Portfolio Innovation Director

Job Description Summary

The Portfolio Innovation Director will systematically assess innovation opportunities for the assigned Development Unit considering opportunities emerging across Novartis e.g. Business Intelligence, Data & Digital, Early Development (NIBR) etc. as well as those provided by external service providers, in partnership with the Vendor Management organization. He / She will build holistic plans to incorporate innovative solutions into clinical trials aligned to Program Strategy & Planning’s (PSP) vision i.e. to engage the right patients, in the right trials, at the right sites, through a data-driven approach, at the right time. He / She is a key member of the GCO Sub-team and serves as a liaison to the Global Drug Development (GDD) innovation ecosystem to develop an innovation strategy for the assigned clinical programs and trials and document it in the Operational Execution Plan (OEP), including D&I requirements and the patient journey. He / She will support the establishment of an inventory of innovation solutions (including past assessments and validation), in collaboration with vendor management and be part of a community of practice for sharing implementation and execution success factors.

 

Job Description

ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Accountable for systematic assessment and successful inclusion of innovation opportunities into the OEP for the assigned Development Unit(s) as a part of the GCO sub-team.

• Responsible for the early evaluation, risk assessment and value-based integration of solutions from across the organization into GCO run Programs and Trials ensuring fit for purpose solutions based on holistic views of program objectives, including D&I requirements and patient journey.

• Drives assessment of innovation opportunities with innovation stakeholders (e.g., clinical technology specialists, Capability Centers, D&D, Digital GPT) and enabling functions (RA-GDQ, Legal, Data Privacy, Patient Engagement etc.) to de-risk execution ensure compliance with applicable regulations e.g., GCP.

• Identifies unmet needs and the prioritization of these in collaboration with PSP and establish plans with clinical technology specialists, Vendor Management and/or other stakeholders.

• Partners with Capability Centers to ensure the CTT is supported in the implementation of innovative solutions and advises on trial level content (protocol, ICF language, training materials).

• Member of Innovation team that has end-to-end visibility on innovation pipeline and ensures continued learning & scalability assessment for more effective technology adoption

• Anticipates and responds to internal and external drivers of changes to innovation strategy by developing an understanding of cross-industry best practices and applying them to the Novartis clinical portfolio as applicable.

• Evaluates clinical trial technologies and innovations internally and externally. Supports the innovation team in identification of opportunities to scale new and existing innovative technologies and capabilities across the portfolio.

• As a part of community of practice, identifies and leads opportunities to optimize the innovation assessment and implementation. Supports standardization and quality of innovation strategy content for OEPs.

• May participate in or lead cross-functional strategic initiatives.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Advanced degree or equivalent education/degree in life science/healthcare preferred

• ≥ 5 years of clinical trial solution delivery experience in all stages of technology program lifecycle (concept/early stage through scale up/late stage) required

• Direct experience in planning and executing cross functional GXP relevant innovation projects for clinical trials looking beyond own functional area

• Experience identifying ideas/strategy and then leading the development and implementation of projects/programs within a complex matrix environment

• Demonstrable experience of problem definition and problem solving as well as scenario development and evaluation, and contingency planning

• Advanced knowledge of clinical development process, regulatory requirements, and Good Clinical Practice (GCP)

• Strong matrix management skills for bridging stakeholders (business, scientific, technical)

• Strong tolerance for ambiguity, willingness to adapt, willing to speak-up and challenge

• Embraces a culture of diversity, inclusion, quality, innovation and always driving forward with integrity

Novartis Compensation and Benefit Summary: 

The salary for this position is expected to range between $204,600 to $379,400 per year.