REFS Specialist

Novartis; Fatih; On-site; TRY 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

Novartis seeks a REFS Specialist to provide subject-matter expertise and end-to-end operational ownership across Real Estate & Facility Services activities, translating needs into compliant, cost-effective service solutions. You will act as a trusted contact for REFS domains and support a safe, efficient, sustainable workplace.

The role emphasizes governance, reporting, and ongoing improvements across assigned services to ensure high-quality facilities operations.

Responsibilities

• Act as the specialist owner and primary contact for assigned REFS service areas (e.g., cleaning, food, facility maintenance).
• Define, monitor, and challenge performance against SLAs, KPIs, and site requirements.
• Investigate recurring issues, identify root causes, and implement corrective actions.
• Develop and maintain service standards, routines, inspections, escalations, and dashboards.
• Drive improvements balancing compliance, cost, quality, and employee experience.

Job description

Job Description Summary

The REFS Specialist provides subject-matter expertise and end-to-end operational ownership across assigned Real Estate & Facility Services activities. The role translates business and site needs into reliable, compliant, cost-effective service solutions; applies data and professional judgement to identify risks and improvement opportunities; and drives actions through internal stakeholders and external service partners. The position acts as a trusted point of contact for assigned REFS domains and supports a safe, efficient, sustainable, and high-quality workplace environment.

Role Scope and Specialist Expectations

• Own assigned REFS processes and service outcomes within delegated authority, rather than limiting the role to administrative coordination.

• Apply specialist knowledge of REFS standards, local requirements, service contracts, operational risks, and site priorities.

• Analyze performance data, trends, incidents, customer feedback, and cost drivers; convert findings into practical recommendations and action plans.

• Provide expert guidance to stakeholders and service partners, escalating material risks, compliance gaps, and decisions requiring management attention.

• Lead defined improvement initiatives and workstreams from assessment through implementation, benefit tracking, and sustainable handover.

• Maintain effective governance, documentation, controls, and reporting for assigned services.

Job Description

Major Accountabilities

Service Ownership and Operational Excellence

• Act as the specialist owner and primary point of contact for assigned REFS service areas, which may include cleaning, food and coffee services, facility maintenance, occupational health services, physical workplace, security, and employee transportation.

• Define, monitor, and challenge service performance against agreed SLAs, KPIs, quality expectations, and site requirements.

• Investigate recurring service issues,identifyroot causes,agreecorrective actions, and verify effectiveness.

• Develop andmaintainservice standards, operating routines, inspection mechanisms, escalation paths, and performance dashboards.

• Drive customer-focused improvements while balancing compliance, service continuity, cost, quality, and employee experience.

Contractor and Supplier Performance Management

• Provide day-to-day governance of subcontractors and service partners within assigned scope.

• Monitor supplier performance, staffing, training, documentation, service quality, and adherence to contractual and site requirements.

• Lead orfacilitateservice reviews, document decisions and actions, and follow through to closure.

• Identifyperformance gaps and support recovery plans, change requests, commercial discussions, and issue escalation in collaboration with Procurement and REFS leadership.

• Ensure contractor activities are planned and executed withappropriate operational, quality, HSE, and business continuity controls.

Cost, Procurement, and Resource Optimization

• Identify, evaluate, implement, and report cost-saving and productivity opportunities without compromising compliance or service quality.

• Perform spend and consumption analysis, prepare business cases, and track realized benefits against approved targets.

• Provideaccuratespecifications, operational data, service volumes, and technical input for sourcing and procurement activities.

• Support purchase orders, approvals, invoice validation, budget tracking, forecasting, and financial reconciliations within assigned scope.

• Recommend demand-management, process, contract, orspecificationimprovements based on evidence and stakeholder needs.

Projects, Change, and Continuous Improvement

• Lead or support REFS projects and improvement initiatives, includingscopedefinition, risk and opportunity assessment, stakeholder alignment, implementation planning, and progress reporting.