Location: Basel, Switzerland

The Executive Director, Strategic Projects Lead is a cross-disciplinary thinker with an, entrepreneurial mindset, and an uncompromising drive to transform drug development and improve patient lives. Defined by highly proficient program management expertise, this role is a proven project leader who can drive high-performing cross-functional teams (Development Units and Functions), and engage with Senior Leadership, challenge the status quo through novel thinking and deliver measurable organizational impact.

This role is accountable for delivering Strategic Imperatives for the Development Unit by taking ownership for the creation, planning and independent operationalization of specific strategic projects in landscape mode. The role is expected to enhance the executional certainty of assigned 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.

Major accountabilities:

• Identify, propose, and deliver strategic and operational imperatives for Development as x-functional strategic projects using data as the performance baseline.
• Accountable for the faultless, independent delivery of large-scale strategic 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 objectives, 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 cross-functional teams, influencing without authority, to develop the best solution and move stakeholders and the organization to act
• Establish trust-based relationships with leaders and stakeholders to better serve their organizations.
• Deploy excellent 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.
• Role model exceptional company values and behaviours, embracing high-challenge conversations, to drive change (ethics, change agent, collaboration, humility).
• Maintain awareness of process improvement methodologies and best practices (e.g., IQP, lean six sigma, Scrum, Agile, etc. )

Minimum Requirements

• Ideally 3rd level degree educated in a relevant discipline in Life Sciences or Life Science Engineering. Further qualifications such as MBA would be an advantage.
• Minimum experience of 10-12 years in Research & Development strategic consulting and/or Line Function in Development
• Corporate/development experience in complex project management
• Must have experience in Drug Discovery and Drug Development In-depth experience of the drug discovery lifecycle and R&D functions
• Proven trach-record managing complex, cross-functional Projects with senior stakeholder engagement

Accessibility and accommodation
Novartis is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to all individuals. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the recruitment process, or in order to receive more detailed information about the essential functions of a 
position, please send an e-mail to E-Mail schreiben and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Please include the job requisition number in your message.