At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead innovation and design to enhance employee experiences at Novartis.
- Company: Join a global leader in healthcare committed to human-centred design.
- 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, design, or transformation is essential.
- Other info: Work remotely with opportunities for professional growth in a diverse environment.
The predicted salary is between 72000 - 108000 £ 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.
Novartis is committed to building an outstanding, inclusive work environment and diverse teams representative of the patients and communities we serve.
Novartis is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to all individuals. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the recruitment process, or in order to receive more detailed information about the essential functions of a position, please send an e‑mail to and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Please include the job requisition number in your message.
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 London employer: Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association
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 London
✨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 experience aligns with their values and goals. 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 apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we love seeing candidates who take that extra step.
We think you need these skills to ace Director, Innovation & Human Centered Experience in London
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: In your application, use storytelling to convey your experiences and achievements. We love a good narrative that illustrates how you've tackled complex challenges and delivered impactful solutions.
Be Clear and Concise: Keep your application straightforward and to the point. We appreciate clarity, so avoid jargon and focus on communicating your ideas effectively. Remember, less is often more!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to submit your application through our website for the best chance of being noticed. It’s the easiest way for us to keep track of your application and ensure it gets into the right hands!
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 before the interview. Be ready to discuss how you've applied these methods in past roles, especially in innovation and service design. This will show that you not only understand the theory but can also put it into practice.
✨Prepare Your Storytelling Skills
Since this role involves influencing and coaching others, practice telling compelling stories about your experiences. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers, focusing on how you’ve simplified complex challenges and delivered impactful solutions.
✨Research Novartis and Its Culture
Dive deep into Novartis' values and recent initiatives. Understanding their commitment to diversity and inclusion, as well as their approach to employee experience, will help you align your answers with their culture and demonstrate your genuine interest in the company.
✨Showcase Your Collaborative Spirit
This position requires working with various stakeholders, so be prepared to discuss examples of how you've successfully collaborated in the past. Highlight your ability to facilitate alignment sessions and co-creation activities, showcasing your skills in building trusted partnerships.