Associate Director, Labor Rights

Novartis Farmacéutica; Selangor; On-site; MYR 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a strategic Associate Director for Labor Rights to lead its global program focusing on the APMA region. This vital role involves managing labor rights risks, ensuring compliance with international standards, and fostering collaboration with external partners. The ideal candidate will bring strong analytical skills and a proven track record in human rights, combined with exceptional communication abilities. Join a dynamic team dedicated to ethical sourcing and sustainable practices, making a significant impact on communities and the workforce.

Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent experience in law, human rights, or related fields.
• Experience in labor rights risk management with external partners.
• Fluency in English; additional APMA languages are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead risk assessments and due diligence on labor rights compliance.
• Design and deliver capability-building programs for partners.
• Build relationships with senior leaders and external partners.

Skills

Labor Rights Risk Management

Analytical Skills

Communication Skills

Negotiation Skills

Data Interpretation

Education

Degree in Law

Degree in Human Rights

Degree in Supply Chain Management

Tools

Digital Monitoring Tools

Job description

We are seeking a strategic collaborative and solutions-focused Associate Director, Labor Rights to lead the execution of Novartis' global labor rights program, with a focus on the Asia Pacific, Europe and Middle East (APMA) region.
This role is critical to meeting our corporate responsibility under the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) and ensuring sustainable, ethical sourcing through high-impact engagement with external partners. The Associate Director will be accountable for identifying, assessing, and mitigating labor rights risks across Novartis value chain.
This is a senior role requiring strong leadership, analytical depth, and the ability to influence both internal stakeholders and external partners. The successful candidate will combine risk expertise with exceptional communication skills and a track record in human and labor rights, ideally within a corporate context.

About the Role

Key Responsibilities:

• Act as the regional lead and go-to expert for the business and external partners on labor rights risk management.
• Lead risk assessments & due diligence on labor rights and raw material certification for all in-scope external partners, including developing, tracking, and closing mitigation actions/corrective action plans (CAPAs), in line with Novartis global labor rights risk management protocols.
• Design and deliver capability-building programs for external partners using a maturity model framework.
• Lead training efforts across internal stakeholders, external partners, and workers to deepen understanding of the Third-Party Code (TPC).
• Integrate digital risk monitoring tools (e.g., worker voice surveys, grievance platforms) into routine assessments and remediation.
• Investigate and close relevant SpeakUp cases related to external partners.
• Contribute to the design and continuous improvement of global risk protocols, including TPQs, audit methodologies, and remediation frameworks.
• Build and maintain influential relationships with senior leaders across relevant functions viz. Procurement, External Partner Risk Management (EPRM), Legal and others and with external partners to co-develop ethical sourcing solutions.
• Track KPIs that measure external partner compliance and program effectiveness and provide data analytics and reporting as required.
• Engage with civil society, unions, and industry bodies to align Novartis labor rights approach with best practices.
• Actively contribute to broader Human Rights team strategy and cross-functional collaboration.

Requirements:

• Degree or equivalent experience in law, human rights, supply chain management, international relations, international development, or related fields.
• Experience in labor rights risk management, including hands-on engagement with external partners on labor rights compliance with international labor standards.
• Proven expertise in external partner transformation (from low to high compliance) and labor rights risk mitigation approaches.
• Experience with digital tools for labor rights monitoring and technology-enabled risk assessment.
• Fluency in English; additional languages relevant to the APMA region are a plus.

Key Skills and Attributes:

• Strong influencing and negotiation skills to drive external partner compliance.
• Skilled in effective risk assessments, data interpretation, and independently generating actionable insights for informed decision-making in complex risk scenarios.
• Excellent communication abilities to effectively convey labor rights concepts to diverse stakeholders (internal and external) supporting clear, informed decision making.
• Agile and adaptable to regional complexity and evolving regulatory landscapes.
• Strong ownership mindset with the ability to lead multiple initiatives independently and deliver high-impact results with minimal supervisor insight.
• Commitment to a people-first, risk-based approach that prioritizes worker well-being.

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

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

Join our Novartis Network: Not the right Novartis role for you? Sign up to our talent community to stay connected and learn about suitable career opportunities as soon as they come up: https://talentnetwork.novartis.com/network

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

Join our Novartis Network: Not the right Novartis role for you? Sign up to our talent community to stay connected and learn about suitable career opportunities as soon as they come up: https://talentnetwork.novartis.com/network

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