Clinical Development Head Neuroscience

About the Role

Shape clinical development strategy and advance innovative medicines for patients with serious neurological and neuropsychiatric conditions. The Clinical Development Head, Neuroscience provides strategic leadership, functional excellence, and organizational effectiveness for the clinical and medical organization supporting the Neuroscience Development Unit. Reporting to the Neuroscience Development Unit Head, this role establishes the overall clinical strategy for the neuroscience portfolio, influences senior governance decisions, and may deputize for designated leadership responsibilities at senior management meetings.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the clinical function for the Neuroscience Development Unit, providing strategic leadership, functional oversight, coaching, and performance management for Global Program Clinical Heads and other clinical and medical associates.
• Establish and execute short‑ and long‑term disease‑area, portfolio, and clinical development strategy in partnership with the Development Unit Head, Global Program Heads, and cross‑functional leadership.
• Drive clinical development excellence across the portfolio, including study design, protocol strategy, dose selection, biomarker strategy, endpoint selection, evidence generation, and application of innovative clinical methodologies and technologies.
• Ensure clinical development strategies integrate scientific, medical, regulatory, operational, commercial, patient, value, and access considerations across the full research, development, and commercialization continuum.
• Oversee clinical resource planning, organizational effectiveness, workforce deployment, and functional excellence to ensure delivery of portfolio and program priorities.
• Develop and strengthen global clinical talent through leadership, succession planning, capability building, and mentoring of senior clinical and medical leaders.
• Provide senior clinical leadership for portfolio governance, program prioritization, benefit‑risk assessment, investment decisions, regulatory interactions, submissions, and key development‑stage transitions.
• Represent and advocate for the clinical function within Development Unit and enterprise governance forums, influencing strategic decisions and partnering effectively across Clinical Development and Novartis leadership teams.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with investigators, key opinion leaders, health authorities, patient organizations, alliance partners, and other internal and external stakeholders while leading due diligence, business development, and licensing activities as required.
• Ensure the highest standards of scientific rigor, patient safety, quality, ethics, and compliance while fostering an inspired, curious, collaborative, and inclusive culture aligned with Novartis Values and Behaviors.

Essential Requirements

• MD or equivalent medical degree required; board certification and relevant specialty or subspecialty training in neurology, psychiatry, neuroscience, or related fields preferred.
• Minimum 10 years of clinical drug development, translational medicine, and/or clinical research experience, including leadership of global development programs and multidisciplinary teams.
• Deep expertise in neuroscience and advanced understanding of disease biology, clinical practice, clinical trial methodology, biomarkers, dose selection, biostatistics, data science, and emerging technologies supporting clinical development.
• Proven ability to design and implement scientifically robust clinical development strategies that integrate multiple complex dimensions across the research, development, and commercialization continuum.
• Significant experience across Phases I‑IV clinical development, including regulatory agency interactions, submissions, evidence generation, market access considerations, and benefit‑risk assessment.
• Demonstrated success leading, developing, and inspiring diverse global teams and matrix organizations across multiple geographic regions and functions.
• Strong business acumen and experience supporting portfolio prioritization, governance decision‑making, business development, licensing, alliance management, due diligence, and M&A evaluations.
• Recognized credibility and influence with physicians, investigators, regulators, scientific experts, key opinion leaders, and senior internal stakeholders.
• Outstanding leadership, communication, collaboration, and stakeholder‑management skills, with the ability to influence without authority and drive enterprise‑level outcomes in a complex global matrix environment.
• Demonstrated commitment to scientific excellence, patient centricity, quality, compliance, ethics, inclusion, and Novartis Values and Behaviors.

Desirable Requirements

• Relevant postgraduate clinical specialty or subspecialty training in neurology, psychiatry, neuroscience, or another related medical discipline.
• Medical board certification or an equivalent recognized specialist qualification.

Compensation

The salary for this position is expected to range between $318,500 – $591,500 per year. The final salary offered is determined based on factors including relevant skills, experience, and geographic location, and will be reviewed periodically. Compensation includes a performance‑based cash incentive and, depending on the level of the role, eligibility for annual equity awards.

Benefits

• Comprehensive health, life, and disability benefits.
• 401(k) plan with company contribution and matching.
• Generous time‑off package, including vacation, personal days, holidays, and other leaves.
• Additional benefits and programs to support personal and professional thriving.