Vendor Program Head

The Vendor Development Unit (DU) Program Head (VPH) is responsible for leading the strategic and operational management of vendor partnerships within a specific disease area and Development Unit. This role ensures the successful delivery of vendor service strategies that align with the program objectives, clinical development timelines and operational requirements. The VPH has accountability for the team responsible for developing and executing vendor DU program strategies, ensuring alignment with overarching program strategies and fostering high performance culture to support DU program success. By fostering strong collaborations with internal and external partners, the VPH will play a critical role in advancing the DU goals, ensuring high-quality, cost-effective and timeline delivery of outsourced services.

About the Role

Major accountabilities:

1. Lead the DU vendor program community to execute vendor service strategy and clinical trial milestones.
2. Build a strong community of Vendor Program Strategy Directors (VPSD), TVM Community Leads (TVMCL), and TVM team for portfolio delivery.
3. Continuously assess and adjust vendor program strategy to ensure successful portfolio delivery.
4. Collaborate with strategic vendors and VPG category for process alignment and innovation adoption.
5. Oversee portfolio health and governance with internal teams and vendor leadership.
6. Foster a culture of accountable delivery, high performance, risk mitigation, and rapid issue resolution.
7. Manage key stakeholders within GCO and non-GCO functions for operational efficiency.
8. Represent vendor partnering at forums and share risks and mitigation strategies.
9. Host Vendor partner summits for deepening DU focus and collaboration.

Requirements:

1. 10+ years of experience in pharmaceutical clinical drug development
2. Global management experience and matrix organization expertise
3. Ability to manage and coach people in a servant leadership style
4. Strong leadership, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills
5. Advocacy for new working methods and high resilience
6. Extensive knowledge of clinical development processes
7. Proven leadership during organizational transformation
8. Strong organizational awareness and stakeholder management
9. Solid relationship-building and executive leadership negotiation skills

Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion:

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

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