Job Description Summary

The TA Head leads and manages the overall commercial performance, revenue and profitability of the Therapeutic Area (Immunology, Neuroscience and Cardio-renal-metabolic) and the pipeline product portfolio at country level. The role owns the go-to-market model, leads brand strategy and commercial excellence, and ensures strong field force planning and in-market execution across the full product lifecycle. Through cross-functional coordination, KPI-driven oversight and disciplined resource management, the TA Head maximizes brand impact, launch excellence and sustainable commercial outcomes while building high-performing sales and marketing teams and strong customer partnerships.

 

Job Description

Job Purpose

Lead and manage the overall performance, revenue and profitability of the Therapeutic Area and pipeline portfolio at country level, ensuring strategic alignment and operational excellence. The role owns the go-to-market model, leads brand and commercial strategy, and drives field force planning and execution across Access, Commercial and Medical teams. As a member of the Country Leadership Team, the TA Head is accountable for building high-performing sales and marketing teams and for developing sustainable business partnerships with key customers and stakeholders.
 

Job Dimensions

Number of associates:

Varies by market size and structure in line with the commercial blueprint (approximately 18 employees).

Financial responsibility:

Full P&L responsibility for Immunology, Neuroscience, Cardio-Renal-Metabolic and Gene Therapies priority brands (approximately USD 80m).

Decision making:

Strategic and operational decision making impacting sales performance, marketing strategy, resource allocation and brand execution across the Therapeutic Area.

External / Internal Stakeholder Interface:

External: Customers, partners, industry associations and key healthcare stakeholders.
Internal: Extensive cross-functional collaboration with Sales, Marketing, Medical, Finance, Supply Chain, Regions, Execution Excellence, Customer Excellence, CLS BU, C&MA, Integrated Insights and Digital & Analytics teams.

Impact on the organization:

Direct accountability for commercial success, market share growth and brand leadership across all products within the Therapeutic Area.
 

Major Accountabilities

Performance & Launch Excellence

• Deliver TA performance across sales, market share and profitability; own TA P&L, budget management and compliance with Ethics, Risk and Compliance standards.
• Accelerate growth through disciplined lifecycle management, including in-market optimization, line extensions and new product launches.
• Lead end-to-end launch planning and execution with clear roles, milestones and cross-functional coordination.
• Continuously enhance sales force effectiveness and ROI through optimized segmentation, targeting, coverage and capability building.
   

Brand Strategy Localization & Planning

• Translate global brand and product strategy into robust localized Brand Plans with clear priorities and milestones.
• Define customer, content and brand tactics with aligned resource allocation and integrated cross-functional execution.
• Manage brand financials and forecasting rigorously, including demand planning inputs to Supply Chain and regular business reviews.
   

Marketing & Omnichannel Execution

• Localize customer and content strategy in line with international guidance, maximizing re-use of global materials and minimizing local content generation unless required.
• Define and optimize marketing mix investments and omnichannel strategies leveraging data, insights and GenAI-enabled solutions in partnership with Execution Excellence.
• Design customer and patient experience journeys to optimize reach, engagement and impact.
• Orchestrate cross-functional execution of brand plans including digital initiatives, national HCP events and patient experience programs.
• Track performance through dashboards and KPIs, continuously optimizing content and channels based on insights.
   

Sales Planning & Field Operations

• Shape sales contributions to brand strategy and design field force models aligned with TA priorities and customer footprint.
• Deploy resources dynamically, adjust targeting and investments based on market trends and performance insights.
• Analyze field KPIs and capabilities to inform trade-off decisions and continuous performance improvement.
   

Commercial Excellence

• Drive excellence across customer consent rates, iCVA usage, content utilization, call planning adherence and omnichannel execution.
• Ensure effective implementation of segmentation, tiering, coverage and engagement frequency models.
• Provide structured insights and feedback loops to International teams based on commercial cycle performance.
   

Leadership & Culture

• Lead and coordinate cross-functional teams to execute strategic priorities effectively.
• Build a high-performance and inclusive culture through strong talent development, coaching and succession planning.
• Role model Novartis Leadership Behaviors, integrity and continuous improvement, including adoption of digital and AI-enabled ways of working.
   

Key Performance Indicators

• Portfolio value maximization including revenue growth and profitability.
• Successful product launches delivered on time and within budget.
• Customer engagement effectiveness across omnichannel and field KPIs.
• Commercial field excellence and implementation of segmentation and coverage models.
• Efficient budget management and alignment of spend to strategic priorities.
   

Ideal Background

Education

• University degree in Bioscience or Business; advanced degree in Bioscience, Medicine, Business or Management preferred.

Experience & Skills

• Proven track record of P&L ownership and commercial management responsibility.
• Extensive leadership experience (12+ years) within the pharmaceutical or life sciences industry.
• Strong sales and marketing management experience including launch excellence and lifecycle management.
• Deep understanding of regulatory, market access and policy environments.
• Demonstrated ability to lead transformation and manage performance through data and insights.
• Strong matrix leadership, stakeholder engagement and talent development capabilities.
• AI proficiency and ability to leverage advanced analytics to optimize engagement and revenue growth.

 

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}