The Role
Supports the Country President and Leadership Team with strategic planning, governance, and cross-functional execution. Leads strategic projects and PMO activities, establishing timelines, milestones, metrics, risk plans, and reporting. Coordinates leadership agendas, meetings, business reviews, and follow-up actions while preparing executive presentations and dashboards. The role requires strong stakeholder management, analytical ability, business and financial acumen, and fluency in Greek and English.
Summary Generated by Built In
Salary Range:
Job Description Summary
The Strategic Assistant acts as a trusted advisor and strategic partner to the Country President and Leadership Team, supporting the successful execution of organizational priorities and business objectives. The role drives strategic planning, governance, and cross-functional initiatives, ensuring effective coordination, alignment, and delivery of key business outcomes. Through strong project management, analytical capabilities, and stakeholder engagement, the Strategic Assistant enables efficient decision-making, monitors progress against strategic goals and helps translate strategy into execution across the organization.Job Description
Major accountabilities:
Strategic Planning & Business Execution
- Support the Country President and Leadership Team in defining, coordinating, and executing strategic priorities.
- Lead key strategic planning processes, including business planning, tactical plans, strategic workforce planning, launch readiness reviews, business reviews, and country strategic roadmaps.
- Identify organizational priorities and support leadership in ensuring accountability for key commitments and deliverables.
- Partner with leadership teams to drive the execution and monitoring of strategic initiatives and business objectives.
- Prepare executive presentations, reports, briefing materials, dashboards, and strategic updates for leadership discussions and business reviews.
Project Management & PMO Leadership
- Lead, direct, and coordinate strategic projects across the organization from initiation to completion.
- Establish project governance, timelines, milestones, success metrics, and risk mitigation plans.
- Monitor project progress and proactively address risks, issues, and dependencies to ensure successful delivery.
- Organize and facilitate project meetings, ensuring clear objectives, decision-making, and timely follow-up of action items.
- Maintain appropriate documentation and reporting structures to support effective project execution and compliance requirements.
- Drive a Project Management Office (PMO) mindset, ensuring prioritization, transparency, and cross-functional alignment.
Stakeholder Management & Organizational Effectiveness
- Build and maintain strong relationships with senior leaders and cross-functional stakeholders.
- Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and speak-up culture across the organization.
- Align stakeholders around strategic priorities, organizational objectives, and business outcomes.
- Support key organizational initiatives aimed at strengthening effectiveness, productivity, and growth.
Leadership Team Support
- Coordinate the Leadership Team agenda, annual roadmap, governance processes, and strategic discussions.
- Facilitate leadership meetings, workshops, and business reviews.
- Ensure effective follow-up and execution of key decisions, actions, and commitments.
Key Performance Indicators
- Successful delivery of strategic priorities and business objectives.
- Quality and timely execution of strategic projects and initiatives.
- Stakeholder management and effective leadership support.
- Achievement of agreed project milestones and success measures.
- Effectiveness of strategic planning processes and business reviews.
- Contribution to organizational effectiveness, launch excellence, and business growth.
Ideal Background
Education
- University degree in Business Administration, Economics, Life Sciences, Marketing, or a related field.
Experience
- Minimum 5 years of experience in an international organization, preferably within the pharmaceutical or healthcare industry.
- Experience in strategic planning, project management, business development, commercial excellence, or consulting.
- Experience working in cross-functional and matrix organizations.
- Previous exposure to commercial, marketing, or business leadership environments is highly desirable.
- Strong sense of challenging the status quo and innovative mindset
- Business and financial acumen
- Demonstrates intellectual curiosity and learning agility, embracing new technologies and responsibly leveraging AI to drive productivity, efficiency and business impact.
Language:
- Fluency in Greek and English, both written and spoken.
Skills Desired
Cross-Functional Collaboration, Customer Engagement, Customer Insights, Data Analytics, Digital Marketing, Market Research, Media Campaigns, Product Marketing, Stakeholder Engagement, Stakeholder Management, Team Leadership, Waterfall ModelSkills Required
- University degree in Business Administration, Economics, Life Sciences, Marketing, or a related field
- At least 5 years of experience in an international organization
- Experience in strategic planning, project management, business development, commercial excellence, or consulting
- Experience working in cross-functional and matrix organizations
- Fluency in Greek and English, written and spoken
- Strong business and financial acumen
- Experience in the pharmaceutical or healthcare industry
- Exposure to commercial, marketing, or business leadership environments
- Innovative mindset and willingness to challenge the status quo
- Intellectual curiosity, learning agility, and responsible use of AI
- Skills in cross-functional collaboration, customer engagement, customer insights, data analytics, digital marketing, market research, media campaigns, product marketing, stakeholder engagement, stakeholder management, and team leadership
- Knowledge of the Waterfall Model
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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
Am I A Good Fit?
Get Personalized Job Insights.
Our AI-powered fit analysis compares your resume with a job listing so you know if your skills & experience align.
Success! Refresh the page to see how your skills align with this role.
The Company
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.
