Portfolio Program Management Office Associate Director

Novartis Farmacéutica; Madrid; Presencial; EUR 50.000 - 70.000; Jornada completa

Descripción de la vacante

A global healthcare company is seeking an Associate Director for their Portfolio and Program Management Office in Madrid. You will lead a large-scale transformation initiative, establishing governance structures and reporting mechanisms. The ideal candidate will have a Master’s degree, fluent English, and over 10 years of experience in cross-industry settings, specifically in the pharmaceutical sector. This role is pivotal in connecting strategy to execution across multidisciplinary teams.

Formación

• 10+ years of cross-industry experience, including approximately 5 years in the pharmaceutical sector.
• 5+ years of multi-functional leadership experience.
• Expert knowledge of global technology transformation programs.

Responsabilidades

• Establish and lead the Portfolio and Program Management Office for a global transformation initiative.
• Design governance structures for transparent execution.
• Develop executive-level reporting and dashboards to communicate progress.

Conocimientos

Fluent English

Portfolio and program management

Cross-functional leadership

Educación

Master’s degree or equivalent

MBA with a bachelor’s degree or equivalent life sciences experience

Descripción del empleo

Overview

Location: Barcelona, Spain

Relocation Support: This role is based in Barcelona, Spain. Novartis is unable to offer relocation support; please only apply if accessible.

Lead the engine room of a pivotal transformation. As the Portfolio and Program Management Office Associate Director, you will establish and lead the Program Management Office for ASCEND—our large-scale, technology-enabled change program in Global Development—aligning best-in-class practices (Project Management Institute standards and agile ways of working) to deliver outcomes that matter for patients and the business. You will orchestrate cross-functional roadmaps, governance, and value tracking; bring transparency through executive-ready dashboards; and foster a culture of empowerment, accountability, and continuous improvement.

If you thrive on connecting strategy to execution, optimizing resources, and simplifying complexity across global, multidisciplinary teams, this is your opportunity to shape how innovation moves from idea to impact at Novartis.

Responsibilities

• Establish and lead the Portfolio and Program Management Office for a global transformation initiative.
• Design governance structures, operating cadence, and decision forums that enable timely, transparent execution.
• Build and maintain integrated roadmaps, deliverable baselines, and cross-functional milestones aligned to strategy.
• Develop executive-level reporting, dashboards, and narratives that clearly communicate progress, risks, and value.
• Institute rigorous risk, issue, and dependency management with proactive mitigation and escalation pathways.
• Drive benefits realization planning, value tracking, and outcome measurement against defined business objectives.
• Enable effective resource planning, capacity management, and prioritization across internal teams and external partners.
• Embed agile ways of working, continuous improvement, and change management practices across the program.
• Facilitate alignment with functional leaders, technology, and finance to coordinate budgets, timelines, and scope.
• Coach project leaders on planning standards, delivery excellence, and stakeholder engagement to elevate performance.

Essential Requirements

• Master’s degree or equivalent; MBA with a bachelor’s degree, or equivalent life sciences experience.
• Fluent English, both spoken and written.
• 10+ years of cross-industry experience, including approximately 5 years in the pharmaceutical sector or similar sector.
• 5+ years of multi-functional leadership with accountability across diverse stakeholders.
• Demonstrated success leading large-scale, complex, international, and multidisciplinary programs.
• Expert knowledge of global technology transformation programs and change adoption.
• Excellent portfolio and program management skills with advanced planning, tracking, and prioritization across multiple programs.
• Expert executive communication and information management; able to influence senior leaders and align stakeholders.

Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion: We are committed to building an outstanding, inclusive work environment and diverse teams representative of the patients and communities we serve.

Note: Why Novartis and Benefits and Rewards information is available in the handbook. Spain location and job reference numbers are provided in the original posting.