Director, Innovation & Human Centered Experience in England
Director, Innovation & Human Centered Experience

Director, Innovation & Human Centered Experience in England

England Full-Time 48000 - 72000 £ / year (est.) Home office (partial)
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At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead innovation and design to enhance employee experiences at Novartis.
  • Company: Join a global leader in healthcare committed to diversity and inclusion.
  • Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, generous holidays, and a range of employee benefits.
  • Why this job: Make a real impact by transforming how employees engage with their work.
  • Qualifications: Experience in innovation, human-centered design, and excellent communication skills required.
  • Other info: Flexible hybrid working model with opportunities for professional growth.

The predicted salary is between 48000 - 72000 £ per year.

You will step into a pivotal role where you shape how employees experience People & Organization (P&O) by bringing human centered design thinking, service design and innovation into everyday ways of working. This is a highly influential opportunity to uncover what truly matters to employees, help leaders see challenges through a fresh lens, and design solutions that make work simpler, more connected and more meaningful. You’ll guide teams through discovery, co‑creation and iteration, building confidence and capability as you partner with Global Process Owners (GPOs) and stakeholders to deliver human-centered experiences that are intuitive, integrated and grounded in real needs. In this role, your curiosity, empathy and strategic design mindset directly contribute to transforming how P&O delivers value across Novartis.

Key responsibilities

  • Assess and frame complex business, people and process challenges to determine the right innovation and design approach.
  • Identify insights, blind spots and experience opportunities across processes, interactions and supporting systems.
  • Conduct research using Human Centered Design and service design methods to understand user needs, pain points and moments that matter.
  • Translate complex or ambiguous challenges into clear problem statements and opportunity areas.
  • Partner with Global Process Owners (GPOs) to redesign processes informed by human centered insights and employee priorities.
  • Coach teams to apply human centered design methods including journey mapping, synthesis, prototyping and testing.
  • Identify integration opportunities that streamline experiences and reduce friction across end‑to‑end journeys.
  • Ensure process changes connect to real employee needs and moments that matter, avoiding siloed or purely operational improvements.
  • Create or co‑create journey maps, prototypes and experience concepts when deeper design expertise is required to accelerate progress.
  • Contribute to internal playbooks, methods, tools and frameworks that help teams apply human‑centered practices.
  • Coach GPOs, P&O teams and cross‑functional partners to apply human‑centered and design‑led approaches in their work.
  • Facilitate alignment sessions and co‑creation activities to build shared understanding and stronger solutions.
  • Lead or support innovation and experience design efforts from early discovery through pilot execution.
  • Translate insights and ideas into tangible concepts, prototypes and validated recommendations.

Essential Requirements

  • Extensive experience in innovation, HCD, service design, digital experience, customer/employee experience, or transformation.
  • Degree in innovation, design, digital experience, business, behavioral science or related fields, or equivalent experience.
  • Proven ability to translate insights into journeys, concepts, prototypes and actionable recommendations.
  • Experience enabling, coaching, or influencing others in design or innovation practices.
  • Demonstrated ability to simplify complexity and uncover underlying problems and opportunities.
  • Excellent facilitation, communication and storytelling capabilities.
  • Ability to influence without authority and build trusted partnerships across diverse stakeholders.
  • Experience working in global, complex or matrixed environments or within consulting settings.
  • Experience integrating multiple processes or journeys to create streamlined, connected end‑to‑end experiences.
  • Ability to apply systems thinking to align processes, policies, tools and behaviors into cohesive solutions.

Benefits & Rewards

  • Monthly pension contribution matching your individual contribution up to 3% of your gross monthly base salary.
  • Risk Life Insurance (full cost covered by Novartis).
  • 5-week holiday per year; (1 week above the Labour Law requirement).
  • 4 paid sick days within one calendar year in case of absence due to sickness without a medical sickness report.
  • Cafeteria employee benefit program – choice of benefits from Benefit Plus Cafeteria in the amount of 7,500 CZK per year.
  • Meal vouchers in amount of 105 CZK for each working day (full tax covered by company).
  • Public Transportation allowance.
  • MultiSport Card, Employee Share Purchase Plan.

Skills Desired

  • Agility
  • AI Solutions
  • Business Partnering
  • Change Management
  • Coaching
  • Communication Skills
  • Consulting
  • Data Analytics and AI Integration
  • Digital Literacy
  • Facilitation
  • Governance frameworks
  • Influencing Without Authority
  • Organizational Development (OD)
  • Organization Design
  • Relationship Building
  • Resilience
  • Stakeholders Management
  • Strategic Workforce Planning
  • Talent Management

Director, Innovation & Human Centered Experience in England employer: Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association

At Novartis, we pride ourselves on fostering a dynamic and inclusive work culture that prioritises employee well-being and growth. As a leader in innovation and human-centered design, you will have the opportunity to shape meaningful experiences for our teams while enjoying a comprehensive benefits package, including generous holiday allowances and pension contributions. Our commitment to diversity and continuous learning ensures that every employee can thrive and contribute to impactful solutions in a collaborative environment.
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Contact Detail:

Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association Recruiting Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫

We think this is how you could land Director, Innovation & Human Centered Experience in England

Tip Number 1

Network like a pro! Reach out to people in your industry on LinkedIn or at events. A friendly chat can lead to opportunities that aren’t even advertised yet.

Tip Number 2

Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its culture. Tailor your answers to show how your skills align with their values and mission. We want to see you shine!

Tip Number 3

Practice makes perfect! Do mock interviews with friends or use online platforms. The more comfortable you are, the better you’ll perform when it counts.

Tip Number 4

Don’t forget to follow up after interviews! A quick thank-you email can keep you top of mind and show your enthusiasm for the role. We love seeing candidates who take initiative!

We think you need these skills to ace Director, Innovation & Human Centered Experience in England

Human Centered Design (HCD)
Service Design
Innovation
Digital Experience
Customer/Employee Experience
Research Skills
Journey Mapping
Prototyping
Coaching
Facilitation
Communication Skills
Stakeholder Management
Systems Thinking
Problem-Solving Skills
Change Management

Some tips for your application 🫡

Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in human-centered design and innovation. We want to see how your skills align with the role, so don’t hold back on showcasing relevant projects!

Showcase Your Storytelling Skills: Since communication is key in this role, use your application to tell a compelling story about your journey in innovation and design. We love seeing how you’ve tackled challenges and created meaningful experiences for employees.

Be Authentic: Let your personality shine through! We’re looking for someone who can bring empathy and curiosity to the table, so don’t be afraid to share your unique perspective and approach to problem-solving in your application.

Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to submit your application directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure it gets into the right hands and shows us you’re serious about joining our team at StudySmarter!

How to prepare for a job interview at Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association

Understand Human-Centered Design

Make sure you brush up on human-centered design principles. Be ready to discuss how you've applied these methods in past roles, especially in innovation and service design. Show them your curiosity and empathy by sharing specific examples of how you've identified user needs and pain points.

Prepare for Complex Problem-Solving

This role involves assessing complex business challenges, so practice framing problems clearly. Think about how you can translate ambiguous challenges into actionable insights. Prepare a few scenarios where you've simplified complexity and uncovered underlying issues in previous projects.

Showcase Your Coaching Skills

Since you'll be coaching teams on design methods, come prepared with examples of how you've influenced or guided others in the past. Highlight your facilitation and storytelling capabilities, as these will be crucial in building trust and alignment with diverse stakeholders.

Demonstrate Your Strategic Mindset

Be ready to discuss how you've integrated multiple processes to create streamlined experiences. Think about times when you've applied systems thinking to align tools and behaviours into cohesive solutions. This will show your ability to deliver real value through innovative design.

Director, Innovation & Human Centered Experience in England
Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association
Location: England
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