ERC Country Head

Job Description Summary

#LI-Office Based

Primary Location: Santo Amaro, Brazil

Closing date for applications 2 weeks from date of posting

As Head of Ethics, Risk and Compliance, you will sit at the heart of the organisation, shaping how we make decisions and how we do business. This is a highly visible leadership role where your judgement, courage and influence will directly impact patient trust, employee integrity and the long-term sustainability of the business. You will partner closely with senior leaders to navigate complexity, balance risk with opportunity and embed a strong ethics and compliance culture that enables the organisation to succeed responsibly in a fast-moving, highly regulated environment.

 

Job Description

• Act as the trusted ethics, risk and compliance partner to country leadership teams.
• Embed a strong culture of integrity, transparency and ethical decision making across the organisation.
• Identify, assess and support risk mitigation and in a complex regulatory and business environment.
• Provide clear, courageous guidance on ethical dilemmas and business‑critical decisions.
• Lead and develop high‑performing ethics, risk and compliance teams.
• Partner cross‑functionally to enable compliant growth and organisational change.
• Represent Novartis externally with industry bodies and regulatory stakeholders.

Required Experience

• Strong knowledge of the regulatory landscape and operating environment preferably within a large pharmaceutical organisation
• Early adopter of AI governance and literacy, with strong practical understanding of AI capabilities and limitations—able to challenge business proposals, streamline and simplify processes, surface hidden risks, and set pragmatic guardrails that enable value.
• Experience working across countries and cultures, with a proven ability to collaborate in international environments.
• Demonstrated ability to identify, assess, mitigate, and monitor risk in complex organizations.
• Proven history of managing sophisticated compliance programs and promoting ethical business practices.
• Experience leading and developing teams to deliver effective ethics, risk, and compliance outcomes.
• Strong communication and influencing skills, with the ability to drive change through trust, collaboration, and partnership.
• In‑depth understanding of emerging technologies and the ability to assess and manage associated risks.
• Experience working across diverse functions and aligning stakeholders on compliance and risk priorities.

Why Novartis: 

Our purpose is to reimagine medicine to improve and extend people’s lives and our vision is to become the most valued and trusted medicines company in the world. How can we achieve this? With our people. It is our associates that drive us each day to reach our ambitions. Be a part of this mission and join us! Learn more here: https://www.novartis.com/about/strategy/people-and-culture

You’ll receive: Competitive salary, annual bonus, life insurance, home office policy (home office 2x a week), retirement and wellbeing plans, flexible working arrangements, birthday day-off, parental leave, subsidized dining facilities, health insurance, employee recognition platform, Gympass, employee resource groups and virtual self-development tools. 

If you want to learn more about our benefits, you can access the Novartis Life Handbook: https://www.novartis.com/careers/benefits-rewards

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion: 

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

Join our Novartis Network: If this role is not suitable to your experience or career goals but you wish to stay connected to hear more about Novartis and our career opportunities, join the Novartis Careers: https://www.novartis.com/careers

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

Por que a Novartis?: 

Nosso propósito é reinventar a medicina para melhorar e estender a vida das pessoas, e nossa visão é nos tornarmos a empresa de medicamentos mais valorizada e confiável do mundo. Como podemos alcançar isso? Com ​​as nossas pessoas. São nossos colaboradores que nos impulsionam todos os dias para alcançar nossas ambições. Faça parte dessa missão e junte-se a nós! Saiba mais aqui: https://www.novartis.com/about/strategy/people-and-culture

Você receberá: 

Salário competitivo, bônus anual, seguro de vida, política de home office (home office 2 vezes por semana), planos de aposentadoria e bem-estar, horários de trabalho flexíveis, day off de aniversário, licença parental, restaurante subsidiado, plano de saúde, plataforma de reconhecimento de funcionários, Gympass, grupos de recursos para colaboradores e ferramentas virtuais de autodesenvolvimento. Se quiser saber mais sobre nossos benefícios, acesse o Novartis Life Handbook: https://www.novartis.com/careers/benefits-rewards

 https://www.novartis.com/careers/benefits-rewards

Compromisso com a Diversidade e Inclusão: 

A Novartis está comprometida em construir um ambiente de trabalho excepcional e inclusivo, com diversos times representativos de pacientes e comunidades que atendemos. Junte-se à nossa Rede Novartis: Se esta vaga não for adequada à sua experiência ou objetivos de carreira, mas você deseja permanecer conectado para saber mais sobre a Novartis e nossas oportunidades de carreira, junte-se ao Novartis Careers: https://www.novartis.com/careers 

 

Skills Desired

Business Acumen, Business Stewardship Functional Capabilities, Courage​, Critical thinking (Analytical thinking/ problem solving)​, Delivering Collective Impact, empowerment, Ethical Leadership, Fast decision making​, Influencing​, Inspirational​, Lead and Develop People, Learning agility, and Resilience, Navigates Complexity, Prioritization, Proactive and Accountable​, Provide clarity on goals​, Risk Management ​, Self-Awareness, Social awareness and interpersonal & comms skills (read the room)​, Stakeholder Management, Strategic Thinking (Connecting the dots and looking at bigger picture) (), Strong Execution, Talent Development