Sr Administrative Assistant in London

The Senior Administrative Assistant is an independent, collaborative, motivated team member who provides comprehensive administrative support to CRM DU and Clinical Development leaders and teams. This role interacts with stakeholders at all organizational levels—both internal and external—and requires the ability to thrive in a fast paced, highly matrixed, global environment. Success in this position depends on strong interpersonal skills, sound judgment, discretion in handling sensitive information, and the ability to manage multiple priorities with minimal supervision.

Location: This position is based out of London, UK. This position will not have the ability to be located remotely. Novartis is unable to offer relocation support for this role: please only apply if this location is accessible for you.

• Providing broad and proactive administrative and operational support across CRM DU and Clinical Development teams.
• Acting as a key administrative contact for assigned CRM DU and Clinical Development leaders and teams.
• Managing complex calendars and scheduling meetings across global time zones.
• Handling confidential information with professionalism and discretion.
• Coordinating domestic and international travel arrangements.
• Processing expense reports through Concur and managing purchase orders and invoice receipts.
• Organizing and maintaining global meetings, including video and conference room bookings.
• Maintaining distribution lists, files, and archival study documentation.
• Preparing, proofing, and updating routine and complex documents, presentations, and reports including Confidentiality Disclosure Agreements (CDA) and contracts.
• Supporting interview scheduling, onboarding, and requisition processes for new hires.
• Registering and coordinating visitors and liaising with building services as needed.
• Supporting data entry and tracking in internal systems (e.g., TimeSheet, BrassRing, CREDI/SUBWAY, HRCore, Workday, Concur, Horizon).
• Supporting compliance-related activities such as audits or inspections with high attention to quality.
• Providing guidance, training, and backup coverage to other administrative staff as needed.
• Contributing to process improvements and supporting changes to workflows in a dynamic environment.

• Bachelor’s degree preferred, or equivalent senior-level administrative experience.
• 5–7+ years of advanced administrative or executive support experience within a large, complex, matrixed organization.
• Proven ability to exercise independent judgment, manage competing priorities, and solve complex administrative problems.
• High level of integrity with demonstrated experience handling highly confidential and sensitive information.
• Strong organizational, time-management, and attention-to-detail skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Experience with enterprise systems such as Concur, Ariba, and related internal platforms strongly preferred.
• Ability to adapt quickly to organizational changes and contribute to continuous improvement.
• Collaborative, service-oriented mindset and strong team player.

• Advanced secretarial or technical administrative training.
• Experience supporting clinical development or research organizations.
• Project coordination or informal project management experience.

This role requires on-site presence and does not offer remote or relocation support. Only local candidates will be considered.

Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion: Novartis is committed to building an outstanding, inclusive work environment and diverse teams representative of the patients and communities we serve.

You’ll receive: Competitive salary, Short term incentive bonus, Pension scheme, Share purchase scheme, Health insurance, 25 days annual leave, Flexible working arrangements, subsidized dining facilities, Employee recognition scheme, learning and development opportunities.