Executive Director, Product Strategy Lead - CML

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Executive Director, Product Strategy Lead - CML

Company: Novartis

Location: East Hanover, New Jersey, United States

Job Type: Full time

Category: Product Strategy / Commercial Operations

Date Posted: 2026-08-03T00:00:00

Experience Level: 10+ years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the strategic direction and execution of integrated product strategies for a specific indication within the US market, driving accelerated impact and patient outcomes.

• Assume significant P&L responsibility for the assigned product/indication, making critical trade-off decisions in resource allocation across multiple functions.

• Orchestrate and measure key performance indicators (KPIs) across a cross-functional product strategy team to ensure alignment and drive top-line results.

• Foster a culture of transformational enterprise leadership, emphasizing speed, agility, and high-quality execution in a business-critical transformation environment.

• Integrate customer engagement and relationship-building strategies into the overall product approach to optimize performance and mitigate risks.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is highly strategic and leadership-oriented, focusing on integrated product strategy within the pharmaceutical sector. It requires a blend of commercial acumen, P&L oversight, and cross-functional leadership, with a strong emphasis on driving business impact in a dynamic market. The "CML" likely refers to Chronic Myeloid Leukemia, indicating a specific therapeutic area focus.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and operationalize critical, specific, and measurable integrated priorities and key impact measures for the assigned product/indication, in close consultation with the cross-functional product strategy team and under the final leadership of the General Manager.

• Drive the integration, orchestration, and measurement of the integrated product strategy, taking decisive action against defined KPIs to maximize product impact and revenue generation.

• Contribute significantly to the Profit & Loss (P&L) management of the assigned product/indication, enabling partner functions to effectively manage day-to-day resource allocation and operational execution.

• Drive topline results through strategic choices and optimized resource allocation across marketing, sales, market access, medical affairs, and other relevant functions.

• Establish and coordinate the management of KPIs across all functions accountable for the integrated product strategy, ensuring clear ownership and performance tracking.

• Partner effectively with functional heads to navigate and execute trade-off decisions, optimizing for overall product success and strategic alignment.

• Collaborate closely with other General Managers and members of the Product Strategy team on enterprise-wide decisions, including potential strategic trade-offs between different products or indications.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic planning, financial oversight, and cross-functional leadership. Emphasis is placed on measurable outcomes, resource optimization, and collaborative decision-making within a complex organizational structure.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree required.

• MBA strongly preferred. Experience:

• Required:

  • 10+ years of experience within the pharmaceutical, biotech, or healthcare consulting industry.
  • This experience must include at least two different types of cross-functional roles or extensive cross-functional project leadership.
  • Minimum of 3 years of direct responsibility for large budget management, including ownership of key product trade-off decisions.
  • Minimum of 3 years leading and translating an integrated product strategy that required global and local alignment.
  • Experience in the US Market, encompassing product launch phases and various stages of the product lifecycle, OR equivalent General Manager experience in other countries.

• Preferred:

  • Direct Therapeutic Area experience relevant to the product's indication.

  • US Market experience is strongly preferred.

  • Global or other country/region experience (through projects or full-time/temporary roles of 6 months or more). Required Skills:

• Integrated Product Strategy Development: Ability to conceptualize, articulate, and implement comprehensive strategies that align multiple functional areas towards common product goals.

• P&L Management & Financial Acumen: Demonstrated experience in managing significant budgets, understanding financial drivers, and making strategic trade-off decisions to optimize profitability and return on investment.

• Cross-Functional Leadership & Collaboration: Proven ability to lead, influence, and collaborate effectively with diverse teams (Marketing, Sales, Market Access, Medical Affairs, etc.) to achieve shared objectives.

• Strategic Planning & Execution: Skill in developing long-term strategic plans and translating them into actionable initiatives with clear KPIs and measurable outcomes.

• Stakeholder Management: Expertise in engaging with and managing expectations of senior leadership, functional heads, and external partners.

• US Market & Product Lifecycle Expertise: Deep understanding of the US pharmaceutical market dynamics, regulatory landscape, and the nuances of managing products through different lifecycle stages.

Preferred Skills:

• Therapeutic Area Expertise: In-depth knowledge of the specific therapeutic area (e.g., oncology, hematology) relevant to the product.

• Commercial Excellence: Proven track record in driving commercial success through innovative strategies and best practices.

• Data Analysis & Decision Science: Ability to leverage data analytics and insights to inform strategic decisions and measure performance.

• Digital Marketing & Engagement: Understanding of digital channels and strategies for customer engagement in the pharmaceutical space.

• Inspirational Leadership: