Job Description Summary

Execution Excellence Head leads the country implementation of the enterprise-wide evolution of execution standards across the product life cycle (from two years of pre-launch to loss of exclusivity), enabling preparatory and auxiliary activities in these countries as per the activities permitted guidance.

In alignment with Head Office, this role supports Country Head, Finance & P&O to drive business performance, medical/access metrics and future ambitions across the portfolio by

1. Enabling HQ/regional/global business decisions through data & insights with necessary external analysis and competitive mindset
2. Implementing globally defined field models (for all relevant products)
3. Building digital solutions to enhance customer experience and increase the effectiveness and efficiency of our promotional, Medical and Access model
4. Developing right functional capabilities and deploying fit for future organization models
5. Continuous evolving execution standards by embedding external-outside in best practices and trends.

while preserving clear functional independence boundaries across TA, Medical and Value & Access to ensure compliance with industry regulations, ethical standards and Novartis Poli-cies and Code of Ethics

The Execution Excellence Head leads a neutral, cross‑functional team to drive execution excellence by harmonizing standards, ensuring consistent and continuous improvement, and building future‑ready capabilities across TA, Value & Access, and selected Medical Affairs areas (specifically Data, Analytics & Platforms and Capability Building), enabling data‑driven decision‑making and optimized resource allocation.

The Execution Excellence Head is accountable for harmonizing, integrating, continuously collaborating and elevating execution excellence standards and enabling capability processes across functional teams, while fully preserving the independence and boundaries of each function.

 

Job Description

The Execution Excellence enabling unit comprises five core capabilities - Field Excellence, Integrated Insights, Data, Analytics & Platforms (DAP), Capability Building, and Customer Excellence. It operates with a targeted cross‑functional remit: TAs and Value & Access are supported across all five capabilities, while Medical Affairs is supported exclusively through DAP & Capability Building, maintaining strict functional independence throughout.

Field Excellence

Strengthen field performance in TA and Value & Access by enabling data-driven HQ decisions, optimizing territory structures, and aligning field resources with brand cross functional priorities.

• Support the design and operationalization of field performance evaluation plans, Value & Access field metrics, territory structures, and field force sizing in alignment with internal/external benchmarking and continuous workforce planning perspectives (final accountability remains with TA and Value & Access leads)
• Implement balanced territory structures, revise territory maps, conduct rep placement analytics, and generate actionable insights while respecting functional boundaries.
• Recommend optimal field force size and organizational structure to support launch brands and Value & Access expert engagement plans.
• Build ambitious, competitive, motivational and compliant performance evaluation models, reward systems to ensure financial targets are achieved.
• Sets competitive in-field metric KPIs and ensures they`re delivered

 

Integrated Insights

Act as a business partner to TA and Value & Access leads by transforming data into actionable insights to execute launch plans, sustain brand performance, enhance Value & Access field metrics, inform market model consolidation and support HQ/regional/global decision-making process in resource allocation & optimization, while preserving functional boundaries across TA and Value & Access.

• Deliver integrated metrics and measurements, and business insights to guide decision-making.
• Partner with finance to generate the analytical insights and cross functional consolidation needed for business decisions, including brand performance, market modelling assumptions, and resources-workforce planning optimization.
• Lead market research planning including patient journey mapping, segmentation, and market sizing, medical, payers research, and competitive assessment.
• Conduct deep-dive analyses using internal & external data sources; manage external data acquisition & liaise with external partners based on current/future needs, to enable business and operational insights generation, anticipation of trends for supporting better data-driven TA and Value&Access decisions.
• Map competitive dynamics, industry evolution, healthcare system trends, and digital/technology developments for each TA and Value & Access team.

 

Data, Analytics & Platforms (DAP)

Localize and operationalize global digital frameworks, delivering trusted technology platforms and data capabilities that enable informed, cross‑functional decision‑making. 

• As per HQ/regional/global guidelines, drive standardization including tools/processes/data and maintain a federated, trusted view of business-critical data
• Define business rules for data processing and ensure end‑to‑end data quality across TA, Medical, and Access, including CRM data platforms management.
• Define and maintain data sources, processing and quality for TA, Medical, and Access Global KPI reporting
• Liaise with Integrated Insights to develop dashboards and reporting tailored to functional needs
• Drive change management and ensure proper adoption of technology platforms and assets developed by International
• Enable tech readiness for global execution excellence initiatives (e.g. ICE, IMEx, IpEx, etc.)
• Manage AI products that enhance customer engagement and productivity
• Partner with Capability Building for strengthening technology, digital, AI savviness, skillsets and adoption.

 

Capability Building

Deploy industry‑leading capabilities, incl. AI - aligned with global priorities—across TA, Medical Affairs, and Value & Access to enhance performance and future‑readiness, leveraging effective knowledge management.

• Assess capability needs across TA, medical and V&A in alignment with International global priorities, including building on outside in perspective of market context/trends in specific domains.
• Deploy and deliver business learning/curriculum programs tailored to country needs.
• Set standards for learning governance, measurement, and effectiveness.
• Execute/deliver global learning experiences and tools, in partnership with functional teams.
• Maintain effective partnerships with external vendors to ensure high‑quality & efficient budget mngt for training local adaptions and/or deployment of globally developed materials/programs/curricula.

 

Customer Excellence

Serves as the execution engine for integrated customer excellence across TA, and Value&Access, ensuring launch readiness reviews are efficiently planned and prepared, content is activated across channels, and customer engagement is orchestrated with precision.

• Ensure content readiness and activation across field technology platforms and channels.
• Validate customer journeys and guide omnichannel excellence.
• Coordinate congress logistics and vendor management.
• Implement frameworks to optimize promotional and access resource deployment.
• Drive implementation of ICE, IPEx, promotional excellence (process, quality of OneBrand plan, KPI, consistency, promotional spend etc) & launch excellence (quality, KPI and continuous improvement).

 

Leadership & Culture

• Lead a neutral enabling unit and coordinate cross-functional teams (TA, Medical, Value & Access) to deliver enterprise/market priorities.
• Build a high-performance culture; oversee recruiting, performance, and coaching; develop critical capabilities and talent pipelines.
• Attract, develop, and retain top talent while strengthening succession plans and capabilities across the country organization.
• Role-model Novartis Leadership Expectations, driving transformation, performance, self‑awareness, and growth mindset.
• Demonstrate an ethical and compliance‑driven mindset, navigating complexity with integrity and maintaining strict separation between medical and promotional activities.

 

Skills Desired

Brand Analysis, Brand Awareness, Commercial Excellence, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Customer Engagement, Customer Insights, Digital Marketing, Influencing Skills, Inspirational Leadership, Media Campaigns, People Management, Product Marketing, Product Roadmap, Return on Investment (ROI), Stakeholder Engagement, Stakeholder Management, Thought Leadership, Trend Analysis