Area Manager (Senior Regional Business Manager)

Novartis India; Rajasthan; On-site; INR 1,500,000 - 2,100,000; Full time

Job summary

Novartis India is seeking Regional Business Manager/First Line Sales Manager to lead a high-performing regional sales team, translate national strategies into local actions and drive strategic customer engagement.

The role requires strong coaching, analytics and cross-functional collaboration to ensure brand plan execution, KPI governance and sustainable demand across priority channels in the region.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Life Sciences, Pharmacy, Business or related field.
• MBA/PGDM preferred.
• 6-10 years pharma sales experience; Cardiovascular/ Specialty exposure preferred.
• 2-4 years team handling with coaching and performance management skills.
• Strong market understanding and ability to drive compliant, scientific HCP engagement.
• Experience with launch excellence / go-to-market execution and cross-functional ways of working.
• Strong analytics; proficient in MS Office.
• Strong communication, influencing and stakeholder management skills.
• High ethics and compliance orientation; working knowledge of promotional codes/SOPs.
• CRM team experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coach the team to achieve sales, productivity and performance targets through in-field coaching and disciplined execution.
• Create and execute regional/territory business plans aligned to brand strategy and review progress through regular business reviews.
• Drive high-quality, compliant HCP engagement using evidence-based selling; strengthen disease/patient pathway understanding.
• Use analytics and market intelligence to optimize targeting, improve call effectiveness and implement 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 and resolve customer issues.
• Develop key accounts and KOLs across priority institutions to build advocacy and sustain demand.
• Own forecasting and business hygiene: accurate outlook, budget/expense discipline, and timely reporting.

Skills

Coaching

Analytics

Communication & Stakeholder mgmt

Education

Bachelor's degree (Life Sciences/Pharmacy/Business or related)

MBA/PGDM

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Summary

The Regional Business Manager/First Line Sales Manager (FLM) 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.

About The Role

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and coach the team to achieve sales, productivity and performance targets through strong in-field coaching, call planning and disciplined execution.
• 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 HCP engagement (cardiologists/physicians) 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.
• Operate within company policies and ethical codes
• Partner with Marketing, Medical, Value & Access and Supply to deliver regional initiatives, resolve customer issues and improve patient access where applicable.
• Build team capability through structured coaching (joint work, role plays, feedback), onboarding, performance reviews and talent development/succession planning.
• 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.

Essential Requirements

• Bachelor's degree (Life Sciences/Pharmacy/Business or related).
• MBA/PGDM preferred.
• 6-10 years pharma sales experience; Cardiovascular/ Specialty therapy exposure preferred.
• 2-4 years team handling with strong coaching and performance management skills.
• Strong market understanding and ability to drive compliant, scientific/value-based HCP engagement.
• Experience with launch excellence / go-to-market execution and cross-functional ways of working.
• Strong analytics; proficient in MS Office.
• Strong communication, influencing and stakeholder management skills.
• High ethics and compliance orientation; working knowledge of promotional codes/SOPs.
• Employees with CRM team experience will be preferred

High field orientation; willing to travel extensively within the region

Commitment To Diversity And Inclusion / EEO Paragraph

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:

Read our handbook to learn about all the ways we'll help you thrive personally and professionally: https://www.novartis.com/careers/benefits-rewards

Read our handbook (PDF 30 MB)