WORKFORCE STRATEGY HEAD, ENTERPRISE DATA SCIENCE & ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (DSAI)

Novartis UK; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 109,000 - 202,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible and hybrid working options

14 weeks paid parental leave

Job summary

Novartis UK is seeking a senior leader to own the enterprise DSAI people and organization agenda, translating our DSAI ambition into workforce, capability and governance choices across the enterprise. Based in London or nearby hubs, this hybrid role partners with ECN-1 leaders, designs governance and standards, and shapes career, rewards and external talent programs to attract and retain top DSAI talent.

You will lead enterprise DSAI OTR, coordinate talent reviews, and ensure responsible

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in P&O/HR strategy with senior leaders.
• Experience creating global/enterprise-wide people strategies and programs.
• Proven ability to lead enterprise talent reviews and succession planning.
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders without formal authority.
• Fluency in people analytics and comfort with AI-enabled tools.

Responsibilities

• Set enterprise DSAI people and organization strategy across workforce, leadership, culture and capability.
• Shape workforce and capability choices using analytics and external insights.
• Lead enterprise DSAI OTR and talent reviews for ECN-1 leadership.
• Establish enterprise talent and career approaches for DSAI roles.
• Build external DSAI talent brand and pipelines with universities and networks.
• Design governance and standards for DSAI careers, capability frameworks and rewards.
• Translate strategy into unit execution with clear decision rights and governance.
• Influence leaders across units to adopt enterprise decisions.
• Guide work redesign for human-AI collaboration and responsible AI practices.
• Coach senior leaders to embrace new enterprise approaches.

Skills

Executive HR partner

Organization design

Workforce planning

Stakeholder influence

People analytics

Responsible AI

Education

Advanced degree in business/analytics

Job description

You will lead the enterprise people and organization agenda for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DSAI) across Novartis, translating our DSAI ambition into the workforce, organization, talent and capability choices needed to deliver it. Operating at the decision‑making table with senior DSAI leaders and partnering across the enterprise, you will shape how we build, attract and grow critical DSAI talent, strengthen our external value proposition, and enable responsible human‑AI collaboration. You will lead the enterprise DSAI OTR, including discussion at ECN level, and create the standards, governance and frameworks needed in areas such as careers, capabilities, talent and rewards, particularly where established approaches do not yet exist.

This enterprise role complements rather than replaces the Workforce Strategy Leads directly supporting DSAI teams within their units. Unit‑level accountabilities remain unchanged, while this role connects across them, providing the overarching DSAI people strategy, standards and governance and enabling enterprise‑level choices where these are needed.

About The Role

#Hybrid

This role can be based in Cambridge (US), East Hanover, London or Basel.

Key Responsibilities

• Set the enterprise DSAI people and organization strategy. Translate the DSAI ambition into an integrated, future‑ready agenda across workforce, organization, leadership, culture, talent and capability. Success is evident when: enterprise priorities and accountabilities are clear, adopted across units, and translated into measurable outcomes.
• Shape strategic workforce and capability choices. Use scenarios, analytics, external insight and data storytelling to anticipate demand for scarce DSAI capabilities and recommend choices on organization design, skills, capacity, location, sourcing and workforce mix. Success is evident when: critical gaps are addressed before they constrain innovation or execution.
• Lead the enterprise DSAI OTR. Orchestrate the enterprise talent review, integrate perspectives across units, and present implications, choices and recommendations to ECN. Success is evident when: pivotal talent, succession, capability risks and enterprise actions are visible and actively managed.
• Establish enterprise talent and career approaches. Create differentiated career development, mobility, succession and talent‑allocation mechanisms suited to DSAI roles and communities. Success is evident when: Novartis can attract, develop, deploy and retain pivotal DSAI talent across organizational boundaries.
• Build the external DSAI talent brand and pipeline. Strengthen Novartis’ visibility as an employer of choice through targeted engagement with universities, specialist talent networks and external forums. Build early‑talent pathways that attract dual technical/scientific and DSAI expertise and develop judgement, experience and leadership capability. Success is evident when: Novartis has stronger external visibility and a sustainable pipeline of scarce DSAI talent.
• Design and create enterprise DSAI standards. Build new governance, rewards approaches, career architecture, capability frameworks, talent programs and operating approaches for a field evolving faster than established internal practices. Success is evident when: scalable standards replace fragmented local approaches and remain relevant as DSAI evolves.
• Connect enterprise strategy and unit execution. Define decision rights, interfaces and governance so the enterprise mandate is distinct from, and complementary to, unchanged unit‑level P&O accountabilities. Success is evident when: there is no duplication or accountability gap between enterprise and unit roles.
• Influence a complex enterprise stakeholder system. Partner with at least nine ECN‑1 leaders across R&D, Commercial, Operations and Global Functions, the Head of GDC, unit P&O Business Partners and Expertise Hubs to resolve enterprise trade‑offs without relying on formal authority. Success is evident when: leaders move beyond unit optimization and commit to enterprise decisions.
• Redesign work for human‑AI collaboration. Guide organization, role and workflow choices that enable responsible collaboration among people, automation and AI agents while sustaining accountability and a human‑cantered employee experience. Success is evident when: adoption improves productivity, innovation and decision quality.
• Coach senior leaders, shape culture and lead transformation. Challenge and coach leaders through ambiguity, build commitment to new enterprise approaches, anticipate resistance and track adoption and benefits. Success is evident when: leadership behaviour, culture and ways of working support the DSAI strategy.

Essential Criteria

What you’ll bring to the role

• Extensive experience of progressive P&O/HR experience, including strategic partnership with executive and ECN‑1 leaders in a complex global matrix.
• Strong organization design, strategic workforce planning and transformation experience, including scenario development and enterprise trade‑off recommendations.
• Demonstrated experience creating global or enterprise‑wide people strategies, standards, governance or programs, not only implementing established solutions.
• Evidence of leading enterprise talent reviews, succession and capability discussions with senior executive forums.
• Demonstrated ability to influence multiple senior stakeholders across business units, functions, countries and P&O disciplines without formal authority.
• Fluency in people analytics and confidence with AI‑enabled tools, responsible AI principles and emerging work technologies.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience translating emerging technology, data science or digital strategy into workforce, organization and talent implications; direct DSAI sector experience is highly desirable.
• Relevant university degree or equivalent experience required; advanced qualification in business, organization, analytics, technology or a related discipline.

Benefits & Rewards

At Novartis, we’re committed to reimagining medicine together - and rewarding the people who make it happen.

Expected Annual Base Salary Range for role: 108,920.00-202,280.00 GBP Annual

The base salary offered is determined based on gender‑neutral objectives, such as relevant skills, competencies and experience in accordance with the Novartis pay setting policy and upon joining Novartis will be reviewed periodically.

In addition to your base salary, you may be eligible for a performance‑based bonus depending on certain performance parameters.

The rewards of being part of our team go far beyond base pay and incentives. We also offer a variety of competitive benefits in kind to help you thrive personally and professionally, such as insurance plans, retirement plans, wellbeing resources and global recognition programs. In addition, we provide flexible and hybrid working options, where possible, and minimum 14 weeks paid parental leave.

Pay equity is a fundamental principle of our employment policy and reflects our commitment to create a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment that treats all employees with dignity and respect, as outlined in our Code of Ethics.

Read our brochure to learn more about our global total rewards offering:

https://www.novartis.com/sites/novartis_com/files/novartis-life-handbook.pdf

Note: Benefits and compensation may vary by country and are subject to local legal requirements, including provisions of collective bargaining agreements where applicable. A full overview of your compensation package, including any relevant collective bargaining agreement details applicable to your role based on your employment location and Novartis employer entity, will be communicated separately to you during the application process.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion / EEO

Novartis is committed to building an outstanding, inclusive work environment and diverse teams’ representative of the patients and communities we serve.

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.

Read our handbook (PDF 30 MB)