Director, Therapeutic Area Strategy, CRM

Novartis seeks a Director, Therapeutic Area Strategy, CRM, in Basel, Switzerland, for a full-time hybrid role. The position supports the development of a comprehensive strategy for Cardio, Renal, and Metabolic diseases, aligning R&D, commercial, and strategic teams to drive sustainable growth.

This role supports the creation and evolution of a holistic Therapeutic Area (TA) strategy for Cardio, Renal, and Metabolic (CRM) diseases. It ensures integrated alignment across Biomedical Research, Development, Strategy & Growth, and Commercial teams in the US and internationally.

Responsibilities

• Provides external benchmarking, analysis, and insights to help shape a comprehensive Novartis TA strategy for sustainable short-, mid-, and long-term growth.
• Leverages deep knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry and CRM therapeutic areas to identify competitive advantages over peers.
• Delivers key commercial insights to R&D teams, especially for early-phase programs.
• Reviews reports and publications to extract critical information and develop product forecasts.
• Supports the creation of TA-specific strategic insights to identify growth opportunities, emerging competition, and third-party perspectives on strategic levers, including commissioning targeted primary research.

Requirements

• A Bachelor’s degree is required.
• An advanced degree (PhD, MD, or other advanced university degree) or equivalent experience in life sciences/healthcare is required; an MBA, consulting background, or similar experience is highly preferred.
• Strong knowledge of the Cardio, Renal, and Metabolic (CRM) therapeutic area, or proven ability to quickly acquire it.
• Highly adaptable, able to support multiple strategic disease areas and programs across internal and external initiatives.
• Extensive experience evaluating new product opportunities via M&A, business development, licensing, or internal research.
• Minimum of 5–7 years of experience in the pharmaceutical or medical devices industry, in Research & Development or commercial roles, including conducting, commissioning, and analyzing primary research.
• Experience in developing strategy and shaping assets early in their lifecycle, from any functional background.
• Recent (post-2015) experience working within the US market, including direct engagement with US customers and healthcare systems.

Nice to have

• An advanced degree (PhD, MD, or other advanced university degree) or equivalent experience in life sciences/healthcare; an MBA, consulting background, or similar experience is highly preferred.

About the company

Novartis is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace that reflects the patients and communities it serves.

• Commitment to building an inclusive work environment.
• Focus on diverse teams representative of the patient communities served.