Head, AI Strategy and Governance

Location: Multiple Location Opening, please apply to the location preferred.

The Head, AI Strategy & Governance is responsible for maintaining, operationalizing, and continuously improving the Development AI strategy, governance model, and decision-support processes in partnership with the Head of Development AI and senior leadership. The role enables and drives strategic decision-making for the AI portfolio, ensuring that priorities, investments, and capability evolution are consistently informed by robust competitive intelligence, external benchmarking, and market signals. Acting as the central strategic integrator across Development, DDIT, and enterprise AI bodies, the role ensures that governance forums, portfolio recommendations, and enterprise interfaces are well-run, evidence-based, and aligned, while final strategy, investment, and governance decisions remain with accountable senior leaders and decision forums.

AI Strategy, Competitive Intelligence & Strategic Positioning

• Maintain and evolve the Development AI strategic narrative, planning materials, and strategic priorities in partnership with the Head of Development AI.
• Establish and continuously mature a structured competitive intelligence capability (external benchmarking, competitor tracking, regulatory and technology landscape monitoring).
• Synthesize competitive intelligence into actionable strategic insights to support leadership decision-making.
• Prepare decision materials enabling leadership trade-offs across AI initiatives based on value, risk, and competitive positioning.
• Monitor changes in the external landscape and recommend updates to strategic priorities, assumptions, and focus areas.
• Provide clear strategic visibility to senior leadership through structured updates and decision support.

AI Portfolio Strategy & Value Governance

• Maintain portfolio prioritization principles, decision frameworks, and evaluation criteria used by leadership to make investment decisions.
• Integrate competitive intelligence, external benchmarks, and innovation signals into portfolio recommendations.
• Coordinate portfolio reviews and prepare recommendations on priorities, sequencing, and trade-offs.
• Maintain the value governance framework, including methods for defining, measuring, and assessing AI impact.
• Track and report portfolio-level progress, decision follow-through, and value realization for leadership forums.

AI Governance & Risk Oversight (Strategic)

• Maintain and continuously improve the Development AI governance framework, processes, and maturity roadmap in partnership with accountable leaders.
• Ensure alignment of governance approach with enterprise frameworks, regulatory expectations, and Responsible AI standards.
• Monitor governance effectiveness, risk themes, and compliance signals, and escalate issues to accountable decision-makers.
• Clarify governance roles, responsibilities, and forum interfaces to support effective decision-making and accountability.

AI Operating Model & Organizational Design

• Maintain and refine the Development AI operating model, including governance processes, decision interfaces, and role clarity.
• Document and socialize decision rights, escalation paths, and accountability structures.
• Coordinate interfaces across Strategy, Governance, Product & Program Delivery, DSAI, DDIT, and enterprise AI teams.
• Recommend operating model improvements to support scale, clarity, and execution effectiveness.

Governance Bodies & Enterprise Liaison

• Run and coordinate AI governance forums within Development, including agenda-setting, decision preparation, documentation, and follow-through.
• Serve as key liaison to enterprise AI Office, Trailblazer, and company-wide governance bodies.
• Coordinate Development inputs into enterprise AI discussions and communicate outcomes back to stakeholders.
• Support leadership by ensuring governance forums are well-structured, insight-driven, and decision-oriented.

Innovation, External Engagement & Ecosystem

• Identify and develop external partnership opportunities and ecosystem insights aligned with AI priorities.
• Leverage competitive intelligence to assess and frame partnership options for leadership decision-making.
• Coordinate external engagement activities and represent Development as delegated.
• Maintain visibility of external AI ecosystem and translate developments into strategic recommendations.

AI Capability Building & Change Management

• Identify capability implications of the AI strategy and governance model.
• Recommend priority capability-building initiatives based on strategic and competitive needs.
• Partner with learning, change, and functional teams to coordinate enablement efforts.
• Track effectiveness of capability-building efforts in supporting adoption and governance maturity.

Leadership & Organizational Impact

• Lead the team responsible for AI strategy support, governance operations, portfolio decision support, and enterprise coordination.
• Promote clarity of roles, responsibilities, and decision processes across stakeholders.
• Drive cross-functional coordination across Development, DDIT, and enterprise AI organizations.

Requirements:

Education: Advanced degree (PhD/Master) in data science, AI, technology, or scientific discipline.

Languages: Fluent English (oral and written).

Experience/Professional:

• Extensive experience in AI, data, digital, or technology-driven transformation.
• Proven track record in defining and executing strategy in complex environments.
• Experience in governance, compliance, or risk management frameworks.
• Strong experience in portfolio management and cross-functional program delivery.
• Experience working with external partners and innovation ecosystems.
• Demonstrated leadership in global, matrix organizations influencing without authority.
• Strong understanding of pharmaceutical development landscape.

Rewards: At Novartis, we’re committed to reimagining medicine together - and rewarding the people who make it happen. The rewards of being part of our team go far beyond base pay and incentives. We also offer a variety of competitive benefits in kind to help you thrive personally and professionally, such as insurance plans, retirement plans, wellbeing resources and global recognition programs. In addition, we provide flexible and hybrid working options, where possible, and a minimum of 14 weeks paid parental leave.

Expected Annual Base Salary Range for role: London: 118,020.00 - 219,180.00 GBP Annual. The salary offered is determined based on gender-neutral objectives, such as relevant skills, competencies and experience in accordance with the Novartis pay setting policy and upon joining Novartis will be reviewed periodically. In addition to your base salary, you may be eligible for a performance-based bonus depending on certain performance parameters. Further details will be provided during the application process.

Pay equity is a fundamental principle of our employment policy and reflects our commitment to create a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment that treats all employees with dignity and respect, as outlined in our Code of Ethics.

Novartis is committed to building an outstanding, inclusive work environment and diverse teams’ representative of the patients and communities we serve.