Associate Director, Strategic Assistant, Business Operations, Oncology

Salary Range:

CHF129,500.00 - CHF240,500.00

Job Description Summary

The Associate Director, Strategic Assistant Business Ops is a key partner on a variety of strategic, operational, and organizational matters. This role provides dedicated support to the TA in achieving team objectives, shaping the agenda, and ensuring execution through operational management and moderation of governance bodies, leadership team, and projects. It supports proactively identifying and resolving upcoming issues and improving processes. The role also plays a leadership role in organizational effectiveness, culture transformation, AI adoption, and change management initiatives that strengthen leadership effectiveness, simplify ways of working, and accelerate execution across Oncology International.

Job Description

#LI-Hybrid

Location: Basel, Switzerland

Relocation Support: Yes

Responsibilities

• Serves as a strategic thought partner with the TA Head, providing high-level executive support associated with complex problems, current and future initiatives, strategies, and budgets.
• Develops a clear understanding of TA ambition and key priorities to provide operational leadership as a member of the International Immunology leadership team.
• Demonstrates collaborative leadership and influence necessary to ensure alignment among key stakeholders and seamless execution of deliverables.
• Leads One Brand Plan, Tactical Planning, Budget planning, Congress planning processes across Oncology, ensuring consistent strategic direction, clear decision criteria, prioritization, and actionable guidance for execution across brands, functions, and markets.
• Maintains an integrated Oncology portfolio view across brands, launches, congresses, resource requirements, and strategic milestones to support leadership prioritization and portfolio decisions.
• Works cross-functionally to ensure the strategic and operational plans are delivered, and launches are effectively implemented.
• Works with Finance partners and Oncology leaders to ensure budget and engagement with the Head of CLS and the Head of International are effectively planned and managed across the TA.
• Serves as an ambassador for the Oncology TA Head and leadership team, facilitating communication with other members of the organization as needed.
• Assists the TA Head in day-to-day responsibilities, ensuring coordination of cross-organizational activities.
• Leads International Oncology Leadership Team, Extended Leadership Team, and leadership meetings and TA offsites, including agenda, action planning, tracking deliverables, and KPIs.
• Actively shapes team priorities and the alignment of goal setting across cross-functional teams.
• Provides key support to department processes (Business reviews, Top 3 engagements, etc.).
• Ensures priorities are delivered by supporting the design of cross-functional work products or by working with specific disease areas or functions.
• Ensures effective operational management of critical decision-making bodies.
• Responsible for TA team’s governance: Drives agenda, moderates meetings, and minutes.
• Looks for opportunities to simplify and drive synergies between teams in the organization.
• Drives TA investor relations/financial communications content for reporting and IR events in collaboration with US, brand teams, communications, and IR.
• Coordinates and anticipates timely preparation of TA content for critical internal and external meetings.
• Leads and coordinates culture, organizational effectiveness, and change initiatives across Oncology International, including leadership team effectiveness, talent visibility, engagement platforms, and cross-functional collaboration programs.

• Drives the Oncology communication and engagement agenda, ensuring clear communication of strategy, priorities, decisions, and cultural initiatives across the organization.
• Advances enterprise AI adoption across Oncology by partnering with relevant teams to identify, scale, and embed AI-enabled solutions into planning, insight generation, decision-making, execution, and capability-building processes.
• Acts as a catalyst for operational excellence by simplifying processes, improving governance, and embedding innovative ways of working that enhance organizational agility and execution discipline.

Requirements

• Minimum BS/BA degree, preferably MA, MBA
• Strategic Consulting background preferred. Strategic capability and commercial acumen.
• Over 5 years in the Pharma industry, ideally including in a regional/global environment or in a major consultancy.
• 5+ years of experience in project management, operations, and/or people leadership is a plus.
• Ability to influence without authority.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively, strong leadership and organizational skills, and able to drive multiple projects to successful, timely completion.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex cross-functional transformation, organizational effectiveness, or change management initiatives in a mid/large size organizations.
• Experience leveraging digital, analytics, or AI-enabled solutions to improve business processes, decision-making, and organizational effectiveness.

Benefits & Rewards

At Novartis, we’re committed to reimagining medicine together - and rewarding the people who make it happen.

Expected Annual Base Salary Range for role: 129,500.00 - 240,500.00 CHF

The base salary offered is determined based on gender-neutral objectives, such as relevant skills, competencies and experience in accordance with the Novartis pay setting policy and upon joining Novartis will be reviewed periodically.

In addition to your base salary, you may be eligible for a performance-based bonus depending on certain performance parameters.

The rewards of being part of our team go far beyond base pay and incentives. We also offer a variety of competitive benefits in kind to help you thrive personally and professionally, such as insurance plans, retirement plans, wellbeing resources and global recognition programs. In addition, we provide flexible and hybrid working options, where possible, and minimum 14 weeks paid parental leave.

In addition to your base salary, you may be eligible for a performance-based bonus depending on certain performance parameters. Long-term equity awards granted at group level may also be part of your package. Further details will be provided during the application process.

Pay equity is a fundamental principle of our employment policy and reflects our commitment to create a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment that treats all employees with dignity and respect, as outlined in our Code of Ethics.

Read our brochure to learn more about our global total rewards offering:

Note: Benefits and compensation may vary by country and are subject to local legal requirements, including provisions of collective bargaining agreements where applicable. A full overview of your compensation package, including any relevant collective bargaining agreement details applicable to your role based on your employment location and Novartis employer entity, will be communicated separately to you during the application process.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

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

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?

Benefits and Rewards: Read our handbook to learn about all the ways we’ll help you thrive personally and professionally:

Skills Desired

Analytical Skill (Inactive), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Business Development, Business Partners (Inactive), Business Strategies, Change Management, Data Analytics, Decision Tree (Forecasting Model) (Inactive), Finance, Go-to-Market Strategies, Influencing Skills, Leadership, Management Consulting, People Management, Pipeline (Software) (Inactive), Strategic Planning