Director Medical AI & Innovation

Job Description Summary

The Director Medical AI & Innovation is accountable for translating key medical challenges into scalable innovation opportunities solved by AI, including accountability for GMA AI products throughout the product lifecycle. Solutions may range from off‑the‑shelf options (e.g. Copilot Studio) to co‑development of use cases endorsed in the Dev AI strategy.

This role owns and advances individual GMA AI product(s), ensuring strategic fit and realization of business benefits. It serves as a dedicated functional partner for GMA AI use cases & products, striving to maximise value & adoption in alignment with GMA objectives, business priorities, and medical subject‑matter experts (SMEs).

This role is a dynamic thought‑leader for applied artificial intelligence specifically in the medical affairs domain, drawing on external insights and internal subject‑matter expertise in use case identification and translation of AI opportunities that drive significant impact for medical affairs. Critical to success will be an ability to develop and defend the business case value and deliver on those commitments. Value‑adding products should simplify and streamline medical affairs practices in close alignment with Global Process Owners and position Novartis GMA as the leading Medical Affairs organization in the industry, systematically enabled by artificial intelligence.

• Translate key medical challenges into scalable AI‑enabled innovation opportunities, including accountability for GMA AI products throughout the product lifecycle and co‑development of use cases endorsed in the Dev AI strategy.
• Own and advance individual GMA AI product(s), ensuring strategic fit and realization of business benefits in collaboration with GMA Business Owners; account for integrative planning and management of GMA AI product(s).
• Operate as a dedicated functional partner for GMA AI use cases & products, striving to maximize value & adoption in alignment with GMA objectives and business priorities.
• Partner, collaborate, and actively align on the above with medical subject‑matter experts (SMEs), GMA Business Owners, and technical counterparts (DDIT).
• Drive cross‑functional alignment with close partners such as the AI & Innovation Product Manager (SPPO Dev AI) to ensure continual alignment between the MA AI and Dev AI product roadmaps and leverage best practices & products scaled outside of the medical affairs domain.
• Engage and partner with the AI and Innovation Lead (SPPO Dev AI), providing medical external insights/expertise to ensure synergy with the Dev AI CCE strategy and apply best practices to drive user adoption of MA AI products.
• Establish effective relationships with business stakeholders, DDIT change management, and enabling functions to ensure a robust operating model for the MA AI portfolio.
• Promote a collaborative and entrepreneurial culture and mindset, acting as an agent for change and engaging support for innovative ideas, methods, technologies, partnerships, and solutions to maximize value for Novartis.

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, life sciences, or related field; advanced degree (MSc, MBA, etc.) preferred or relevant business experience.
• Fluent English (oral and written).
• Minimum 8 years of working experience in technology & business solution digital transformation or related fields (ideally in healthcare drug development or life sciences).
• Drug development and/or medical affairs and/or commercial experience (R‑D‑C continuum), including demonstrated innovation & transformation at functional scale.
• Proven track‑record in leading high‑performing multidisciplinary teams and diverse profiles.
• Proven ability to conceptualize, develop, and lead efforts to drive change within organizations, underpinned by excellent written and interpersonal communication skills.

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…