while spearheading efforts to digitize and upgrade the planning process. What made this placement particularly noteworthy was the candidate’s willingness to make a lateral move, prioritizing the opportunity to work for an innovative company like Shockwave Medical over compensation considerations. The result was a win-win: Shockwave gained a highly skilled professional who elevated their planning capabilities, and the candidate found a rewarding role in a dynamic and growing organization.
