Associate Director Operations And Governance Lead

Summary

The Associate Director, Operations and Governance Lead is responsible for designing, implementing and continuously improving the operating model that enables Web Product and Digital Optimization capabilities to scale across additional functional are-as, including US Medical Affairs (USMA), US Market Access and Patient Support (MAPE), and other parts of the organization. This role will establish practical, repeatable ways of working across intake, prioritization, road mapping, planning, decision-making, execution tracking and performance management.

Serving as the connective tissue across functional leaders, product teams, DDIT, Fi-nance, Procurement, Analytics and external partners, the role will create an integrated view of priorities, dependencies, resources, risks, budgets and outcomes. The Associ-ate Director will lead hands-on analysis and planning forums, synthesize complex in-puts, facilitate trade-off decisions, document commitments, and ensure teams remain aligned and accountable.

The successful candidate will combine strategic thinking with strong operational execution. This person must be a self-starter who is comfortable building structure where it does not yet exist, navigating ambiguity and competing priorities, and influencing stakeholders without relying on formal authority. Governance should be right-sized and outcome-oriented, improving clarity, speed and scalability rather than adding unnecessary process.

About The Role

Associate Director, Operations and Governance Lead

Location – Hyderabad Hybrid

Major Accountabilities

• Design, implement, and continuously improve a scalable operating model for web and digital optimization across Medical, NPS, and other functional areas.
• Establish SOPs, governance frameworks, RACI models, intake and prioritization processes, stage gates, handoffs, and escalation paths.
• Partner with leadership to translate enterprise and functional objectives into annual plans, quarterly priorities, and multi-year roadmaps.
• Lead cross-functional portfolio, roadmap, and operating reviews by facilitating trade-offs, synthesizing data, documenting decisions, and tracking ownership and timelines.
• Maintain a current portfolio view covering outcomes, milestones, capacity, dependencies, risks, decisions, resources, and financial status.
• Drive alignment across product, platform, analytics, content, design, technology, and functional roadmaps to identify gaps, duplication, sequencing conflicts, and reuse opportunities.
• Support governance cadences, executive reporting, KPI tracking, budget planning, forecasting, vendor spend, and financial management in partnership with Finance and Procurement.
• Lead onboarding, change management, stakeholder coordination, retrospectives, and continuous improvement initiatives to resolve risks, simplify processes, and strengthen cross-functional ways of working.
  
  

Educational Requirement

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Technology, Engineering, Analytics, or a related field required or MBA or Master’s degree preferred
  
  

Minimum Experience

• Minimum years of 8-10 years of experience.
  
  

Operating Model Adoption & Scalability - Measure use of the agreed operating model across in-scope functions, onboarding speed and quality, and completeness of required governance artifacts.

• Portfolio & Roadmap Coherence - Assess the percentage of initiatives with clear outcomes, owners, milestones and dependencies, and reductions in duplicated, conflicting or unsequenced work.
• Decision Velocity & Accountability - Track time from issue identification to decision, action and escalation closure rates, and the quality of documented decisions.
• Portfolio Transparency & Delivery Predictability - Evaluate reporting accuracy and timeliness, confidence in milestones and forecasts, dependency resolution, and the age of unresolved risks.
• Financial Stewardship & Stakeholder Experience - Measure budget and forecast accuracy, timely purchase-order and vendor management, stakeholder confidence in governance, and reductions in operating friction.
  
  

Why Novartis: Helping people with disease and their families takes more than innovative science. It takes a community of smart, passionate people like you. Collaborating, supporting and inspiring each other. Combining to achieve breakthroughs that change patients’ lives. Ready to create a brighter future together? https://www.novartis.com/about/strategy/people-and-culture

Benefits and Rewards: Learn about all the ways we’ll help you thrive personally and professionally.

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