Head of International Medical Affairs, Governance Enablement

Location: Barcelona, Spain (hybrid). Relocation support: Yes.

Salary range: €93,800 - €174,200

Overview

Are you ready to shape how International Medical Affairs operates and enable teams to deliver with greater clarity, consistency, and impact? As Head of International Medical Affairs, Governance Enablement, you will play a critical leadership role in strengthening governance and operational enablement across International Medical Affairs. Reporting to the Head of Medical Affairs Governance & Operations, IMA, you will help translate governance expectations into effective ways of working, partnering across functions and geographies to support the organization in delivering its Medical Affairs priorities.

This is an opportunity to combine strategic thinking, operational leadership, and strong stakeholder engagement to simplify complexity, strengthen organizational effectiveness, and enable teams across regions and countries to focus on delivering meaningful impact for patients.

Key Responsibilities

• Shape the country governance operating model, strengthening accountability and effective execution across International Medical Affairs.
• Develop governance resource models that translate country workload, risk, capacity, and capability needs into actionable priorities.
• Partner with Country and Regional Medical Heads to prioritize governance demand and protect organizational capacity.
• Ensure continuity in critical governance roles through effective recruitment support, succession planning, onboarding, and transitions.
• Lead targeted enablement for countries with elevated governance risks, using monitoring, audit, and escalation insights.
• Build role-based governance learning journeys and capability programs that drive measurable improvement beyond training completion.
• Develop a connected, high-performing governance network that enables knowledge sharing and cross-country collaboration at scale.
• Lead country governance transformation by defining future-state operating models, roadmaps, and measures for sustained adoption.
• Champion responsible use of Artificial Intelligence, analytics, and digital solutions across governance enablement and learning workflows.
• Lead, develop, and empower the Governance Enablement team while strengthening leadership capability across the wider governance community.

Essential Requirements

• Advanced degree in Medicine, Pharmacy, Life Sciences, or a related field.
• Minimum 10 years of Medical Affairs, Quality and Compliance experience within the pharmaceutical industry.
• Proven experience working in international, regional, or above-country Medical Affairs roles within a complex global organization.
• Strong understanding of Medical Affairs governance, compliance, risk management, and associated operating models.
• Demonstrated experience leading organizational transformation, governance enablement, or capability-building initiatives across multiple markets.
• Strong strategic leadership and influencing skills, with the ability to align senior cross-functional and country stakeholders.
• Previous people leadership experience, including proven ability to lead, develop, and empower high-performing teams and build effective networks across geographies.
• Excellent written and spoken English, combined with strong communication, organizational, and stakeholder-management capabilities.

Desirable Requirements

• Proficiency in additional languages beyond English.
• Experience driving large-scale Medical Affairs governance transformation or organizational change across international markets.

Benefits and Compensation

Expected annual base salary range: 93,800 - 174,200 EUR. The base salary offered is determined based on gender-neutral objectives, such as relevant skills, competencies and experience, in accordance with the Novartis pay setting policy, and is reviewed periodically.

• Performance-based bonus, depending on certain performance parameters.
• Long-term equity awards granted at group level may be part of the package.
• Competitive benefits in kind, such as insurance plans, retirement plans, wellbeing resources and global recognition programs.
• Flexible and hybrid working options, where possible.
• Minimum 14 weeks paid parental leave.

Benefits and compensation may vary by country and are subject to local legal requirements, including provisions of collective bargaining agreements where applicable. Full details will be communicated during the application process.

Skills Desired

Change Agility, Clinical Protocols, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Data Analysis, Drug Development, Employee Development, Evidence Generation, Graduate Medical Education (GME), Healthcare Industry, Health Sciences, Influencing Skills, Innovation, Inspirational Leadership, Medical Affairs, Medical Communications, Patient Care, People Management, Pharmaceutics, Product Launches, Product Strategies, Real World Evidence (RWE), Regulatory Compliance, Research Methodologies, Results-Oriented