Senior Director, EEE Operations

Job Description Summary

Step into a strategic leadership role as Senior Director, EEE Operations at Novartis, where you will oversee the centralised delivery of all core operational services supporting External Expert Engagement across Global and International Medical Affairs and Development functions. You will be accountable for strategic oversight and execution across contract support, operational advisory, external funding management, and enterprise system support, ensuring operational excellence, compliance, scalability, and a high-quality experience for stakeholders. Your work will drive continuous improvement and cross‑functional partnership, building a robust and agile operations backbone for the EEE Center of Excellence.

Location: Dublin, Ireland / London, UK #LI-Hybrid

Novartis is unable to offer relocation support for this role: please only apply if this location is accessible for you.

Responsibilities

- Provide end-to-end leadership and oversight of centralised EEE operations, ensuring alignment with global standards, strategy, and compliance expectations.

- Define and implement operational goals, KPIs, and SLAs across all service areas, including throughput, cycle time, and issue resolution.

- Lead a team of Associate Directors and Senior Managers, establishing clear roles, responsibilities, and performance expectations.

- Oversee delivery and quality of operational services related to contract support, advisory, external funding, and system support.

- Drive alignment with Legal on contract templates, implementation, and continuous communication and collaboration.

- Monitor workload distribution and optimise resource allocation to meet business demands.

- Ensure process adherence, policy compliance, and audit readiness across all supported activities.

- Serve as primary operational partner to GMA/IMA activity owners, Legal, Compliance, Finance, and system owners.

- Represent Operations in governance forums and escalates systemic challenges, policy gaps, or resourcing needs to the Executive Director.

- Build and sustain a strong, engaged, and accountable operations team, focusing on talent development and succession planning.

Essential for the role

- University degree in Life Sciences, Business Administration, Law, International Marketing, or Communication.

- Over 12 years’ relevant experience in the pharmaceutical industry, with at least 10 years in medical affairs or drug development.

- Track record of operational effectiveness or innovation in complex environments.

- Proven leadership skills with project management and people management experience, including direct leadership of large teams (20+ associates) and complex multi‑functional teams.

- Strong financial and business acumen, with demonstrated success in resource (budget and headcount) planning and management.

- Working knowledge of process improvement initiatives, risk/issue management, vendor management, and capability building.

- Experience in global organisations and cross‑functional teams.

- Excellent English language skills, both written and spoken.

Desirable for the role

- Solid knowledge of pharmaceutical healthcare compliance, industry codes and regulations, and their interpretation in a global context and enterprise systems.

- Change management skills to sustain a culture of high ethical standards and compliance, with willingness to challenge the status quo and anticipate future business needs.

Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion

Novartis is committed to building an outstanding, inclusive work environment and diverse teams representative of the patients and communities we serve.

Skills Desired

Agility, Agility, Clinical Practices, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Data Analysis, Drug Development, Employee Development, Healthcare Sector Understanding, Health Sciences, Influencing Skills, Innovation, Inspirational Leadership, Integrated Evidence Generation, Medical Affairs, Medical Communication, Medical Education, Patient Care, People Management, Pharmaceutics, Priority Disease Areas Expertise, Product Launches, Product Strategy, Real World Evidence (RWE), Regulatory Compliance, Research Methodologies {+ 4 more}

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