Head, Clinical Development Business Solutions

Job Description Summary

Role type: Hybrid working, #LI-Hybrid
Primary Location: Westworks, London, UK
Relocation Support: Novartis is unable to offer relocation support: please only apply if accessible.

Stepping into this role means shaping how the entire Clinical Development function operates and delivers excellence. As the Head of Clinical Development Business Solutions, you will define and drive the operational strategy that ensures our processes, systems, and quality frameworks perform at their best. You will champion end to end excellence, strengthen compliance, and lead high impact initiatives that directly support Novartis’ ability to bring innovative therapies to patients. Working alongside senior leaders across Development, you will influence change, elevate standards, and enable teams to perform with clarity, confidence, and purpose. This is a role for someone who thrives on complexity, sees opportunity in transformation, and brings people together to create solutions that last.

 

Job Description

Key Responsibilities

• Drive operational execution of Clinical Development processes to ensure consistency, compliance, and functional excellence.

• Oversee all Clinical Development-owned processes, tools, templates, and systems to maintain robust operational standards.

• Build strong partnerships across Development functions to enhance collaboration and proactively manage operational and inspection risks.

• Lead enhancements to Clinical Development systems and tools, ensuring capabilities evolve with business and regulatory needs.

• Ensure clinical trial teams are trained, supported, and inspection‑ready across all Clinical Development processes.

• Champion continuous process improvement using performance insights, new technologies, and best practices from industry networks.

• Provide leadership and development to the Business Solutions team, fostering talent growth and a high‑support culture.

Essential Requirements

• Advanced degree in a scientific, healthcare, or clinically relevant field.

• More than ten years of pharmaceutical industry experience with strong grounding in Drug Development.

• Hands‑on experience designing and executing phase 2 and phase 3 clinical trials.

• Strong leadership presence with the ability to collaborate, influence, and present confidently to senior leaders.

• Deep understanding of clinical development, regulatory standards, and quality expectations, including Health Authority requirements.

• Proven ability to manage cross‑functional initiatives in complex environments while maintaining high standards of performance.

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:

You can find everything you need to know about our benefits and rewards in the Novartis Life Handbook.

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 Network here: https://talentnetwork.novartis.com/network

 

Skills Desired

Adaptive Strategy And Innovation, Clinical Research, Data Migration, Drug Development, Estimation Process, Financial Management, Influencing Skills, Interpersonal Communication Skills, Leadership, Lifesciences, Microsoft Project, Operations, Organizational And Project Design, Pmi (Project Management Institute), Pmp (Project Management Professional), Prioritization, Program Management, Project Delivery, Project Execution, Project Life Cycle, Project Planning, Project Presentation, R&D (Research And Development), Requirements Gathering, Senior Management