Director, Business Applications & AI Products

Role Summary

The Director of Business Applications & AI Products will be based on-site in East Hanover, NJ. They will centrally manage and optimize the business applications that support Novartis US functions, consolidating user bases into a standardized set of applications to drive efficiency and adoption. They will modernize the business application landscape by integrating AI-powered features, automation, and intelligent decision science capabilities. They will collaborate with business units, IT, and external vendors to align application roadmaps with evolving business needs and technological advancements.

Responsibilities

• Own and manage business applications that support the needs of different functions within Novartis US, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives
• Maximize application efficiency & adoption across user personas by consolidating and maintaining various user bases into a set of standard applications, while proactively identifying opportunities for enhancement (including AI & automation)
• Develop and execute a product roadmap for business applications, ensuring alignment with business needs, evolving technology, and industry trends; oversee the end-to-end development lifecycle of applications, from idea to implementation, leveraging agile methodologies
• Lead the integration of AI capabilities into business applications—such as predictive analytics, intelligent automation, and generative AI—to improve user experience, insights, and decision-making
• Actively manage the product backlog, prioritizing initiatives that provide the highest strategic value and scalability
• Collaborate with third-party vendors to influence product and application roadmaps based on changing business needs and technology advancements
• Drive the vision for consolidating technology products into evolved platforms, ensuring efficiency and interoperability
• Ensure product development efforts align with broader organizational strategies, acting as a link between teams and stakeholders
• Engage with different business units to develop a unified view of technology platforms required to meet business needs
• Work closely with DDIT and other IDS teams to ensure robust product planning, integration, and execution
• Track product adoption, gather feedback, and refine strategies based on user needs and business performance and ensure smooth onboarding, training, and communication for stakeholders using business applications

Education

• Bachelor's or master’s degree in business administration, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 8+ years of experience in product management, application development, or related roles, preferably within the pharmaceutical or healthcare sector, with a focus on managing vendor relationships and ensuring alignment with product goals
• Strong understanding of product lifecycle management, agile frameworks, and best practices in product development, including the ability to integrate vendor contributions effectively
• Proven track record of successfully managing and delivering complex product portfolios that align with business objectives and user needs, while coordinating with vendors to enhance product offerings - ideally with embedded data or AI features
• Familiarity with AI technologies such as predictive modeling, natural language processing, or generative AI, and how they can be embedded into enterprise applications
• Excellent leadership, strategic thinking, communication, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to engage and influence cross-functional teams and external partners
• Ability to drive change and innovation in a dynamic and complex organizational environment, leveraging vendor partnerships to support strategic initiatives
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to leverage data insights to inform product decisions and optimizations, including vendor performance assessments
• Certification in product management or agile methodologies is desirable, with any additional experience in vendor management