Senior Scientific Engagement & Program Manager

Job Description Summary

The Senior Scientific Engagement & Program Manager, part of the IMACE Scientific Operations team, reporting to the Scientific Engagement Lead is responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing high quality medical and scientific engagement activities across assigned programs, brands, and therapeutic areas (Oncology, Cardiovascular Disease, Renal, Neuroscience, and Immunology).
Working closely with IMA (TAs, IMACE) and cross functional partners, the role translates engagement strategy into clear operational plans and ensures seamless delivery of advisory boards, congress activities, standalone meetings, and medical education programs. This position plays a key role in enhancing ways of working, improving processes and tools, and fostering collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement in how scientific engagements are executed.
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Job Description

Key Responsibilities:

Scientific Engagement Planning & Execution

• Coordinate and execute medical and scientific engagement activities including advisory boards, congress activities (e.g., symposia), external expert engagements (EEEs), standalone meetings, and medical education programs, ensuring high‑quality delivery aligned with engagement objectives.

• Translate engagement strategies into detailed operational plans, timelines, and deliverables across assigned programs, projects, brands, and therapeutic areas.

• Lead day‑to‑day project planning by managing milestones, logistics, materials, and overall readiness for scientific events.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with IMA (TAs, IMACE) and cross‑functional stakeholders to clarify objectives, align expectations, and drive coordinated execution.

• Maintain strong communication channels with internal teams and external partners to share updates, flag risks, resolve issues, and ensure smooth handoffs.

Operational Excellence & Standardization

• Apply and reinforce standardized ways of working - including processes, templates, tools, documentation practices, and governance frameworks - across scientific engagements.

• Ensure compliant, audit‑ready execution of activities by following SOPs, guidance documents, and established approval pathways.

Vendor & Logistics Coordination

• Manage relationships with external vendors, agencies, and logistics partners, overseeing deliverables, timelines, budgets, and the overall quality of execution.

Risk, Issue & Quality Management

• Identify risks, issues, or delays affecting timelines or quality, escalating or resolving them in collaboration with project teams to maintain momentum and compliance.

Tracking, Reporting & Continuous Improvement

• Track program progress, outputs, and performance metrics, supporting reporting needs and contributing to continuous improvement of tools, templates, processes, and operational efficiency.

Essential Requirements:

• Education: BSc or equivalent. MSc, PhD, PharmD, or MD are desirable.

• 5+ years’ experience in pharmaceutical, healthcare, or life sciences, with a strong focus on scientific engagement delivery and program/project management. Experience coordinating medical or scientific engagement activities, such as advisory boards, medical congresses (including symposia), standalone medical meetings, external expert engagements (EEEs) or medical education programs.

• Experience working in one or more of the following therapeutic areas Oncology, Cardiovascular, Renal, Neuroscience, or Immunology is an advantage.

• Demonstrated experience managing multiple concurrent projects, with strong organizational skills and the ability to deliver against timelines in a fast-paced environment.

• Background in operational planning and execution, including managing logistics, vendors, materials, and event related deliverables.

• Experience working in a matrixed, cross functional setting, collaborating with teams such as IMA, Scientific Operations, Medical Affairs, or similar scientific/medical functions. 

• Familiarity with compliance, SOPs, and approval processes within medical or scientific environments, ensuring activities are delivered to quality and audit ready standards.

• Experience maintaining documentation, tracking progress, and supporting project reporting, ideally using standard project management tools or systems. Exposure to process improvement activities, including contributing ideas to streamline workflows, enhance documentation, or improve engagement execution.

• Fluent oral and written English; additional languages desirable.

Benefits & Rewards:

Read our handbook to learn about all the ways we’ll help you thrive personally and professionally: 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.

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

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Skills Desired