Senior Director, External Expert Engagement – Standards

OverviewSummary Step into a high-impact leadership role as Senior Director, External Expert Engagement – Standards & Excellence at Novartis, where you will drive business excellence in the External Expert Engagement (EEE) Center of Excellence. You will be accountable for the strategic design, integration, and continuous improvement of global standards, processes, training, and business systems supporting external expert engagement across Global and International Medical Affairs. Your work will ensure governance clarity, operational scalability, and performance transparency, enabling cross-functional alignment and digital integration with Legal, ERC, IT, and Compliance stakeholders. Location: Barcelona, Spain / Dublin, IrelandResponsibilitiesLead the definition, refinement, and implementation of global standards, SOPs, and external expert engagement processes.Ensure ongoing review and alignment of processes with regulatory requirements, internal policies, and business needs.Partner with Governance and Operations leads to translate standards into scalable workflows and ensure consistent execution across regions.Oversee monitoring activities to track process adherence and quality performance.Drive the development and deployment of global training programmes for expert engagement stakeholders and support teams.Oversee content design strategy and coordinate outsourcing or central delivery of training materials.Promote knowledge sharing, best practice documentation, and onboarding toolkits to build capability and ensure operational consistency.Serve as business owner for expert engagement systems (e.g., HIP / ENGAGE), partnering with IT and system teams on enhancements and compliance integration.Oversee compliant data aggregation and regulatory reporting across jurisdictions, collaborating closely with Legal and governance functions.Define and lead execution of performance measurement frameworks and dashboards to support enterprise-level transparency and decision-making.Essential For The RoleMaster’s degree in Life Sciences, Business, Legal, or a related discipline.12+ years of experience in pharmaceutical operations, governance, process excellence, or global operations management.Demonstrated success in designing and deploying enterprise processes and performance frameworks.Strong background in cross-functional stakeholder engagement and matrix collaboration.Experience managing or overseeing operational reporting, systems integration, or analytics.Proven ability to influence change, drive simplification, and lead global initiatives.Proven leadership skills with project management and people management experience, including direct leadership of large teams and complex multi-functional teams.Excellent English language skills, both written and spoken.Desirable For The RoleAdditional certifications in process excellence, training, or digital systems (e.g., Lean, Agile, Lean Six Sigma).Analytical mindset with ability to translate data into operational insights, and strategic thinking with strong process and systems orientation.Commitment To Diversity & InclusionNovartis is committed to building an outstanding, inclusive work environment and diverse teams representative of the patients and communities we serve.Why NovartisHelping 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 RewardsLearn about all the ways we’ll help you thrive personally and professionally.#J-18808-Ljbffr