Director, Field Launch Excellence

Novartis • East Hanover, NJ

1d • Remote

About The Position

This position can be based remotely anywhere in the U.S. (there may be some restrictions based on legal entity). The expectation of working hours and travel (domestic and/or international) will be defined by the hiring manager. This position will require 50% travel. Novartis is unable to offer relocation support for this role: please only apply if this location is accessible to you. Company will not sponsor visas for this position. The Director of Launch Excellence plays a key role in transforming launch strategies into smooth, field-ready execution that drives impact. This role partners closely with customer engagement teams to ensure every launch is consistent, agile, and aligned with real-world needs. By bringing in field and customer perspectives early, they help shape frameworks that are both effective and sustainable. Leading a cross-functional team, they guide execution across therapeutic areas with clarity and purpose.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required from 4-year college or university.
• 8+ years’ experience in launch planning, field enablement, or commercial operations within pharmaceutical, biotech, healthcare, or similarly structured industries with large, geographically dispersed teams. We also welcome candidates from other complex environments such as medical devices, diagnostics, life sciences services, insurance, consumer health, or B2B sectors.
• Proven ability to translate launch strategies into effective field and customer engagement plans.
• Strong background in building scalable frameworks and readiness models across multiple launches.
• Experience leading cross-functional collaboration in matrixed organizations.
• Demonstrated success in developing and inspiring high-performing teams.
• Excellent communication, influence, and project management skills.
• Skilled in designing feedback loops and applying field insights to continuously improve launch execution.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working in healthcare or tech start-ups is a plus, especially in fast-paced environments where innovation, agility, and customer focus are key.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of field execution plans that turn launch strategies into clear, actionable steps.
• Define readiness milestones and success metrics to ensure field teams are aligned, equipped, and confident at launch.
• Create structured feedback loops to gather field insights before, during, and after launches, driving continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with field teams to ensure launch strategies reflect real-world needs and market shifts.
• Partner across commercial, insights, and launch excellence teams to embed field execution into broader planning.
• Contribute to launch frameworks, playbooks, and governance models with a focus on field and customer engagement.
• Ensure customer-facing teams have the tools, training, and resources needed to deliver launch priorities effectively.
• Build scalable, repeatable launch readiness approaches that flex across therapeutic areas and product types.
• Apply lessons learned to refine future launches and embed best practices across the organization.
• Lead and develop a high-performing team, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and operational excellence.

Benefits

• US-based eligible employees will receive a comprehensive benefits package that includes health, life and disability benefits, a 401(k) with company contribution and match, and a variety of other benefits.
• In addition, employees are eligible for a generous time off package including vacation, personal days, holidays and other leaves.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees