Regional Business Manager

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

Job summary

Novartis is seeking a Regional Business Manager/First Line Sales Manager in Kerala/Kochi to lead a high-performing sales team. You will translate national strategies into local execution, coach for results, and drive evidence-based engagement with physicians.

Expect territory planning, KPI governance, and cross-functional collaboration to deliver sustained demand and market access where applicable. The role requires strategic thinking, deep market insight, and willingness to travel extensively

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences, Pharmacy, Business or related field.
• MBA/PGDM preferred for deeper business acumen.
• 6–10 years pharma sales experience with cardiovascular or specialty exposure.
• 2–4 years team handling with coaching and performance management skills.
• Strong analytics and ability to drive compliant, evidence-based HCP engagement.
• Experience with go-to-market execution and cross-functional ways of working.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coach the team to achieve sales, productivity and performance targets.
• Create and execute regional/territory business plans aligned to brand strategy.
• Drive HCP engagement using evidence-based selling and objection handling.
• Use insights and market intelligence to optimize targeting and call effectiveness.
• Ensure brand plan execution and KPI governance with risk management.
• Partner with Marketing, Medical, Value & Access and Supply for regional initiatives.
• Develop key accounts and KOLs to build advocacy and sustain demand.
• Own forecasting and maintain budget discipline and reporting.

Skills

Change Management

Coaching

Collaboration

Commercial Excellence

Complexity Management

Leadership

Mentorship

Professional Ethics

Education

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

MBA/PGDM

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Job Description

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.

Location: Kerala/Kochi

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 optimise 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; C 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.

• 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

Skills Desired

Change Management, Coaching, Collaboration, Commercial Excellence, Complexity Management, Leadership, Mentorship, Professional Ethics

Requirements