Job Description Summary
The Country Public Affairs Head, Taiwan is a senior strategic leadership role responsible for shaping the external policy environment, building trusted partnerships with government and healthcare stakeholders, and advancing Novartis priorities in support of patient access, healthcare system sustainability, and business growth. This role serves as a trusted advisor to the Country President and country leadership team, translating policy, regulatory and healthcare system developments into strategic opportunities and risks while ensuring aligned, enterprise-wide public affairs engagement.
This is a high-impact opportunity for an experienced public affairs professional who wants to help shape Taiwan’s healthcare policy landscape, accelerate access to innovative medicines, and position Novartis as a trusted partner to government, industry and the broader healthcare ecosystem.
Job Description
Key responsibilities:
- Develop and lead the Taiwan public affairs strategy in alignment with Novartis corporate priorities, country business objectives, and the regional/global public affairs agenda.
- Serve as a strategic advisor to the Country President and leadership team by providing timely policy intelligence, external insights, risk assessment, and recommendations on government and healthcare system developments.
- Identify and shape priority policy areas that can enable patient access to innovation, support sustainable healthcare financing, and strengthen Taiwan’s readiness for innovative therapies.
- Build and maintain trusted relationships with senior government officials, policymakers, payers, healthcare leaders, patient groups, research institutions, industry associations, business chambers and other relevant stakeholders.
- Lead or actively contribute to local industry and trade association platforms to advance evidence-based policy dialogue and shape an enabling environment for innovation and patient access.
- Partner cross-functionally with Value and Access, Medical, Regulatory, Communications & Patient Advocacy and business teams to deliver integrated advocacy strategies for key portfolio and policy priorities.
- Represent Novartis externally with credibility and integrity through government meetings, policy submissions, briefing documents, partnerships and stakeholder platforms, in line with Novartis public policy engagement standards.
- Anticipate and mitigate policy, regulatory and reputational risks, including through proactive issues management and coordinated engagement with relevant internal and external stakeholders.·
- Provide functional leadership and develop Public Affairs talent and capabilities, across the organization, including leading, coaching and developing team members where applicable, while fostering an inspired, curious and empowered culture.
Essential Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree in public policy, political science, business, law, life sciences, healthcare or a related field; Master’s degree preferred.
- Significant experience in public affairs, government affairs, policy, external affairs or a related discipline in Taiwan.
- Strong understanding of Taiwan’s healthcare policy environment, including patient access, healthcare financing, reimbursement, regulatory policy and innovation-related issues.
- Proven ability to engage senior government officials, policymakers, healthcare stakeholders, industry associations and other external partners as a thought leader
- Experience developing public affairs strategies that connect external policy priorities with business objectives and patient access goals.
- Ability to advise senior business leaders, navigate ambiguity, and translate policy developments into clear strategic implications and actions.
- Strong cross-functional leadership, stakeholder management, communication, judgment and integrity.
- Experience in pharmaceutical, healthcare, medtech, life sciences or another highly regulated sector.
- Professional fluency in Mandarin Chinese and excellent written and spoken English.
- Demonstrated ability to use digital tools and AI responsibly to support key accountabilities and strengthen policy intelligence, stakeholder insights, scenario analysis and execution effectiveness.
Desirable Requirements:
- Experience in global or multinational, complex and matrixed organizations.
- Established network across Taiwan’s public sector, healthcare ecosystem, patient community, industry associations and business chambers.
- Experience in market access, healthcare financing, public-private partnerships, formulary inclusion, procurement or policy reform.
- Experience managing media, reputation, crisis or issues-related matters.
Key performance indicators:
- Strategic fit and alignment of policies, regional and country political agenda with overall business strategy, depending on assigned area
- Influence on associations/country policy agenda in assigned area -alignment with NVS policy
- Proximity and relevance to assigned business / area
- Recognized contribution to product launches
- Quality of PA competencies in the assigned area
- Acceptance of policies by internal/external customers; recognition of quality
- Evidence of creating inspired, curious and unbossed teams
- Expertise in ultilizing AI to support accountabilities.
Skills Desired
Affiliate Marketing, Communication Medium (Inactive), Influencing Skills, Interviewing Skills (Inactive), Leadership, Marketing, Microsoft Access, Photography, Policy Development, Political Analysis, Press Releases, Prioritization, Public Affairs, Senior Management (Inactive), Social Media