Executive Director, Functional AI and Process Excellence - CE – Remote

The Executive Director of Functional AI and Process Excellence partners closely with a network of peer EDs across Novartis through the AI Functional Working Group. Together, they drive enterprise capability building, accelerate AI adoption, foster cultural transformation, and lead process optimization efforts that align with strategic priorities across the organization.

Reporting to the VP, Customer Engagement Future Readiness, Launch, & Field Operations, this role serves as a thought leader and catalyst for AI adoption, process mapping and optimization, guiding CE in leveraging AI to enhance business performance. By fostering a strong AI culture, implementing best practices, and ensuring alignment with the broader AI strategy, this role will enable Novartis to maximize the value of AI investments.

This role leads the Intelligence & Innovation pillar within the Future Readiness, Launch & Field Operations (FRLFO) function—driving modernization of field technology, commercialization of AI pilots, and redesign of operational processes to future-proof CE execution.  This role is accountable to fully participate and drive functional adoption of enterprise standards, governance and pull-through of AI and Data programing, training and other centrally created use cases, programs and initiatives.

Your Key Responsibilities:

Innovation Strategy & Commercialization

• Lead the incubation and scaling of innovative engagement solutions, including AI agent use cases, pilot programs, and commercialization frameworks 
• Lead efforts in function to embed AI into functional workflows, ensuring AI solutions enhance decision-making, operational efficiency, and business impact.
• Translate future-state vision into execution-ready solutions that enhance field productivity, customer engagement, and enterprise impact.
• Sponsor pilots and scenario planning to test and scale new engagement models.

Field Technology & Platform Optimization

• Own field-facing platform integrity, ensuring systems work smarter, faster, and more aligned to field needs 
• Elevate reporting and dashboarding capabilities to enhance insight delivery and decision-making.
• Establish performance objectives for other in functional AI efforts, leads and implement metrics to measure AI’s impact on functional and business goals, ensuring AI value realization is consistently assessed.

Operational Process Redesign

• Lead reengineering of CE business processes to support modern field workflows and tech enablement 
• Ensure seamless integration of innovations into CE systems and field operations.
• Drive process modernization in partnership with cross-functional stakeholders.

Enterprise Engagement & Stakeholder Alignment

• Collaborate with senior leaders across CE, IDS, and therapeutic areas to ensure innovation efforts are co-created and adopted.
• Represent Intelligence & Innovation in enterprise forums and cross-functional leadership teams.
• Embed agile feedback loops and customer insights into innovation cycles

Capability & Culture Activation

• Foster a culture of innovation and data-driven decision making within each function to promote knowledge-sharing, cross-functional collaboration, and the scaling of successful AI initiatives.
• Partner with Capability, Change, and Communications teams to support transformation through scalable learning and storytelling.
• Foster cross-functional collaboration and field-first innovation mindset.

Leadership Expectations:

This role includes direct people leadership responsibilities, guiding a high-performing team within CE to deliver on AI and process excellence goals. The Executive Director will be expected to lead with clarity, agility, and influence across a dynamic, cross-functional environment.

• Lead and Develop People:
  • Create focus and clarity by translating strategic objectives into actionable plans for functional areas, including setting clear goals and priorities, ensuring alignment with organizational vision and functional area objectives
  • Empower teams by providing constructive feedback, removing barriers to success, and holding them accountable for their performance
  • Invest in the growth and development of team members, helping them expand their impact within the functional areas
  • Build self-awareness to understand personal strengths and areas for improvement, using this insight to maximize positive impact on the team and enhance the delivery of integrated insights
• Navigate Complexity:
  • Demonstrate the ability to enable impactful and fast decision-making by serving as a primary point of contact between functional area / senior leadership and the IDS functions, quickly assessing situations, weighing options, and making informed choices that drive functional area success
  • Identify key issues in complex situations, maintaining focus on the big picture of the asset lifecycle while adapting and prioritizing as circumstances change
  • Exhibit a long-term vision by taking a broader view of the organization and its environment, considering indirect consequences and longer-term implications of decisions
• Deliver Collective Impact:
  • Demonstrate the ability to engage with others and integrate diverse perspectives from functional area and IDS senior leadership to articulate a clear and compelling narrative and achieve the best strategic outcomes
  • Skilled at influencing and collaborating across boundaries without relying on formal authority, building strong relationships and leveraging interpersonal skills to drive initiatives and achieve common goals.
  • Proactively challenge assumptions and ensure decisions are grounded in data, enhancing the quality and impact of insights delivered.
  • Build situational awareness by understanding the dynamics of the functional and adapting leadership style accordingly to improve insights and team performance

Requirements:

• Advanced degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, or related field; MBA or PhD preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in AI strategy, enterprise technology transformation, or digital innovation—in complex B2B environments.
• Proven track record of leading AI/ML initiatives from concept to commercialization, including governance, model development, and deployment at scale
• Deep understanding of MLOps, GenAIOps, and LLMOps practices, with experience in building and managing AI pipelines and platforms
• Deep understanding of the functional area landscape, including strong focus on strategic insights, decision science, and/or analytics within the respective domain
• Strong grasp of CRM systems, workflow automation, and field technology optimization, with ability to translate user needs into scalable tech solutions 
• Experience in managing cross-functional teams and partnerships across data science, engineering, commercial strategy, and field operations.
• Demonstrated ability to drive operational excellence through AI-powered insights, predictive analytics, and process redesign 
• Proven leadership experience and executive presence in driving AI adoption, managing cross-functional teams, and influencing senior stakeholders to align AI initiatives with business goals

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with AI governance frameworks, ethical standards, and regulatory compliance in healthcare or pharma 
• Familiarity with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure) and strategic partnerships for AI enablement
• Expertise in generative AI use cases, including agentic AI, sentiment analysis, and predictive modeling for customer engagement 
• Strong commercialization mindset—able to lead pilot-to-scale transitions and embed innovation into enterprise systems 
• Visionary strategist with operational discipline and fluency in agile execution.
• Skilled at leading high-IQ teams and fostering a culture of experimentation, innovation, and customer obsession.

The pay range for this position at commencement of employment is expected to be between $176,400.00 and $327,600.00 a year; however, while salary ranges are effective from 1/1/25 through 12/31/25, fluctuations in the job market may necessitate adjustments to pay ranges during this period.  Further, final pay determinations will depend on various factors, including, but not limited to geographical location, experience level, knowledge, skills and abilities. The total compensation package for this position may also include other elements, including a sign-on bonus, restricted stock units, and discretionary awards in addition to a full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits (including 401(k) eligibility and various paid time off benefits, such as vacation, sick time, and parental leave), dependent on the position offered. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment. If hired, employee will be in an “at-will position” and the Company reserves the right to modify base salary (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, Company or individual department/team performance, and market factors.