Director, Marketing Program Governance

Novartis • East Hanover, NJ

7d • $168,000 - $312,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

Novartis has an incredible opportunity for a talented individual to join our team as a Director, Marketing Program Governance. The Director, Marketing Program Governance leads a Program Management team responsible for overseeing media channels, marketing programs, and communications initiatives for Novartis US Pharmaceuticals. This role drives standardization, simplification, and cross-functionally aligned processes to ensure efficient, compliant, and scalable execution. The Director will champion both Agile and Waterfall delivery models, integrating them to meet the complex needs of pharmaceutical marketing and regulatory environments. Leadership, operational excellence, and continuous improvement are critical to success. This position is based is East Hanover, NJ and will not have the ability to be located remotely. Please note that this role would not provide relocation and only local candidates will be considered. The expectation of working hours and travel (domestic and/or international) will be defined by the hiring manager. This position will require up to 20% travel.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, Information Systems, or related field; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years in marketing operations, program management, or governance within the pharmaceutical or life sciences sector.
• Extensive experience in marketing operations, program management, or governance within the pharmaceutical or life sciences sector.
• Knowledge of business process mapping.
• Proven track record of leading and developing high-performing teams.
• Agile mindset and ability to work in an frequent changing environment driven by internal and external changes (including AI)
• Deep knowledge of US pharmaceutical regulatory and compliance requirements for marketing and communications.
• Ability to challenge the status quo mindset, ability to back up reasoning with data

Nice To Haves

• Experience overseeing multi-channel marketing programs and media governance.
• Comfortable budget management and resource allocation skills.
• Experience with marketing technology platforms and data analysis.
• Experience driving process improvement, process mapping, operational excellence initiatives.
• Certification or practical experience in AGILE, Waterfall or Lean Six Sigma methodologies.
• 2 Years in Management Consulting or 2 Years as a Brand Manager
• Knowledge of Aprimo platform and FUSE is a plus but not required

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing Program Management team overseeing governance of media, marketing, and communications programs.
• Establish and maintain governance frameworks, processes, and metrics to ensure consistent, compliant, and effective execution across all marketing channels and initiatives.
• Drive efficiency, standardization and simplification of marketing operations, ensuring alignment with Novartis’ strategic objectives and pharmaceutical industry best practices.
• Oversee risk management, performance tracking, and proactive issue resolution for all marketing programs, ensuring continuous improvement and operational efficiency.
• Champion the integration of AGILE and Waterfall methodologies, selecting and adapting the right approach for each program to balance flexibility, speed, and regulatory rigor
• Collaborate with cross-functional partners—including Commercial, Medical, Regulatory, Legal, Compliance, and Business Technology—to ensure seamless program delivery and adherence to policy guardrails.
• Ensure transparency in program status, resource allocation, and decision-making through regular reporting and stakeholder communications.
• Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous learning, supporting professional development and high performance within the team.
• Support the implementation of new technologies (AI), tools, and best practices to enhance marketing program infrastructure and reporting.
• Ensure all marketing activities comply with US pharmaceutical regulations, quality standards, and data privacy policies.

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