Salary Range:
€63,600.00 - €118,000.00Job Description Summary
Lead the engine room of a pivotal transformation. As the Portfolio and Program Management Office Associate Director, you will establish and lead the Program Management Office for ASCEND—our large-scale, technology-enabled change program in Global Development—aligning best-in-class practices (Project Management Institute standards and agile ways of working) to deliver outcomes that matter for patients and the business. You will orchestrate cross-functional roadmaps, governance, and value tracking; bring transparency through executive-ready dashboards; and foster a culture of empowerment, accountability, and continuous improvement.If you thrive on connecting strategy to execution, optimizing resources, and simplifying complexity across global, multidisciplinary teams, this is your opportunity to shape how innovation moves from idea to impact at Novartis.
Job Description
#LI-Hybrid
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Key Responsibilities
Establish and lead the Portfolio and Program Management Office for a global transformation initiative.
Design governance structures, operating cadence, and decision forums that enable timely, transparent execution.
Build and maintain integrated roadmaps, deliverable baselines, and cross-functional milestones aligned to strategy.
Develop executive level reporting, dashboards, and narratives that clearly communicate progress, risks, and value.
Institute rigorous risk, issue, and dependency management with proactive mitigation and escalation pathways.
Drive benefits realization planning, value tracking, and outcome measurement against defined business objectives.
Enable effective resource planning, capacity management, and prioritization across internal teams and external partners.
Embed agile ways of working, continuous improvement, and change management practices across the program.
Facilitate alignment with functional leaders, technology, and finance to coordinate budgets, timelines, and scope.
Coach project leaders on planning standards, delivery excellence, and stakeholder engagement to elevate performance.
Essential Requirements
Master’s degree or equivalent; Master of Business Administration with a bachelor’s degree, or equivalent life sciences experience.
Fluent English, both spoken and written.
10 + years of cross-industry experience, including approximately 5 years in the pharmaceutical sector or similar sector.
5 + years of multi-functional leadership with accountability across diverse stakeholders.
Demonstrated success leading large-scale, complex, international, and multidisciplinary programs.
Expert knowledge of global technology transformation programs and change adoption.
Excellent portfolio and program management skills with advanced planning, tracking, and prioritization across multiple programs.
Expert executive communication and information management; able to influence senior leaders and align stakeholders.
Benefits & Rewards
At Novartis, we’re committed to reimagining medicine together - and rewarding the people who make it happen.
Expected Annual Base Salary Range for role: 63,600.00 - 90,800.00 - 118,000.00 EUR Annual
The base salary offered is determined based on gender-neutral objectives, such as relevant skills, competencies and experience in accordance with the Novartis pay setting policy and upon joining Novartis will be reviewed periodically.
In addition to your base salary, you may be eligible for a performance-based bonus depending on certain performance parameters.
The rewards of being part of our team go far beyond base pay and incentives. We also offer a variety of competitive benefits in kind to help you thrive personally and professionally, such as insurance plans, retirement plans, wellbeing resources and global recognition programs. In addition, we provide flexible and hybrid working options, where possible, and minimum 14 weeks paid parental leave.
Pay equity is a fundamental principle of our employment policy and reflects our commitment to create a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment that treats all employees with dignity and respect, as outlined in our Code of Ethics.
Read our brochure to learn more about our global total rewards offering:
https://www.novartis.com/sites/novartis_com/files/novartis-life-handbook.pdf
Note: Benefits and compensation may vary by country and are subject to local legal requirements, including provisions of collective bargaining agreements where applicable. A full overview of your compensation package, including any relevant collective bargaining agreement details applicable to your role based on your employment location and Novartis employer entity, will be communicated separately to you during the application process.
Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion:
We are committed to building an outstanding, inclusive work environment and diverse teams representative of the patients and communities we serve.
Skills Desired
Drug Development, New Program Development, Program Management, R&D (Inactive), Team Management, Waterfall ModelSkills Required
- Master's degree or equivalent (MBA with bachelor's degree, or equivalent life sciences experience)
- Fluent English, both spoken and written
- 10+ years of cross-industry experience, including approximately 5 years in the pharmaceutical sector or similar
- 5+ years of multi-functional leadership with accountability across diverse stakeholders
- Demonstrated success leading large-scale, complex, international, and multidisciplinary programs
- Expert knowledge of global technology transformation programs and change adoption
- Excellent portfolio and program management skills with advanced planning, tracking, and prioritization across multiple programs
- Expert executive communication and information management; able to influence senior leaders and align stakeholders
- Experience aligning to Project Management Institute standards and agile ways of working
- Drug Development (skill desired)
- New Program Development (skill desired)
- Program Management (skill desired)
- R&D (Inactive) (skill desired)
- Team Management (skill desired)
- Waterfall Model (skill desired)
Novartis Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Novartis and has not been reviewed or approved by Novartis.
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Healthcare Strength — Pay and benefits are described as a strong overall package, supported by medical, dental, and vision insurance alongside FSAs/HSAs and disability and life coverage. Mental-health support is reinforced through an employee assistance program with psychological support and a network of mental health first aiders.
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Retirement Support — Retirement support is positioned as a standout element, with an automatic company contribution plus dollar-for-dollar matching in the 401(k). Additional retirement funding is described through an age-based defined contribution program and access to an employee share purchase plan discount.
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Parental & Family Support — Family-related benefits are framed as robust, including a global minimum of paid parental leave for new parents following birth or adoption. Added supports include domestic partner coverage, dependent-care resources, and benefits such as adoption assistance and child/elder care options.
Novartis Insights
What We Do
Novartis is an innovative medicines company. Every day, working to reimagine medicine to improve and extend people’s lives so that patients, healthcare professionals and societies are empowered in the face of serious disease. Our medicines reach more than 250 million people worldwide.
