Job Description Summary

Onsite
Location: East Hanover, New Jersey
Hybrid
#LI-Hybrid

About the role:
When you are a part of the Global Operational Excellence team, you'll have countless opportunities to develop your career, as you'll be surrounded by people you can learn from and help you reach your full potential.

Our team is seeking a Global Operational Excellence, Executive Director.

This role is a cross-disciplinary pioneer with a positive personality, entrepreneurial mindset, and an uncompromising drive to transform drug development and improve lives. Defined by an exceptional ability to build relationships, this role is a thought-leader who can drive highly performant partnerships with senior executives across divisions, challenge the status quo through cross-disciplinary thinking and create new opportunities for organizational impact.

In this role you will be accountable for delivering strategic imperatives for Development by taking ownership for the creation, planning and operationalization of key cross-division improvement programs. You will be expected to enhance the executional certainty of a portfolio of change initiatives by deploying best-in-class project management practices, successfully leading multi-disciplinary teams (influencing through the matrix) and integrating insights from internal and external specialists. The self-motivation to develop world-class knowledge, willingness to mentor junior associates, and collaborate selflessly are essential.

Job Description

Your Key Responsibilities:

Identify, propose, and deliver strategic imperatives for Development as x-divisional improvement projects using data as the performance baseline.
Accountable for the faultless delivery of a portfolio of large-scale improvement projects that employ project management best practices to enhance certainty of success (i.e. project plans - scope, time, cost/resources, communication plans, impact measures/ metrics).
Structure ambiguous problems and take action to solve them, with clear linkage to Development principles, strategy and priorities.
Synthesize clear takeaways from complex information into outcomes and recommendations using both qualitative and quantitative methods (i.e. external benchmarks, internal metrics, process performance analyses etc.)
Lead multi-disciplinary teams, influencing without authority, to develop the best solution and move stakeholders and the organization to act.
Establish trust-based relationships with senior leaders and stakeholders to better serve their organizations.
Deploy superior verbal and written communication skills to transmit information effectively to all audiences, including senior leaders, in a structured manner.
Drive project teams and organizations to comprehensively improve operating model design, process simplification, data & technology enablement, and financial success, whilst ensuring quality standards and regulatory compliance.
Proactively bring disruptive thought leadership, technology, processes and capabilities with intent to bring more drugs to the patients faster.
Maintain awareness of process improvement methodologies and best practices.
Build a deep talent bench for Novartis by driving top-level talent acquisition, succession planning and development of associates across GDD and Divisions are working to their full potential and to build a strong talent pipeline for Novartis.
Strengthen OpEx by developing an excellence-oriented One Development culture, change excellence management, fostering innovation, and building best-in-class teams that fully exploit "Drug Development" opportunities, internal systems, programs, processes, and tools.

Video Link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggbnzRY9z8w

Role Requirements:

Essential Requirements:

Bachelor's degree in life science and/or in business administration with 12+ years of experience working in the pharmaceutical industry, life sciences / drug development or equivalent.
International and/or cross-disciplinary background; appreciation of complex operating models (i.e. matrix) and proven ability to influence without direct authority.
Sophisticated and credible at managing senior executive relationships. Proven track record of generating new stakeholder partnerships that lead to successful engagements.
Outstanding interpersonal communication skills - both verbal and written: Ability to present complex ideas effectively.
Exceptional program/project management capabilities by qualification, training, and experience, and awareness of methodologies (e.g. IQP, Lean six sigma, Scrum, Agile ...); able to adjust to multiple demands, shifting priorities and unexpected events while maintaining a positive work attitude
Seasoned cross-functional leadership skills and proven ability to develop high performing teams from diverse backgrounds and execute solutions for business challenges within a highly matrixed organization.
Team-orientated and collaborative approaches; outstanding listening skills and the ability to manage through influence to optimize contributions from team members as individuals and members of a cohesive team.
Strong analytical skills, critical thinker, and problem-solving abilities to structure ambiguous problems and take action to solve them.
Deep understanding of drug research and development process; expertise in improvement methodologies. Certified Agile/ Scrum/ Lean six sigma or blackbelt is preferred.
Willingness to travel

Desirable Requirements:

Advance degree preferred (e.g. MBA desired or equivalent)

Why Novartis: Helping people with disease and their families takes more than innovative science. It takes a community of smart, passionate people like you. Collaborating, supporting and inspiring each other. Combining to achieve breakthroughs that change patients' lives. Ready to create a brighter future together? https://www.novartis.com/about/strategy/people-and-culture

Benefits and Rewards: Read our handbook to learn about all the ways we'll help you thrive personally and professionally: https://www.novartis.com/careers/benefits-rewards

Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion: The Novartis Group of Companies are Equal Opportunity Employers and take pride in maintaining a diverse environment. We do not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion or other employment practices for reasons of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status. We are committed to building diverse teams, representative of the patients and communities we serve, and we strive to create an inclusive workplace that cultivates bold innovation through collaboration and empowers our people to unleash their full potential.

Novartis Compensation and Benefit Summary: The pay range for this position at commencement of employment is expected to be between $222,400-333,600/year; however, while salary ranges are effective from 1/1/24 through 12/31/24, fluctuations in the job market may necessitate adjustments to pay ranges during this period. Further, final pay determinations will depend on various factors, including, but not limited to geographical location, experience level, knowledge, skills, and abilities. The total compensation package for this position may also include other elements, including a sign-on bonus, restricted stock units, and discretionary awards in addition to a full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits (including 401(k) eligibility and various paid time off benefits, such as vacation, sick time, and parental leave), dependent on the position offered. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment. If hired, employee will be in an "at-will position" and the Company reserves the right to modify base salary (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, Company or individual department/team performance, and market factors.

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EEO Statement:

The Novartis Group of Companies are Equal Opportunity Employers who are focused on building and advancing a culture of inclusion that values and celebrates individual differences, uniqueness, backgrounds and perspectives. We do not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion or other employment practices for reasons of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status. We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace that reflects the world around us and connects us to the patients, customers and communities we serve.

Accessibility and reasonable accommodations

The Novartis Group of Companies are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, or to perform the essential functions of a position, please send an e-mail to us.reasonableaccommodations@novartis.com or call +1(877)395-2339 and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Please include the job requisition number in your message.

Salary Range

$222,400.00 - $333,600.00

Skills Desired

Cross-Functional Teams, Drug Development, Leadership, Organizational Management, Program Management, Project Execution, Project Planning, R&D (Research And Development), Risk Management, Senior Management, Strategy, Waterfall Project Management