Area Manager

Novartis India; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 1,500,000 - 3,000,000; Full time

Job summary

The Area Manager at Novartis India will lead a high-performing sales team to achieve commercial objectives and deliver exceptional customer engagement. You will translate national strategies into effective local execution, drive pre-launch and launch activities for dermatology products, and collaborate with marketing, medical and access teams to optimize patient outcomes.

You will build regional business plans, monitor KPIs, and develop key accounts and KOL relationships while ensuring

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Life Sciences/Pharmacy/Business required.
• MBA/PGDM preferred.
• 4–10 years pharma sales experience, with minimum 2 years in Dermatology.
• 2–4 years experience in team handling with strong leadership, coaching and performance management skills.
• Experience in navigating, driving entry and generating demand in government accounts.
• Strong market understanding and ability to drive compliant, scientific/value-based HCP engagement.
• Experience in pre-launch planning and launch execution for specialty or innovative pharmaceutical products.
• Experience with launch excellence / go-to-market execution and cross-functional ways of working.
• Strong analytics that inform business decisions.
• Proficiency in MS Office; digital forward approach.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coach the team to achieve sales, productivity and performance targets through strong in-field coaching, call planning and disciplined execution.
• Drive effective pre-launch and launch execution for new product, ensuring readiness across teams, customers, and priority accounts.
• Create and execute regional/territory business plans aligned to brand strategy and review progress through regular business reviews.
• Drive high-quality, compliant, tailored HCP engagement using evidence-led, value-based selling; strengthen disease/patient pathway understanding and objection handling.
• Use sales and prescription insights, analytics and market intelligence to optimize targeting, improve call effectiveness and implement timely corrective actions.
• Ensure brand plan execution and KPI governance and manage risks across competition, access and supply.
• Partner with Marketing, Medical, Value & Access and Supply to deliver regional initiatives, resolve customer issues and improve patient access where applicable.
• Develop key accounts and KOLs across priority institutions/ clinics to build advocacy and sustain demand.
• Support market access and institutional processes to improve adoption, affordability and continuity of therapy.
• Own forecasting and business hygiene: accurate outlook, budget/expense discipline, and timely reporting/documentation.

Skills

Team leadership

Coaching

Performance management

Sales strategy

HCP engagement

Analytical skills

MS Office

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Life Sciences/Pharmacy/Business

MBA/PGDM preferred

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Summary

The Area Manager is responsible for leading a high-performing sales team to deliver exceptional customer engagement and achieve commercial objectives. This role requires strategic thinking, deep market knowledge, and the ability to translate national strategies into effective local execution.

Summary

The Area Manager is responsible for leading a high-performing sales team to deliver exceptional customer engagement and achieve commercial objectives. This role requires strategic thinking, deep market knowledge and the ability to translate national strategies into effective local execution.

If you are looking to launch a new product in a specialty portfolio in a priority TA and create a meaningful impact for patients, then this is the right place for you

By personalizing your approach, using data, and working closely with your team, you’ll help us achieve our mission—making every interaction and outcome matter.

About The Role

Location:

Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Bangalore

Major Accountabilities

• Lead and coach the team to achieve sales, productivity and performance targets through strong in-field coaching, call planning and disciplined execution
• Drive effective pre-launch and launch execution for new product, ensuring readiness across teams, customers, and priority accounts.
• Create and execute regional/territory business plans aligned to brand strategy (targeting, coverage, quarterly priorities, cycle plans) and review progress through regular business reviews
• Drive high-quality, compliant, tailored HCP engagement using evidence-led, value-based selling; strengthen disease/patient pathway understanding and objection handling
• Use sales and prescription insights, analytics and market intelligence to optimize targeting, improve call effectiveness and implement timely corrective actions.
• Ensure brand plan execution and KPI governance (coverage, call quality, demand drivers, availability) and manage risks across competition, access and supply
• Partner with Marketing, Medical, Value & Access and Supply to deliver regional initiatives, resolve customer issues and improve patient access where applicable
• Develop key accounts and KOLs across priority institutions/ clinics to build advocacy and sustain demand
• Support market access and institutional processes (where applicable) to improve adoption, affordability and continuity of therapy.
• Own forecasting and business hygiene: accurate outlook, budget/expense discipline, and timely reporting/documentation.
• Work with distribution/trade partners to ensure availability, primary–secondary alignment and stock/expiry risk control in priority channels.
• Drive omnichannel execution and ensure data quality, privacy and use of approved content.
• Continuously track competition and guideline/evidence updates and translate insights into local actions to protect and grow share.
• Ensure optimal deployment of promotional resources, marketing inputs, and samples, where applicable, in line with business priorities and company policies.
• Build team capability through structured coaching (joint work, role plays, feedback), onboarding, performance reviews and talent development/succession planning
• Promote a culture of compliance, ethics, and continuous improvement & ensure own & team operation within company policies and ethical codes

Role Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree (Life Sciences/Pharmacy/Business or related).
• MBA/PGDM preferred.
• 4–10 years pharma sales experience, with minimum 2 years in Dermatology segment
• 2–4 years experience in team handling with strong leadership, coaching and performance management skills
• Experience in navigating, driving entry and generating demand in government accounts
• Strong market understanding and ability to drive compliant, scientific/value-based HCP engagement.
• Experience in pre-launch planning and launch execution for specialty or innovative pharmaceutical products
• Experience with launch excellence / go-to-market execution and cross-functional ways of working
• Strong analytics that inform business decisions
• Proficiency in MS Office; digital forward approach
• Ability to build strong market networks and engage effectively with key opinion leaders, institutions, and internal stakeholders.
• Strong communication, influencing and stakeholder management skills.
• High ethics and compliance orientation; working knowledge of promotional codes/SOPs.
• High field orientation; willing to travel extensively within the region

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)