Country Head Saudi Arabia

SA02 (FCRS = SA002) Sandoz Saudi Ltd; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 850,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Sandoz Saudi Ltd seeks a seasoned leader to drive the country organization, aligning with regional strategy and global goals. You will build high-performing teams across marketing, sales, finance, medical, and regulatory to grow sales, expand patient access, and strengthen the company’s reputation in the market.

Responsibilities include leading strategy, ensuring compliant operations, and shaping the local portfolio and launches while nurturing leadership and a strong talent pipeline within a

Qualifications

• Proven P&L responsibility with a track record of delivering growth and profitability.
• Exensive 10–12 years of executive pharma leadership experience.
• Strong capability to develop and coach leaders for a high performing organization.
• Excellent relationships with regulators, payers, and KOLs in the country.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the country organization, set strategy with regional alignment.
• Drive sales, market share, growth, and profits within budgets.
• Oversee legal, regulatory, and operational set up for local presence.
• Represent Sandoz in global/regional forums and ensure compliance.

Skills

P&L ownership

Executive leadership

Strategic planning

Stakeholder management

Change leadership

Education

University degree in Life Sciences or Business

MBA preferred

Advanced degree in bioscience, medicine, business, and/or economics

Job description

Job Description Summary Has ultimate accountability for full P&L and for developing and implementing the local strategy and tactics of the affiliate. Defines agenda for, builds, and leads the local teams including marketing & sales, finance, medical, regulatory affairs, and other enabling functions. Responsible for delivering sales, market-share, growth and profit objectives, strengthening the company culture, and enhancing Sandoz's external reputation while supporting global/regional organizational objectives. Responsible for identifying key stakeholders/customers and establishing relationships to expand patient access for Sandoz products, by optimally using available resources. Builds a strong talent pipeline and high performing organization, based on Sandoz/Novartis culture and values.

Job Description Major Accountabilities

Lead, manage and develop the overall performance of the country organizations and distribution markets, collaborating with the cluster to set strategy for current and future product portfolio, delivering sales and profits within agreed budgets, and providing effective leadership of its business divisions, functional groups, and support teams. Communicate clear Country business vision and strategy (based on Sandoz Global vision/strategy) and ensure that these are reflected in a focused, lean, and responsive country organization. Provide a strong and consistent voice in global and regional Sandoz forums, of which he/she is an active member, providing inputs on the local needs into global and regional strategic decisions, and gathering best practices for use by functions. Balance and prioritize needs of local, regional and global businesses in the implementation of country/ cluster strategy and operational plans. In collaboration with Global and Regional functions, design, plan and oversee the execution of the creation of future-proof Legal and operational setup for the Cluster and in particular creation of Saudi Arabia Legal entity, and satellite rep offices where needed/relevant/approved; Adapt and optimize such setup also considering current and future country authorities requirements for regional headquarters presence, balancing opportunities and risk for Sandoz. Develop the organization's product pipeline and portfolio and maximize success of key launches through effective leadership across the functions. Lead, manage and develop the overall performance of the local organization, collaborating with the Cluster and the Regional Teams to set strategy for current and future product portfolio components, delivering sales and profits within agreed budgets, and providing effective leadership of its business divisions, functional groups, and enabling teams Proactively shape the country market environment, defend and improve market position and depth of market access by developing strong, trust-based relationships with customers and stakeholders (e.g. regulators, pharma and healthcare associations, patient groups, customers, key accounts and KOLs). Act as head and public face of the Sandoz Saudi Country organization, ensuring legal and ethical conduct, corporate compliance, and adherence to company guidelines and procedures. Oversee in Country joint ventures, in-licensing agreements, and other business relationships that impact long-term company results. Represent Sandoz in cross-divisional forums and build strong partnerships among peers in other units, ensuring strategic and operational alignment where relevant. Strengthen Country organization by developing an excellence-oriented and customer-focused culture, fostering innovation, and building best-in-class teams that fully exploit all market opportunities, and internal systems, programs, and tools Drive top-level talent acquisition, succession planning and development of all associates within the country and across the region/sub-region Actively coach and partner with direct reports to build and implement their development plans. Be a role model for Promoting a team-oriented culture built on psychological safety and trust.

Key Performance Indicators

Financial & Business results (Revenue growth, Profitability, Market share) Strategy/Market Focus (Resource allocation, Long-term strategy, Portfolio plans, Launch & Market access effectiveness/impact, reputation), Operational Excellence; while embedding Compliance and Quality standards Progress on strategic initiatives and projects (Growth, Op. Excellence) People, Capabilities, and Management (Our Voice survey, Talent development, talent acquisition, Culture, D&I KPIs, Succession Plans strength, High profile turnover, Code of Ethics)

Job Dimensions

Number of associates: ≈60 FTE

Financial responsibility: ≈75 m$ total revenue

Impact on the organization: High

Ideal Background

• Education: University degree in Life Sciences or Business
• Education: MBA preferred
• Education: Advanced degree in bioscience, medicine, business, and/or economics

Languages: Fluency in spoken and written English is a prerequisite, while knowledge of other in-scope country languages would be an advantage

Experience / Professional Requirements

• Proven track record of P&L responsibility
• Extensive (10-12) years of experience in executive positions within the pharmaceutical industry
• Diverse Geographic experience is ideal
• Strong track of developing and coaching others to grow into successful leaders and high performers.
• Energized by creating a shared purpose and culture
• Drive performance with integrity
• Extremely well-developed understanding of country regulatory and market environments
• Strong relationships with KOLs in regulatory bodies, customers, and/or media
• Proven sales and marketing management ability
• Solid understanding of product launch and product commercialization processes
• Proven ability and experience in risk management
• Significant leadership experience, and ability to manage diverse teams, and inspire associates of widely varying backgrounds across a dispersed and matrixed organization
• Enjoys managing complexity, ambiguity, and leading in a fast-paced working environment
• High level of communication and influencing skills

Why Sandoz?

Sandoz is the global leader in Biosimilar and Generic medicines, a segment of the healthcare industry that delivers 80% of the world’s medicines at 30% of the cost, touching the lives of more than 1 billion people across 100+ countries! While we are proud of our achievements, we have an ambition to do more, so that everyone can achieve the basic human right of access to good healthcare. With investments in new development capabilities, production sites, new acquisitions, and partnerships, we have the opportunity to shape the future of Sandoz and help even more people gain access to low-cost, high-quality medicines, sustainably. Our momentum is powered by an open, collaborative culture driven by our talented and ambitious colleagues, who, in return for applying their skills, experience an agile and collegiate environment with impactful careers, where diversity of thought is welcomed and where personal growth is supported!

Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion

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

Skills Desired

• Agility
• Agility
• Asset Management
• Budget Management
• Business Development
• Business Strategy
• Commercial Excellence
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Cross-Functional Team Leadership
• Customer Orientation
• Digital Marketing
• Healthcare Sector Understanding
• Influencing Skills
• Inspirational Leadership
• Joint Ventures
• Key Account Management
• Market Access
• Marketing Strategy
• Market Share
• Market Trend
• Medical Affairs
• Negotiation Skills
• People Management
• Priority Disease Areas Expertise
• Product Launches {+ 4 more}

Our Purpose

here at Sandoz is pioneering access for patients. As the global leader in 'off-patent' high quality medicines, we are able to make medicine more affordable and accessible. Our broad global portfolio comprises of approximately 1,300 quality biosimilar and generic medicines, enabling us to provide more than 900 million patient treatments across 100+ countries per year, and while we are proud of this achievement, we have an ambition to do more! Powered by our talented and ambitious colleagues, who, in return for dedication and skills, experience a flexible, collaborative & inclusive culture where diversity of thought is welcomed and where personal growth is nurtured!