Director, Global Integration & Operational Excellence

Band

Level 6

Job Description Summary

This position can be based remotely anywhere in the U.S. (there may be some restrictions based on legal entity). Please note that this role would not provide relocation as a result. The expectation of working hours and travel (domestic and/or international) will be defined by the hiring manager: estimated 20%.

Novartis is unable to offer relocation support: please only apply if accessible.
Company will not sponsor visas for this position.

The Director, Global Integration & Operational Excellence is a strategic leadership role responsible for designing, operationalizing, and scaling an enterprise model for USMA NOCC transitions and operating model effectiveness. This role will serve as the cross-geography strategist and orchestrator, ensuring consistent, efficient, and future-ready ways of working across people, processes, systems, and geographies.

The position will independently lead the development of a standardized NOCC transition and integration model across USMA, enabling improved scalability, clearer governance, enhanced productivity, stronger workforce planning, and better alignment of NOCC capabilities to business priorities. By connecting transition design, workforce and capacity planning, governance, capability building, AI integration, and performance measurement, this role will help USMA realize greater impact through optimized NOCC utilization.

The role will partner closely across USMA teams, NOCC teams, functional leaders, operations, capability-building partners, and cross-functional stakeholders to ensure NOCC-related work is transitioned, integrated, measured, and continuously improved in a consistent and sustainable way.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities

• Lead NOCC Transition Strategy & Execution by creating and implementing a standardized USMA NOCC transition playbook and operating model covering intake, assessment, design, execution, change integration, risk mitigation, stabilization, and continuous improvement.

• Identify and Scale NOCC Opportunities by partnering with USMA teams to transition work in a structured, cost-effective, and scalable manner aligned with business priorities, resource availability, workflow readiness, and capability requirements.

• Drive Consistency Across Transitions by reducing variation, inefficiencies, bottlenecks, duplication of effort, and optimizing agency-to-NOCC transitions to enhance cost efficiency, productivity, and sustainability.

• Enable Cross-Pillar Alignment across strategic USMA initiatives, including Launch Machine, Doctor Pilar execution, and other key operational priorities.

• Develop Workforce & Capacity Planning Frameworks that align NOCC resource allocation with strategic priorities, portfolio demand, hiring timelines, onboarding requirements, proficiency curves, and future workload growth.

• Manage Capacity, Demand & Talent Readiness by identifying and addressing gaps in capacity, capability, demand, and business priorities while improving workforce visibility and supporting agency-to-NOCC shift planning.

• Establish Standardized Ways of Working & Governance including workflows, handoffs, ownership models, service levels, escalation paths, decision rights, and governance across USMA, NOCC, W2, Development, and Launch Machine interactions.

• Drive Process Optimization & AI Integration by identifying workflow inefficiencies, compliance risks, and AI value opportunities, embedding responsible AI-enabled ways of working that deliver measurable business value.

• Build NOCC Capability & Future-Ready Talent through global onboarding standards, skills-based training pathways, capability maturity models, targeted upskilling, and a culture of continuous learning, operational excellence, and cross-geography collaboration.

• Establish Performance Measurement & Executive Insights through dashboards and metrics tracking transition effectiveness, cost, capacity, productivity, quality, compliance, hiring outcomes, and operating model performance, while communicating progress, risks, trade-offs, and recommendations to senior stakeholders.

Essential Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required.

• 7+ years of experience in operations, transformation, medical affairs operations, enterprise program management, shared services, capability building, or related function within the pharmaceutical, biotech, healthcare, or life sciences industry, preferred multiple industry experiences.

• Experience working across global or cross-geography teams, including shared service, offshore, nearshore, or NOCC-type operating models.

• Proven ability to design and implement standardized operating models, transition frameworks, governance structures, and performance measurement systems.

• Strong understanding of workforce planning, capacity modeling, onboarding, training, and capability development.

• Demonstrated ability to lead complex cross-functional initiatives with multiple stakeholders, priorities, and geographies.

• Experience identifying process inefficiencies and implementing improvements that drive speed, productivity, quality, compliance, and cost effectiveness.

• Strong data literacy and ability to use metrics, dashboards, and insights to support decision-making.

• Ability to influence without authority and drive alignment across diverse teams.

• Strong learning agility, problem-solving capability, and comfort operating in ambiguous or evolving environments.

• Demonstrated ability to balance standardization with fit-for-purpose business needs.

Desirable Requirements

• Advanced degree with operations management and AI certifications.

• Experience with AI-enabled workflow optimization, digital transformation, or automation preferred.

Novartis Compensation Summary

The salary for this position is expected to range between $204,400 and 379,600 per year.

The final salary offered is determined based on factors like, but not limited to, relevant skills and experience, and upon joining Novartis will be reviewed periodically. Novartis may change the published salary range based on company and market factors.

Your compensation will include a performance-based cash incentive and, depending on the level of the role, eligibility to be considered for annual equity awards.

US-based eligible employees will receive a comprehensive benefits package that includes health, life and disability benefits, a 401(k) with company contribution and match, and a variety of other benefits. In addition, employees are eligible for a generous time off package including vacation, personal days, holidays and other leaves.

To learn more about the culture, rewards and benefits we offer our people click here.

EEO Statement:

The Novartis Group of Companies are Equal Opportunity Employers. 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 strive to create an inclusive workplace that cultivates bold innovation through collaboration and empowers our people to unleash their full potential.

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 in order to perform the essential functions of a position, please send an e-mail to 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

$204,400.00 - $379,600.00

Skills Desired

Cross-Functional Collaboration, Data Analysis, Drug Development, Employee Development, Health Sciences, Influencing Skills, Innovation, Inspirational Leadership, Medical Affairs, Patient Care, People Management, Pharmaceutics, Product Launches, Real World Evidence (RWE), Regulatory Compliance, Research Methodologies, Results-Oriented, Stakeholder Engagement, Stakeholder Management, Statistical Analysis

Originally posted on Himalayas