At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead field performance strategy and drive operational excellence in a dynamic environment.
- Company: Join Novartis, a leader in reimagining medicine with a commitment to diversity.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, flexible working, comprehensive benefits, and generous parental leave.
- Other info: Collaborative culture with opportunities for continuous improvement and career growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on healthcare by optimising field force effectiveness and strategic objectives.
- Qualifications: Degree in biosciences or business; experience in commercial operations and sales effectiveness required.
The predicted salary is between 71300 - 132470 £ per year.
Work Arrangement: Hybrid Working
Location: London (The Westworks), United Kingdom
Relocation Support: This role is based in London, United Kingdom. Novartis is unable to offer relocation support: please only apply if accessible.
The Field Excellence Head drives field performance and operational excellence across Commercial and Value & Access teams through data‑driven frameworks, incentive design, and performance management. This role ensures alignment between field execution, brand strategy, and access priorities. Acting as a key partner to senior stakeholders, the position enables optimized field force effectiveness and consistent delivery of strategic objectives.
About the Role: The Field Excellence Head is responsible for leading field performance strategy and execution excellence across Commercial and Value & Access functions. This role establishes standardized approaches to field KPIs, incentive schemes, territory design, and go‑to‑market execution. It works closely with cross‑functional stakeholders to ensure field operations are aligned with business priorities, regulatory requirements, and global standards. The role also drives continuous improvement in sales force effectiveness through analytics, insights, and capability development.
Key Responsibilities:
- Define and implement standardized field KPI frameworks, dashboards, and reporting to support performance management
- Lead design, governance, and execution of commercial incentive schemes and Value & Access field metrics
- Monitor and analyze field performance, providing actionable insights and recommendations to senior stakeholders
- Oversee territory design, alignment, and optimization across Commercial and Value & Access teams
- Support development of go‑to‑market strategies, including field force sizing, structure, and deployment models
- Collaborate with CRM and field system owners to ensure effective implementation of tools and analytics capabilities
- Align field KPIs and incentive structures with brand strategy, access priorities, and international standards
- Maintain and analyze healthcare decision‑maker and target account data to support stakeholder engagement strategies
- Drive continuous improvement through benchmarking, analytics, and performance diagnostics
- Lead and develop high‑performing teams, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and excellence
Essential Requirements:
- University degree in biosciences, business, engineering, or a related field
- Significant experience in pharmaceutical or biotech commercial operations
- Proven experience in sales force effectiveness, field excellence, or commercial excellence leadership roles
- Experience designing and managing sales incentive schemes and performance frameworks
- Strong understanding of territory design, call planning, and field force deployment strategies
- Experience working with CRM systems and business intelligence tools
- Strong analytical and data‑driven decision‑making capabilities
- Proven ability to influence and collaborate with cross‑functional stakeholders
Rewards & Benefits: At Novartis, we are committed to reimagining medicine together and rewarding the people who make it happen. In addition to a competitive base salary and performance‑based bonus, we offer a comprehensive benefits package including insurance plans, retirement plans, wellbeing resources and global recognition programs, flexible and hybrid working options, and a minimum of 14 weeks paid parental leave.
Salary: Expected annual base salary range for this role: London: £71,300 – £132,470 per annum. Salary is determined based on gender‑neutral objectives, relevant skills, competencies, and experience in accordance with Novartis pay‑setting policy.
EEO & Commitment to Diversity: Novartis is committed to building an outstanding, inclusive work environment and diverse teams representative of the patients and communities we serve. 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.
Field Excellence Head employer: Novartis UK
At Novartis, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that fosters a culture of innovation and collaboration. Our commitment to employee growth is evident through our comprehensive benefits package, flexible working options, and a strong focus on diversity and inclusion, ensuring that every team member feels valued and empowered. Join us in our mission to reimagine medicine while enjoying a rewarding career in a dynamic environment that prioritises your professional and personal well-being.
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We think this is how you could land Field Excellence Head
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We think you need these skills to ace Field Excellence Head
Some tips for your application 🫡
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How to prepare for a job interview at Novartis UK
✨Understand the Science
Make sure you brush up on key pharmaceutical concepts and recent developments in the industry. You might get asked some technical questions during the interview at Novartis UK that show your grasp of drug development processes or regulatory requirements, so be ready to discuss them clearly.
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If you have any hands-on experience or internships in a laboratory setting, be sure to highlight these in your responses. Think about the projects you worked on, the methodologies you used, and the impact you made. It's all about telling a story that connects your background to the role you're applying for.
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In a full-time pharmaceutical role, understanding the regulatory landscape is crucial. Prepare for situational questions that may test your problem-solving skills concerning compliance and safety standards. You could be asked how you'd handle a hypothetical issue regarding a drug’s market release, so think through your approach.
