Associate Director, GMA Study Management – Neuroscience

Responsibilities:                                                                                                                

• Lead end‑to‑end planning, execution, and reporting of Global Medical Affairs studies across the Neuroscience disease area.
• Ensure studies are delivered on time, within budget, with high quality and full regulatory compliance.
• Drive delivery of non‑interventional studies, research collaborations, and investigator‑initiated trials.
• Partner with the Study Management Director on resource planning, prioritisation, and capability deployment.
• Lead matrix teams, including internal associates and external service providers, to ensure capacity and performance alignment.
• Identify operational risks early, implement mitigation strategies, and provide clear progress updates to senior stakeholders.
• Represent Global Medical Affairs Study Management in programme governance forums and cross‑functional decision‑making bodies.
• Oversee contract research organisation selection, contracting, and performance in partnership with vendor management.
• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with institutions, key opinion leaders, and external collaborators.
• Champion a culture of quality, compliance, process simplification, and operational excellence across study delivery.

Essential for the role:

• Master’s degree in a scientific discipline; doctorate or Doctor of Pharmacy qualification preferred.
• At least eight years’ experience planning, executing, and reporting complex clinical or medical studies in pharmaceutical or research settings, with proven end-to-end delivery accountability.
• Strong experience leading and delivering complex, international programmes within a matrix, cross‑functional environment.
• Proven knowledge of clinical development, Good Clinical Practice principles, global medical affairs processes, and experience within Neuroscience or closely related therapeutic areas.
• Demonstrated expertise in project leadership, budget management and oversight, resource planning, and operational risk management.
• Ability to build effective partnerships with internal stakeholders, external service providers, and scientific collaborators to deliver high‑quality study outcomes.
• Experience driving quality, compliance, and inspection readiness across regulated study environments.
• Excellent communication, problem‑solving, and leadership skills, with confidence influencing senior stakeholders.

Desirable for the role:

• Experience in Medical Affairs and non-interventional study design
• Prior involvement in Health Authority inspections or audit readiness activities

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.