Therapeutic Area Head

Job Description Summary

TA Head leads and manages the overall performance and revenue/profitability of the Business Unit in the country and pipeline product portfolio, ensuring strategic alignment and operational delivery

This role owns go-to market model, leads brand strategy, field force planning & in-field performance and execution of pre-launch and launch plans across all line functions (Access, Commercial/Medical). Through cross functional coordination and KPI-driven oversight, the TA Head maximizes the brand impact and commercial outcomes

As part of Country Leadership team, he/she is responsible for developing a high-performing sales & marketing teams and building sustainable & enduring business partnership /relationships with key customers/ stakeholders.

 

Job Description

Major accountabilities:

Performance and Launch Excellence

·       Deliver TA performance across sales, market share, and profitability, own TA P&L, budget management, and adherence to Ethics, Risk & Compliance.

·       Accelerate growth through disciplined lifecycle management: set growth plans for in-market brands and successfully launch line extensions and new products.

·       Lead end-to-end launch planning and execution, ensuring clear roles, milestones, and seamless cross-functional and, where applicable, cross-divisional collaboration.

·       Continuously enhance sales force effectiveness and ROI by refining segmentation, targeting, coverage, and capabilities; evolve commercial strategies to stay ahead of market and policy shifts.

Brand Strategy Localization and Planning

·       Translate global Brand/Product strategy into robust localized Brand Plans; synthesize market research and analytics to pinpoint short- and long-term opportunities.

·       Define customer, content, and brand tactics with clear resource allocation and operational alignment; ensure integrated execution across functions.

·       Manage brand financials and forecasting with rigor, including demand inputs to Supply Chain; run business reviews and performance cycles to drive course-corrective actions.

 

Strong partnership/stakeholder management

·       Drive or support the implementation of new commercial models in close collaboration with cross functional teams to ensure triple win go-to-market strategies for the TA at the local level

·       Develop and strengthen strategic relationships with customers (e.g. physicians, key accounts, specialty pharmacies, KOLs and payors) to support medical and commercial activities in alignment with compliance guidelines

 

Marketing and Omnichannel Execution

·       Orchestrate cross-functional execution of brand plans, including digital programs, national HCP events, and patient activation, leveraging Execution Excellence support for logistics and compliance.

·       Co-design engagement tactics with Sales to ensure regulatory alignment, field readiness, and measurable impact across the customer and patient journeys.

·       Track performance through KPIs and dashboards, provide strategic input to ongoing market research, and optimize content and channels based on insights.

 

Sales Planning and Field Operations

·       Shape sales contributions to brand strategy; design and size the field force consistent with TA priorities, customer footprint, and commercial model.

·       Prioritize and deploy sales tactics, allocate resources dynamically, and adjust targeting and investments in response to market changes.

·       Oversee in-field execution and KPI performance (e.g., interaction quality, coverage, ICE (International Commercialization Excellence)), make trade-off decisions (share of voice vs. frequency), and engage directly with key customer groups; coordinate local promotional events.

 

Leadership & Culture

·       Lead and coordinate cross-functional teams to execute strategic priorities.

·       Build a high-performance culture, manage recruiting, performance, and coaching; develop critical capabilities and talent pipelines.

·       Attract, develop, and retain top talent; strengthen succession plans and capabilities across the country organization.

·       Role-model Novartis Leadership Expectations & Behaviors, inspire transformation and performance, and demonstrate self-awareness with a growth mindset.

Minimum Requirements:

Education:

• University degree in Bioscience or business

• Advanced degree in Bioscience, medicine, business, and/or management

Languages:

• English

• Country language desirable

Experience/Professional Requirement:

• Proven track-record of P&L and commercial management responsibility

• Extensive (>10) years’ experience in leadership positions within the pharmaceutical or life science industry

• Proven sales and marketing management skills

• Launch excellence: leading country-level product launches and line extensions, localizing global strategy into brand plans with clear milestones and cross-functional orchestration. 

• Deep regulatory, market access, and policy fluency; anticipating shifts to adapt commercial models and pricing/reimbursement strategies

• Customer and stakeholder management: building strategic relationships with KOLs, key accounts, payors, specialty pharmacies, and industry associations; negotiating value-adding partnerships. 

• Data-driven performance management: integrating research and analytics, running rigorous business reviews, and executing timely course corrections and resource reallocation. 

• Good understanding of digital trends & solutions, technology platform and products

• Leading Transformation: Experiences in leading business and/or organizational transformation processes

• Matrix leadership and talent development: building high-performance, diverse teams; coaching, succession planning, and influencing across complex cross-functional and regional interfaces

• Strong results orientation, and willingness to have extensive involvement in day-to-day operations

• Business partnership, multi-stakeholder collaboration and influencing across matrix

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

 

Benefits and Rewards:

Read our handbook to learn about all the ways we’ll help you thrive personally and professionally: Novartis Life Handbook

 

Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion:

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

 

Skills Desired

Agility, Agility, Asset Management, Business Development, Business Strategy, Commercial Excellence, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Customer Orientation, Digital Marketing, Go-To-Market Strategy, Healthcare Sector Understanding, Influencing Skills, Inspirational Leadership, Key Account Management, Market Access, Marketing Strategy, Market Share, Market Trends, Negotiation Skills, People Management, Priority Disease Areas Expertise, Product Launches, Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), Profit and Loss (P&L), Sales {+ 4 more}