Senior Manager - Field Operations

Senior Manager - Field Operations

Job Description Summary

The Senior Manager, Field Operations is accountable for Field Operations delivery across all international markets. This role combines functional leadership with people management, focusing on building high-performing teams and delivering consistent, high-quality outcomes for International, Regional, and Country (I‑R‑C) stakeholders.
The role requires deep expertise in at least one Field Operations capability—Incentive Compensation (IC) Design, IC Operations, or Call Planning & Alignment—along with a strong understanding of end-to-end commercial operations. The incumbent will champion operational excellence, continuous improvement, quality assurance, and technology-driven innovation while fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and capability development.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities:

1. Stakeholder Engagement & Delivery

• Act as the single point of accountability for Field Operations deliverables for I‑R‑C stakeholders.

• Lead end-to-end execution, governance, and optimization of Field Operations processes in alignment with enterprise guidelines.

• Establish and maintain robust quality assurance frameworks and ensure consistent adherence.

• Communicate project plans, dependencies, risks, and outcomes in a timely and transparent manner.

• Deliver actionable insights to stakeholders and ensure effective follow-through.

2. Capability Building & Thought Leadership

• Provide thought leadership for International markets in at least one Field Operations capability (IC Design, IC Operations, or Call Planning & Alignment).

• Stay current with industry best practices and proactively embed them into operational delivery.

• Ensure International guidelines are regularly reviewed, refreshed, and communicated.

• Evaluate and adopt relevant technologies and platforms

3. Operational Excellence & Compliance

• Lead cycle review meetings and retrospectives with key stakeholders to drive continuous improvement.

• Maintain end-to-end process maps with clear ownership and accountability.

• Identify and execute opportunities for process optimization, standardization, and automation.

• Ensure full compliance with internal controls, governance, and audit requirements, particularly for Incentives processes.

4. Strategic & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with Execution Excellence teams in regions and countries, and with Field Performance Management teams at headquarters.

• Provide high-quality data, insights, and advisory support for global initiatives.

• Contribute to and support broader field transformation and change initiatives.

5. Talent & People Development

• Lead and develop a team of  5–7 associates

• Build a high-performance culture grounded in trust, accountability, and psychological safety, aligned with company values and behaviors.

• Identify capability gaps and address them through targeted coaching, mentoring, and training initiatives.

Functional Skills & Knowledge

• Sales Force Effectiveness (SFE) expertise

• Strong business partnering and strategic planning capabilities

• Data-driven decision making and analytical mindset

• Digital and platform fluency

• Program and project management

• Team leadership and capability development

• Effective communication and influencing skills

• Governance, risk, and compliance management

Essential Requirements:

Strategic & Technical Expertise

• 8+ years of experience in commercial operations within the life sciences or pharmaceutical industry.

• Minimum 4 years of experience leading Field Operations delivery in a large pharmaceutical organization.

• Working knowledge of commercial sales and prescription (Rx) data.

• Proven experience shaping and executing cross-functional enablement strategies in complex, matrixed global environments.

Leadership & Oversight

• Demonstrated success in leading delivery-focused, high-performing teams.

• Strong experience in operational governance, excellence, and innovation.

• Ability to influence and collaborate effectively with senior stakeholders across functions and geographies.

Program & Change Management

• Solid background in program and project management, including transformation initiatives.

• Proven ability to scale operations while maintaining high quality and efficiency.

Technology & Innovation

• High learning agility with demonstrated adoption of new technologies.

• Familiarity with Sales Performance Management (SPM) platforms.

• Experience contributing to or leading AI-enabled initiatives.

Location & Work Model

• Hyderabad – NKC

• Hybrid work model; minimum 12 days per month in the office

Desirable Requirements:

• Minimum tenure of 24 months in current role

Why Novartis: Our purpose is to reimagine medicine to improve and extend people’s lives and our vision is to become the most valued and trusted medicines company in the world. How can we achieve this? With our people. It is our associates that drive us each day to reach our ambitions. Be a part of this mission and join us! Learn more here: https://www.novartis.com/about/strategy/people-and-culture

You’ll receive: You can find everything you need to know about our benefits and rewards in the Novartis Life Handbook. https://www.novartis.com/careers/benefits-rewards

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion:
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: If this role is not suitable to your experience or career goals but you wish to stay connected to hear more about Novartis and our career opportunities, join the Novartis Network here: https://talentnetwork.novartis.com/network.

Skills Desired

Agility, Analytical Thinking, Brand Awareness, Business Analytics, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Digital Marketing, Marketing Strategy, Media Campaigns, Project Management, Project Planning, Sales, Stakeholder Engagement, Stakeholder Management, Strategic Marketing, Waterfall Model

Experience Level

Senior Level