Head of Strategy & New Products, Japan

1. Country Strategy, Strategic Planning & Growth 

• Drive key initiatives and strategic projects to support the implementation of the overall growth strategy for the country 

• Identify and evaluate strategic opportunities and revenue potential for continued future growth 

• Coordinate yearly strategic planning processes, ensuring cross-functional and operational priority alignment 

• Periodically assess organizational capability in line with overall strategy and market dynamics, proposing actions for improvement 

2. New Products (Early Launch, Portfolio & Pipeline) 

• Co-evaluate and co-plan early launch product strategies aligned with key global and local stakeholders 

• Collaborate with global and local cross-unit and cross-functional teams to drive early launch activities 

• Co-develop commercialization strategies with BUs; support rollout of ONE Brand Plan approaches for key pipeline products 

• Build and strengthen organizational capability for launch excellence across the country 

• Provide input to the internal pipeline in alignment with the International operating model (e.g., IMB milestones) 

• Supports & partner with global team in the evaluation of global external Corporate & Business Development (C&BD) opportunities by providing country-level perspective 

• Contribute to long-term BU portfolio strategy development (5+ years) by providing country-focused input and integrating cross-functional insights 

Leadership & Culture 

• Lead and coordinate cross-functional teams to drive the strategic priorities 

• Build a high-performance culture, manage recruiting, performance, and coaching; develop critical capabilities and talent pipelines. 

• Attract, develop, and retain top talent; strengthen succession plans and capabilities across the country organization. 

• Role-model Novartis Leadership Expectations & Behaviours, inspire transformation and performance, and demonstrate self-awareness with a growth mindset. 

Key Performance Indicators :

Strategic Planning 

Timeliness and quality of strategic plans; 

Partnership with global & local stakeholders 

Early Launch 

Success of early launch initiatives; launch readiness metrics; Collaboration/partnerships across functions/units to drive joint outcomes 

Portfolio & Pipeline 

Quality and impact of pipeline input; successful integration of country insights into global plan 

Languages: 

• English 

• Japanese

Experience/Professional Requirement:  

• Extensive (>10) years’ experience in leadership positions within the pharmaceutical or life science industry and/or consulting. Ideally should have both Pharma and Consulting experience 

• Proven track record in strategic planning, portfolio management, or new product launches in the pharmaceutical or life sciences industry 

• Experience in early launch planning, commercialization strategy, and/or business development 

• Strategic thinking and analytical skills: ability to synthesize complex data and market dynamics into actionable strategies 

• Strong business acumen and understanding of the pharmaceutical market and product lifecycle 

• Proven track record of leading cross-functional projects and collaborating with global and local stakeholders 

• Project management: ability to drive multiple initiatives simultaneously and deliver results in a fast-paced environment 

• Stakeholder management: strong communication, negotiation, and influencing skills across diverse groups (global, country) 

• Matrix leadership and talent development: building high-performance, diverse teams; coaching, succession planning, and influencing across complex cross-functional and regional interfaces 

• Experience in change management and organizational development is a plus