Associate Director, Incentive Compensation

This position can be based remotely anywhere in the U.S. (there may be some restrictions based on legal entity). The expectation of working hours and travel (domestic and/or international) will be defined by the hiring manager. This role requires 10% travel. Novartis is unable to offer relocation support or visa sponsorship for this role.

About The Role

As a pivotal leader within the Incentive Compensation team, the Associate Director, Incentive Compensation will play a crucial role in supporting the Sales Leadership team, Incentive Compensation, and Customer Engagement Operations leadership to achieve key business objectives. This position entails comprehensive ownership of Incentive Compensation for assigned therapeutic areas, ensuring timely and high-quality delivery.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrate thought leadership across the Incentive Compensation (IC) function, encompassing IC Design, IC Analytics, IC Operations, IC Communication, and IC Project Management Office (PMO). Provide strategic direction and innovative solutions to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of IC processes, ensuring alignment with organizational goals.
• Establish and maintain excellent relationships with HQ leadership, Sales leadership, stakeholders, and external partners to ensure seamless collaboration and alignment. Foster strong partnerships, facilitate open communication, and build trust to achieve collective success in business objectives.
• Design IC Plan options, present pros and cons, and make well-founded recommendations with clear rationale. Conduct thorough analysis of various IC plan alternatives, evaluate their potential impact, and provide insightful recommendations to guide decision-making.
• Develop IC performance KPIs for health checks and provide actionable insights from IC Plan performance evaluations. Create key performance indicators to monitor the health of IC plans, conduct regular evaluations, and deliver data-driven insights to inform strategic adjustments.
• Create innovative solutions to various IC challenges while ensuring compliance with Novartis policies. Identify and address complex IC issues with creative approaches, rigorously adhering to established policies and regulatory requirements.
• Independently run IC modeling and simulation analytics, provide detailed technical guidance to the team, and review their work to ensure accuracy and quality. Perform advanced analytical tasks, mentor team members on technical methodologies, and conduct quality control to maintain high standards.
• Engage with the Sales Leadership Team to present IC recommendations, performance results, and insights to foster informed decision-making. Prepare and deliver comprehensive presentations highlighting key findings and strategic recommendations to support business goals.
• Collaborate within the IC team to enhance efficiency, effectiveness, motivation, learning, development, and retention, driving overall team success. Promote a collaborative work environment, encourage continuous improvement, and support the professional growth and retention of team members.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required from a 4-year college or university.
• 8+ years of analytics experience in pharmaceutical, biotech, healthcare, or similarly structured industries with large, geographically dispersed sales teams; including 4+ years of experience in an Incentive Compensation role with excellent achievements.
• We also welcome candidates from other complex environments such as medical devices, diagnostics, life sciences services, insurance, consumer health, or B2B sectors, especially where strong leadership and customer engagement are central to success.
• Strong functional and technical subject matter expertise in IC design, analytics, operations, processes, and business acumen.
• Robust solutioning skills with an innovative approach grounded in field optics and technical feasibility.
• Adherence to organizational policies, guardrails, ways of working, processes, and timelines.
• Hands-on technical skills in all aspects of IC, including the ability to run analytics (modeling and simulation) and generate insights.
• Strong knowledge of IC pharmaceutical data, including specialty and rare diseases, and familiarity with data suppliers such as IQVIA, Symphony, and specialty pharmacies.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of associated Sales Operations functions such as forecasting, sizing, targeting, alignment, and call planning.

Pay

The salary for this position is expected to range between $145,600 and $270,400 per year. The final salary offered is determined based on factors like relevant skills and experience. Upon joining Novartis, the salary will be reviewed periodically. Novartis may change the published salary range based on company and market factors.

Benefits

• Performance-based cash incentive.
• Eligibility to be considered for annual equity awards (depending on the level of the role).
• Comprehensive benefits package including health, life, and disability benefits.
• 401(k) with company contribution and match.
• Generous time off package including vacation, personal days, holidays, and other leaves.