Executive Director, Product Strategy Lead, Huntington’s Disease

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Executive Director, Product Strategy Lead, Huntington’s Disease Company: Novartis Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States / East Hanover, New Jersey, United States Job Type: FULL_TIME Category: Product Strategy / Go-to-Market Operations Date Posted: December 12, 2025 Experience Level: 10+ years Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the development, execution, and measurement of integrated product strategies for a specific indication of a launch product within the Neuroscience therapeutic area in the US market.
• Drive strategic decision-making to maximize product impact and optimize resource allocation across diverse functions, including Marketing, Sales, Patient Support, Market Access, Insights & Decision Science, and Medical Affairs.
• Contribute significantly to the P&L management and top-line revenue growth for the assigned product, acting as a key member of the General Manager team.
• Champion transformational enterprise leadership, focusing on delivering accelerated impact for patients and healthcare systems with speed, agility, and high quality.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is fundamentally a strategic leadership position within the commercial operations of a pharmaceutical company, specifically focused on Go-to-Market (GTM) strategy for a new product launch. While not a traditional "operations" role focused on internal processes like CRM or sales enablement, it requires a deep understanding of operational execution, cross-functional alignment, resource management, and performance measurement, all critical components of successful GTM operations. The emphasis on P&L, KPIs, and cross-functional orchestration positions this as a senior strategic operations leadership role.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and articulate critical strategies essential for successful product launch and sustained market impact within the Huntington's Disease indication.
• Establish integrated product priorities and key performance indicators (KPIs), ensuring alignment with the cross-functional product strategy team and under the ultimate leadership of the General Manager.
• Orchestrate, lead, and rigorously measure the execution of the integrated product strategy against defined KPIs to drive maximum product impact.
• Play a significant role in managing the Profit & Loss (P&L) for the assigned product/indication, enabling partner functions to effectively manage their day-to-day resource allocation.
• Drive top-line revenue results through strategic choices and effective execution of the product strategy.
• Lead and coordinate the management of KPIs across all functions accountable for the integrated product strategy, ensuring a unified approach to performance.
• Partner closely with functional heads to facilitate critical trade-off decisions, optimizing resource utilization and strategic focus.
• Collaborate with other General Managers and Product Strategy team members on enterprise-level decisions, including potential strategic trade-offs between different products or indications.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strategic leadership role focused on commercial success. The emphasis on "integrated product strategy," "resource allocation," "KPI management," and "P&L contribution" are core to GTM operations and require a strong understanding of how various functional operations (sales, marketing, market access, medical) need to be coordinated for optimal market penetration and revenue generation.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree (required)
• MBA (preferred)

Experience:

• 10+ years of experience in the pharmaceutical, biotech, healthcare, or healthcare consulting industry.
• This experience must include at least two distinct types of cross-functional roles, demonstrating broad operational understanding.
• 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, requiring both global and local alignment.
• Experience within the US Market, including product launch and lifecycle stages, OR significant General Manager experience in other countries.
• Experience with rare disease launches or in-line product management.

Required Skills:

• Product Strategy Development: Proven ability to define and articulate comprehensive product strategies aligned with market dynamics and organizational goals.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Demonstrated success in leading and influencing diverse, cross-functional teams without direct reporting lines to achieve shared objectives.
• Financial Acumen & P&L Management: Strong understanding of financial principles, budget management, and the ability to make strategic trade-offs that impact P&L performance.
• Market Analysis & Insights: Ability to translate market insights, competitive intelligence, and customer needs into actionable strategic plans.
• Launch Excellence: Proven experience in successfully launching pharmaceutical products, particularly in rare disease or complex therapeutic areas.
• Strategic Planning & Execution: Skill in developing robust strategic plans and overseeing their effective execution against defined metrics.
• Stakeholder Management: Expertise in engaging and influencing a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, including senior leadership.

Preferred Skills:

• Neuroscience Experience: Specific experience within the Neuroscience therapeutic area is highly preferred.
• US Market Expertise: Deep understanding of the US pharmaceutical market, regulatory landscape, and commercialization practices.
• Global/Regional Experience: Experience in global or other country/regional roles (projects or full-time) for six months or more is a plus.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements emphasize a blend of strategic thinking, financial responsibility, and cross-functional operational leadership. The "10+ years in pharmaceutical, biotech, healthcare, or healthcare consulting industry inclusive of at least 2 different types of cross-functional roles/experience" strongly suggests a need for candidates who have a broad operational foundation, understanding how different functional areas operate and interact. The "large budget management" and "owning key product trade-off decisions" are critical operational decision-making components.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrable experience in developing and executing integrated product strategies, showcasing strategic frameworks and decision-making processes.
• Case studies detailing successful product launches or significant market share growth, highlighting the candidate's role in driving strategy and operational execution.
• Evidence of managing large budgets and making complex resource allocation decisions, with documented outcomes and ROI.
• Examples of cross-functional project leadership, illustrating the ability to align diverse teams towards common strategic objectives and operational goals.
• Documentation of experience in defining and tracking Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for product success, including how these metrics informed strategic adjustments.

Process Documentation:

• Showcase examples of strategic planning processes, including market analysis, segmentation, targeting, and positioning (STP) frameworks.
• Present methodologies used for integrating functional strategies (e.g., marketing, sales, market access, medical) into a cohesive go-to-market plan.
• Illustrate processes for monitoring market performance, identifying risks and opportunities, and implementing corrective actions.
• Provide examples of how data and analytics were leveraged to inform strategic decisions and optimize operational execution.

📝 Enhancement Note: While this role is strategic, a strong candidate will be able to articulate their process for strategy development and execution. This involves demonstrating how they approach market analysis, cross-functional alignment, resource allocation, and performance management – all critical operational processes. A portfolio that showcases strategic frameworks, launch plans, and performance metrics will be crucial.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $214,900.00 - $399,100.00 per year

Benefits:

• Sign-On Bonus
• Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)
• Discretionary Awards
• Comprehensive Medical Benefits
• Financial Benefits
• 401(k) Eligibility
• Paid Time Off (e.g., vacation, sick time, parental leave)

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time work hours are expected, likely around 40 hours per week, with flexibility for strategic leadership demands.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is a key indicator of the senior level and strategic impact of this role. The inclusion of RSUs and discretionary awards suggests a performance-driven compensation structure, common for leadership roles in pharmaceutical commercial strategy. The estimated annual salary is based on the provided range for the specified location (Cambridge, MA/East Hanover, NJ) and the "10+ years" experience level, aligning with industry benchmarks for Executive Director-level roles in major pharmaceutical companies.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Pharmaceutical / Biotechnology Company Size: Large Enterprise (Novartis is a global pharmaceutical leader with tens of thousands of employees worldwide). This size implies a structured environment with established processes, significant resources, and opportunities for cross-functional collaboration on a global scale.

Founded: 1996 (formed by the merger of Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz). Novartis has a long history of innovation and a commitment to scientific advancement.

Team Structure:

• This role operates within the Neuroscience business unit, likely reporting to a General Manager (GM) for the product or portfolio.
• The Product Strategy Lead (PSL) acts as a central orchestrator, collaborating closely with heads of various functions including Marketing, Sales, Market Access, Medical Affairs, Patient Support, and Insights & Decision Science.
• The team structure emphasizes matrixed collaboration, where the PSL influences and guides functional teams without direct reporting lines, requiring strong interpersonal and leadership skills.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Strategy: Decisions are expected to be informed by robust market insights, scientific data, and performance analytics.
• Integrated Planning: A core methodology involves aligning diverse functional strategies into a single, cohesive go-to-market plan.
• Agile Execution: The role requires adaptability and the ability to make decisive actions in response to market dynamics and performance data, demonstrating agility.
• Patient-Centricity: A primary focus is on delivering value and impact to patients, healthcare systems, and customers.

Company Website: https://www.novartis.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Novartis's scale and history suggest a culture that values scientific rigor, innovation, and global collaboration. For a Product Strategy Lead, this means operating within a framework of established best practices while driving forward new approaches for product commercialization, particularly in a complex area like Huntington's Disease. The "transformational enterprise leadership" mentioned in the description points to a culture that embraces change and continuous improvement.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This position represents a senior leadership role, equivalent to an Executive Director, focused on strategic commercialization and Go-to-Market (GTM) operations. It sits at the nexus of strategy, P&L responsibility, and cross-functional operational execution.

Reporting Structure: The Executive Director, Product Strategy Lead will report to a General Manager within the Neuroscience unit. While not a direct people management role in terms of direct reports (unless specified otherwise), it involves significant leadership and influence over cross-functional teams.

Operations Impact: The role has a direct and significant impact on the commercial success of a launch product, influencing revenue generation, market penetration, and ultimately, patient access to critical therapies. Strategic decisions made by the PSL directly shape the operational execution of marketing, sales, and market access strategies.

Growth Opportunities:

• Strategic Leadership Expansion: Potential to move into broader General Manager roles for a product, portfolio, or therapeutic area.
• Therapeutic Area Specialization: Deepen expertise in Neuroscience and rare diseases, becoming a recognized leader in the field.
• Global Strategy Roles: Opportunities to contribute to global product strategy or lead international commercialization efforts.
• Functional Leadership: Transition into leadership roles within specific commercial functions (e.g., Head of Marketing, Head of Market Access) based on demonstrated expertise and performance.
• Business Transformation: Lead or participate in initiatives focused on transforming commercial operations and go-to-market models within Novartis.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a critical leadership stepping stone. The combination of strategic oversight, P&L accountability, and cross-functional influence provides a strong foundation for advancing into broader GM or senior commercial leadership positions within Novartis, particularly within specialized therapeutic areas.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This is an on-site role, meaning work will be conducted from a Novartis office location in either Cambridge, MA, or East Hanover, NJ. This environment is designed to foster collaboration, innovation, and direct engagement with colleagues.

Office Location(s):

• Cambridge, Massachusetts (USA)
• East Hanover, New Jersey (USA)

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hub: The office environment likely features open-plan areas, meeting rooms, and collaborative spaces designed to facilitate team interaction and knowledge sharing, crucial for integrated strategy development.
• Access to Resources: Employees will have access to necessary technological tools, data resources, and support functions required for strategic planning and analysis.
• Cross-Functional Proximity: Being on-site allows for spontaneous interactions and deeper working relationships with colleagues from Marketing, Sales, Medical Affairs, and other key functional areas, optimizing communication and alignment for GTM operations.

Work Schedule:

• While standard full-time hours are expected, the nature of a product launch and strategic leadership role may require flexibility, including occasional extended hours or weekend work to meet critical deadlines or address urgent market developments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit "not remote" designation emphasizes the importance of in-person collaboration for this strategic role. The office environment is crucial for the dynamic, cross-functional alignment required for successful GTM execution and integrated strategy orchestration.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and application to assess alignment with the core requirements, particularly experience in pharmaceutical strategy, launch, P&L, and cross-functional leadership.
• Hiring Manager Interview: A deep dive into your experience, leadership style, strategic thinking, and understanding of the pharmaceutical market, especially rare diseases and Neuroscience. Expect questions about your approach to integrated strategy and resource allocation.
• Cross-Functional Interviews: Interviews with key stakeholders from Marketing, Sales, Market Access, Medical Affairs, and potentially other GMs. These will assess your ability to collaborate, influence, and understand the operational nuances of each function.
• Case Study / Strategic Presentation: You may be asked to prepare and present a strategic plan for a hypothetical product launch or to analyze a complex market scenario. This will evaluate your strategic framework, problem-solving skills, and presentation capabilities.
• Final Interview: A discussion with senior leadership, potentially the GM or above, to assess overall fit, strategic vision, and leadership potential.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Quantify Impact: For each project, clearly articulate the strategic objectives, your specific role, the operational execution steps, and the measurable outcomes (e.g., revenue growth, market share, patient impact). Use data and metrics extensively.
• Showcase Strategic Frameworks: Include examples of how you developed integrated product strategies, market segmentation, targeting, and positioning (STP) analyses, and P&L management approaches.
• Highlight Cross-Functional Orchestration: Demonstrate how you have successfully aligned and led diverse teams (Marketing, Sales, Medical, Market Access) towards common goals, emphasizing your ability to manage interdependencies.
• Address Launch & Rare Disease Experience: Prepare specific examples of your involvement in product launches, particularly in rare diseases, detailing challenges faced and how they were overcome through strategic and operational excellence.
• Demonstrate P&L Ownership: Be ready to discuss your experience managing significant budgets and making difficult resource allocation decisions, explaining the rationale and the resulting financial impact.

Challenge Preparation:

• Strategic Problem-Solving: Practice developing strategic responses to market challenges, competitive threats, or unexpected shifts in the healthcare landscape. Focus on structured, data-informed solutions.
• Cross-Functional Alignment Scenarios: Prepare to discuss how you would navigate conflicting priorities or resource constraints among different functional teams to ensure cohesive strategy execution.
• P&L Optimization: Be ready to discuss strategies for maximizing revenue and profitability for a product, including trade-off analyses and resource reallocation scenarios.
• Rare Disease Market Dynamics: Familiarize yourself with the unique challenges and opportunities in launching and commercializing products for rare diseases, such as patient identification, access, and specialized medical support.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will heavily emphasize strategic thinking, leadership influence, and a deep understanding of pharmaceutical commercial operations. A well-curated portfolio showcasing strategic frameworks, quantitative results, and cross-functional leadership will be critical for demonstrating readiness for this senior role.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• CRM Systems (e.g., Salesforce): While not directly managing the CRM, understanding its role in sales force automation, customer engagement tracking, and data aggregation for strategic insights is crucial.
• Business Intelligence (BI) & Analytics Platforms (e.g., Tableau, QlikView, Power BI): Proficiency in interpreting data visualizations and dashboards to track product performance, market trends, and identify strategic opportunities.
• Project Management Software (e.g., Asana, Jira, Microsoft Project): Familiarity with tools used to manage complex, multi-functional projects and track progress against timelines.
• Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint): Advanced proficiency is essential for data analysis, financial modeling, and creating compelling strategic presentations.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Market Research & Data Providers (e.g., IQVIA, Symphony Health): Understanding how to leverage syndicated data and market research reports to inform strategy and performance evaluation.
• Internal Data Analytics Tools: Experience with proprietary analytics platforms used by pharmaceutical companies to track sales, market share, and patient journeys.

CRM & Automation:

• Sales Force Effectiveness Tools: Understanding how tools supporting sales teams (e.g., Veeva) contribute to data collection and strategy execution.
• Marketing Automation Platforms (e.g., Marketo, HubSpot): While more on the marketing side, understanding their role in customer segmentation, engagement, and lead generation is beneficial for integrated strategy.

📝 Enhancement Note: While this role is strategic, a strong grasp of the data, analytics, and CRM systems that underpin commercial operations is vital for informed decision-making and effective cross-functional collaboration. The ability to interpret data from these systems to drive strategic choices is paramount.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Patient-Centricity: A core value driving all strategic and operational decisions, ensuring that the ultimate goal is to improve patient outcomes.
• Integrity & Ethics: Upholding the highest ethical standards in all business practices, particularly critical in the pharmaceutical industry.
• Innovation & Agility: Encouraging bold ideas, embracing change, and adapting quickly to evolving market conditions and scientific advancements.
• Collaboration & Teamwork: Fostering a spirit of partnership across functions and geographies to achieve collective success.
• Accountability & Performance: Taking ownership of results, driving for excellence, and holding oneself and teams accountable for delivering on strategic objectives.

Collaboration Style:

• Matrixed Leadership: The role requires influencing and leading without direct authority, building strong relationships based on trust, expertise, and shared goals.
• Cross-Functional Integration: A proactive approach to integrating the efforts of Marketing, Sales, Medical Affairs, Market Access, and Patient Support to ensure a seamless and impactful go-to-market strategy.
• Open Communication: Encouraging transparent dialogue, actively seeking input from all functional partners, and providing clear direction and feedback.
• Data-Informed Dialogue: Using data and insights to drive discussions and decision-making, fostering a rational and objective approach to strategy refinement.

📝 Enhancement Note: Novartis's stated values—particularly around patient-centricity, innovation, and collaboration—will heavily influence how this role is executed. Candidates who can demonstrate alignment with these values, especially in their approach to cross-functional leadership and strategic problem-solving, will be well-positioned.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Complex Market Dynamics: The Huntington's Disease market may present unique challenges related to patient identification, diagnosis, specialized treatment centers, and payer access for a rare disease.
• Cross-Functional Alignment: Ensuring seamless integration and sustained alignment across multiple functions, each with its own priorities and operational demands, requires exceptional influencing and stakeholder management skills.
• Resource Optimization: Making critical trade-off decisions regarding budget allocation across various commercial activities to maximize ROI in a competitive landscape.
• Driving Transformational Change: Leading through a "business-critical transformation" implies a need to adapt established processes, adopt new technologies, and foster a culture of continuous improvement and agility within a large organization.
• Measuring Impact in Rare Diseases: Developing robust metrics and demonstrating clear ROI for rare disease products can be more complex due to smaller patient populations and specialized healthcare pathways.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Therapeutic Area Expertise: Gaining in-depth knowledge of Huntington's Disease, its patient journey, and the evolving scientific and clinical landscape.
• Advanced Strategic Leadership: Developing skills in enterprise-level strategic planning, P&L management, and transformational leadership at a senior executive level.
• Cross-Functional Operational Mastery: Enhancing understanding and influence across diverse commercial functions (Sales, Marketing, Market Access, Medical Affairs) within a major pharmaceutical company.
• Industry Conferences & Networking: Opportunities to represent Novartis at key industry events, engage with thought leaders, and stay abreast of best practices in pharmaceutical commercialization.
• Mentorship and Executive Coaching: Access to senior leaders within Novartis for guidance and development tailored to executive-level career progression.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is designed for growth. The challenges inherent in launching a rare disease product within a large pharmaceutical organization offer significant opportunities for developing advanced strategic, operational, and leadership skills.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your process for developing an integrated product strategy for a new launch, particularly in a rare disease indication." (Focus on market analysis, segmentation, cross-functional input, and KPI definition.)
• "How would you approach managing the P&L for a product where resource allocation requires significant trade-offs between marketing, sales, and patient support initiatives?" (Highlight your decision-making framework, data utilization, and communication strategy.)
• "Walk me through a time you had to influence multiple functional leaders to align behind a critical strategic decision. What was the outcome?" (Demonstrate your influencing skills, stakeholder management, and ability to drive consensus.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What do you know about Novartis's approach to rare disease treatments and its commitment to innovation in Neuroscience?" (Research Novartis's pipeline, recent news, and strategic priorities in these areas.)
• "How do you envision contributing to Novartis's culture of transformational enterprise leadership and agility in this role?" (Connect your experience and values to the company's stated cultural drivers.)
• "How would you measure the success of your product strategy and its impact on patients and the business?" (Emphasize your data-driven approach and understanding of key performance indicators relevant to pharmaceutical commercialization.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: Begin with the strategic challenge or opportunity, detail your approach to developing the integrated strategy, explain the operational execution (key initiatives, cross-functional alignment), and conclude with quantifiable results and lessons learned.
• Quantify Everything: Use numbers to demonstrate impact—revenue growth percentages, market share gains, patient reach, budget managed, ROI achieved, efficiency improvements.
• Highlight Cross-Functional Collaboration: Explicitly describe how you partnered with different functions, managed competing priorities, and ensured cohesive execution.
• Focus on Decision-Making: Explain the "why" behind your strategic choices and resource allocation decisions, showcasing your analytical and critical thinking skills.
• Tailor to Huntington's Disease: If possible, draw parallels to experiences in rare diseases or complex therapeutic areas, demonstrating an understanding of the unique market dynamics.

📝 Enhancement Note: Expect interview questions to probe deeply into your strategic thinking, operational execution capabilities, financial acumen, and leadership style. A structured approach to answering, supported by concrete examples from your portfolio, will be key.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the Novartis careers portal via the provided URL.
• Portfolio Curation: Select 2-3 key projects that best showcase your experience in product strategy development, launch execution, P&L management, and cross-functional leadership, particularly in rare diseases or complex therapeutic areas. Ensure these examples are quantifiable and highlight your strategic decision-making process.
• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to emphasize keywords and experiences directly relevant to product strategy, launch, P&L, cross-functional leadership, and rare disease markets. Quantify achievements wherever possible.
• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your strategic frameworks, decision-making processes, and cross-functional collaboration experiences. Prepare specific examples for common interview questions related to strategy, leadership, and problem-solving.
• Company Research: Thoroughly research Novartis's Neuroscience portfolio, its approach to rare diseases, recent news, and its stated company values. Understand their strategic priorities and how this role contributes to them.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

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