Associate Director, Cell Therapy Operations- Southeast

Novartis•Atlanta, GA

23h•$138,600 - $257,400•Remote

About The Position

The Associate Director, Cell Therapy Operations Manager (AD, CTOM) is a field-based operational leader responsible for training, onboarding, and qualifying CAR-T treatment centers to support the safe, compliant, and successful delivery of Novartis CAR-T therapies. The AD, CTOM serves as the primary operational partner to assigned treatment centers, supporting ordering, logistics, apheresis collection, site readiness, quality compliance, and operational excellence while collaborating cross-functionally to resolve complex challenges and improve site performance. This is a remote & field-based role that covers the Southeast geography, including Atlanta, GA, Charlotte, NC and Jacksonville, FL. The Associate must reside within territory, or within a reasonable daily commuting distance of 60 miles from territory.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in science, healthcare, nursing, business, or a related discipline.
Minimum 7 years of healthcare, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, specialty operations, or related industry experience.
Experience supporting complex healthcare systems, treatment centers, academic medical centers, or multi-site institutions.
Demonstrated experience in cell therapy operations, specialty therapy operations, or other highly regulated healthcare environments.
Proven experience training, onboarding, educating, or supporting external healthcare stakeholders.
Ability to effectively operate within matrixed, cross-functional organizations and influence stakeholders without direct authority.
Strong project management, problem-solving, and operational execution skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
Excellent communication, presentation, and relationship-management skills with internal and external stakeholders.
Candidate must reside within territory, or within a reasonable daily commuting distance of 60 miles from the territory border.
Ability to travel 60-80% over a broad geography is required, with the ability to drive and/or fly within the territory.
Must have a valid driver’s license.

Nice To Haves

Direct experience supporting CAR-T, cell therapy, apheresis, blood or tissue collection, cryopreservation, transplant, or related specialty operations.
Experience working within GxP-regulated pharmaceutical, biotechnology, manufacturing, cell processing, hospital, or specialty healthcare environments.

Responsibilities

Execute onboarding, training, qualification, and operational readiness activities for CAR-T treatment centers to support successful site activation and patient treatment.
Serve as the field-based operational lead for assigned treatment centers, supporting ordering, logistics, apheresis collection, product receipt, and treatment workflows.
Deliver high-quality operational support to treatment centers, care teams, and internal stakeholders to ensure consistent execution of CAR-T processes.
Resolve complex operational challenges related to ordering, logistics, apheresis collection, product handling, and site readiness.
Ensure compliance with operational, regulatory, quality, and procedural requirements, supporting ongoing inspection and audit readiness.
Lead site readiness, operational continuity, and refresher training initiatives to maintain consistent performance and adherence to Novartis standards.
Partner cross-functionally with Patient Support, Strategic Account Managers, Quality, Manufacturing, Clinical Operations, Medical Affairs, and other stakeholders to align strategy, improve processes, and drive successful patient outcomes.
Identify operational risks, implement process improvements, manage escalations, and drive continuous improvement initiatives across assigned treatment centers.