Program Manager, REFS Technology

Salary Range:57,900.00
- 107,500.00Job Description SummaryLocation: Barcelona, Spain #LI-Hybrid Internal job title: Associate Director
- Program Manager, REFS TechnologyThis role is based in Barcelona. Novartis is unable to offer relocation support for this role: please only apply if this location is accessible for you.

About the Role

The Program Manager, REFS Technology is accountable for the end-to-end leadership of a portfolio of complex, cross-functional technology programs supporting Real Estate & Facility Services globally.

The role translates REFS strategy and business priorities into executable technology roadmaps, integrated program plans, and measurable outcomes. It aligns Business, DDIT, Architecture, Security, Procurement, Finance, Operations, and external partners while maintaining clear governance, financial control, delivery discipline, and executive transparency.

This position ensures that interdependent REFS technology initiatives deliver sustainable business value, remain aligned with enterprise standards, and transition successfully into operations, including the responsible adoption of AI, automation, and robotics where these technologies create measurable operational value.

Job Description
Key

Responsibilities:
Program Strategy & Roadmap: Own the definition and delivery of multi-year REFS technology programs and roadmaps aligned with business priorities and DDIT strategy, ranslating strategic priorities into executable plans, measurable business outcomes, and aligned cross-functional delivery while proactively challenging risks, dependencies, scope, and investment decisions to ensure successful execution.

End-to-End Program Delivery: Lead programs from demand shaping and initiation through design, build, deployment, adoption, operational handover, and benefits realization, driving integrated planning, cross-functional execution, delivery accountability, and proactive risk mitigation to ensure successful business outcomes.

Governance, Portfolio & Decision Management: Establish proportionate governance aligned with DDIT and REFS standards, including phase gates, steering committees, decision forums, and reporting cadence; provide executive-ready program status, decision papers, risk assessments, financial views, and recommendations.

Financial & Commercial Leadership: Own program financial planning, forecasting, budget control, and variance management; partner with Finance and Procurement to shape sourcing strategies, commercial models, SOWs, purchase requests, and change controls; Validate that commercial commitments are linked to defined deliverables, milestones, acceptance criteria, and measurable outcomes;Vendor & Partner Management: Lead complex multi-vendor delivery environments involving strategic suppliers, system integrators, SaaS providers, and local implementation partners; Hold partners accountable for contractual commitments, quality, delivery dates, risks, dependencies, and recovery actions; Ensure vendor plans are integrated into the overall program plan and aligned with internal readiness and governance requirements.

Stakeholder & Change Leadership: Act as the senior program interface between REFS leadership, DDIT domains, regional and site stakeholders, and external partner, driving stakeholder alignment, change management, communications, training, and adoption to ensure successful program delivery and business value realization.

Architecture, Risk & Operational Readiness: Ensure program solutions align with enterprise architecture, cybersecurity, privacy, quality, regulatory, and service-management requirements; Drive early identification and resolution of cross-platform, integration, data, infrastructure, security, and site-readiness dependencies; ensure operational ownership, support models, documentation, service acceptance, and hypercare are defined before go-live. AI, Automation & Robotics Enablement: Identify and shape practical AI, intelligent automation, and robotics opportunities across workplace, facilities, protective security, capital projects, and building operations; Lead pilots and scaled implementations with clear business outcomes, success measures, human oversight, and operational ownership; Ensure solutions are assessed for architecture, cybersecurity, privacy, data, safety, regulatory, ethical, and service-management requirements before deployment; Evaluate vendors and emerging technologies based on business value, integration feasibility, scalability, risk, and total cost of ownership.

Essential

Requirements:
10+ years of IT project and program management experience in global, multi-country, and matrixed organizations and regulated environments.

Proven accountability for large, cross-functional programs with multiple projects, vendors, regions, and executive stakeholders, and ability to lead complex, multi-year, multi-country technology programs.

Demonstrated experience m