Associate Director, Patient Engagement, Neuroscience and Gene Therapies

Major accountabilities:

• Contribute to the Patient Engagement Strategy, implementing decision point framework, in line with patient focused drug development across priority disease areas.
• Execute patient engagement priorities in alignment with the clinical development priorities, developing and implementing relevant activities. 
• Strategically collaborate cross-functionally to bring in critical patient insights and patient experience data to inform clinical development plans and key decisions across the RDC continuum. 
• Implement regulatory and policy/access patient engagement strategies in disease areas.
• Contribute to innovative approaches to partnering with patient groups/forums, including multi-stakeholder forums in areas of strategic alignment.
• Identify with patient groups integrated campaigns/initiatives to address patient needs and drive leadership in clinical development.
• Ensure seamless collaboration and effective knowledge sharing with PE Science, BR PIE team and Patient Advocacy team within the relevant disease area.
• Ensure compliant execution of funding and engagement activities that support clinical development plans.
• Secure financial resources to support execution of planned PE activities.
• Develop and maintain strategic partnerships with global, US, and international patient advocacy organizations to deepen Novartis understanding of patient community landscape, patient goals, needs and priorities in the disease area.
• Ensure product profiles are co-created with patients and meet their needs.
• Integrate patient perspectives into clinical trials design and clinical trial execution.
• Act as C-ISRC reviewer for relevant clinical trial concept sheet and protocol reviews.
• Expected travel up to 20%

Requirements:

• Master’s degree in a relevant field such as life sciences, business administration, or equivalent.
• At least 7-10 years of experience in global pharma and/or non-profit health organization with at least 3-5 years in an external-facing function, i.e. medical affairs, patient engagement, patient advocacy, access. Knowledge of product development lifecycle.
• Critical thinker and with ability to navigate uncertainty without major supervision
• Fluent oral and written English; Other relevant languages are an advantage.
• Ability to truly collaborate across functions and markets: serve-partner-co-create.
• Strong track record of delivery focus for time and quality in Patient Engagement projects
• Credibility as peer expert with external stakeholders
• Agile mindset & ability to lead in an agile organization across Disease Areas
• Firm working knowledge of GCP, and clinical methodology, protocol designs, management and regulatory requirements for clinical studies designated for review by regulatory authorities. 
• Proven change agent
• Expert knowledge in Pharma Product lifecycle.
• Understanding of patient insights, experience data and their creation
• Understanding of the R&D process and of clinical trial execution.
• Understanding of Patient-Focused Drug Development (PFDD) principles.