Associate Director, GMA Study Management – Neuroscience

Job Description Summary

Ready to shape how medical evidence influences patient care on a global scale? As Associate Director, Global Medical Affairs Study Management, you will lead the end to end delivery of high impact medical studies across a Neuroscience disease area portfolio. This is a strategic, hands on role where scientific insight meets operational leadership - driving non interventional studies, research collaborations and investigator initiated trials that matter. Working in a highly collaborative, matrix environment, you’ll partner closely with global stakeholders to ensure studies are delivered with rigour, quality and purpose, ultimately supporting better decisions and better outcomes for patients worldwide.

Location: Barcelona, Spain #LI-Hybrid

Novartis is unable to offer relocation support for this role: please only apply if this location is accessible for you.

 

Job Description

Responsibilities:                                                                                                                

• Lead end‑to‑end planning, execution, and reporting of Global Medical Affairs studies across the Neuroscience disease area.

• Ensure studies are delivered on time, within budget, with high quality and full regulatory compliance.

• Drive delivery of non‑interventional studies, research collaborations, and investigator‑initiated trials.

• Partner with the Study Management Director on resource planning, prioritisation, and capability deployment.

• Lead matrix teams, including internal associates and external service providers, to ensure capacity and performance alignment.

• Identify operational risks early, implement mitigation strategies, and provide clear progress updates to senior stakeholders.

• Represent Global Medical Affairs Study Management in programme governance forums and cross‑functional decision‑making bodies.

• Oversee contract research organisation selection, contracting, and performance in partnership with vendor management.

• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with institutions, key opinion leaders, and external collaborators.

• Champion a culture of quality, compliance, process simplification, and operational excellence across study delivery.

Essential for the role:

• Master’s degree in a scientific discipline; doctorate or Doctor of Pharmacy qualification preferred.

• At least eight years’ experience planning, executing, and reporting complex clinical or medical studies in pharmaceutical or research settings, with proven end-to-end delivery accountability.

• Strong experience leading and delivering complex, international programmes within a matrix, cross‑functional environment.

• Proven knowledge of clinical development, Good Clinical Practice principles, global medical affairs processes, and experience within Neuroscience or closely related therapeutic areas.

• Demonstrated expertise in project leadership, budget management and oversight, resource planning, and operational risk management.

• Ability to build effective partnerships with internal stakeholders, external service providers, and scientific collaborators to deliver high‑quality study outcomes.

• Experience driving quality, compliance, and inspection readiness across regulated study environments.

• Excellent communication, problem‑solving, and leadership skills, with confidence influencing senior stakeholders.

Desirable for the role:

• Experience in Medical Affairs and non-interventional study design

• Prior involvement in Health Authority inspections or audit readiness activities

Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion:

Novartis is committed to building an outstanding, inclusive work environment and diverse teams representative of the patients and communities we serve.

 

Skills Desired

Agility, Agility, Clinical Practices, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Data Analysis, Drug Development, Employee Development, Healthcare Sector Understanding, Health Sciences, Influencing Skills, Innovation, Inspirational Leadership, Integrated Evidence Generation, Medical Affairs, Medical Communication, Medical Education, Patient Care, People Management, Pharmaceutics, Priority Disease Areas Expertise, Product Launches, Product Strategy, Real World Evidence (RWE), Regulatory Compliance, Research Methodologies {+ 3 more}