Director, Content Approval Operations

Role Summary

Join Novartis as the Director, Content Approval Operations and have the opportunity to lead strategic direction, resource planning, and functional execution of Content Compliance Operations, Editorial, and Claims Management within the US Integrated Marketing Organization (IMO), Marketing Operations team. The objectives of the role are to ensure the operational effectiveness, compliance, and scalability of the Material Approval Process (MAP) across the US product portfolio. The Director will drive operational excellence, lead a high-performing team, manage strategic service providers, and create value through transformation. This position is based in East Hanover, NJ and requires 5% travel; remote work is not available.

Responsibilities

• Team Leadership: Lead, coach, and develop a team of content approval professionals, fostering a high-performance culture aligned with Novartis values. Define team goals, KPIs, and development plans to ensure continuous learning, clear accountability, and both individual and business growth.
• Vendor Management: Oversee external vendor relationships supporting content approval operations. Ensure vendor performance aligns with SLAs, quality standards, and compliance expectations. Lead vendor onboarding, training, business reviews, and continuous performance improvement initiatives.
• Capacity Creation & Operational Excellence: Identify and implement capabilities that streamline and automate content approval workflows. Drive initiatives that reduce cycle times, increase throughput, and improve quality of submissions. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define and enforce best practices, WPDs, and governance frameworks.
• Resource Planning: Develop and execute resource models to support fluctuating content volumes across brands and channels. Partner with Leadership, Finance and P&O to forecast resource needs and optimize productivity. Balance internal and external resources to ensure agility, scalability, and business continuity.
• Strategic Leadership: Serve as a key member of the Content Supply Chain Operations leadership team, contributing to long-term strategy and transformation initiatives. Represent Content Approval Services in enterprise forums, audits, and compliance reviews. Translate business goals into operational plans that support innovation, compliance, and customer-centricity.
• Project/Workstream Delivery: Lead the day-to-day execution of key initiatives such as the design and implementation of processes, content systems, and planning capabilities to enhance workflow efficiency and broaden adoption of best practices.
• Change Agent: Listen actively to team and stakeholder perspectives, intervene thoughtfully to address obstacles, adapt approaches to evolving organizational needs, and evaluate readiness for change while building a common understanding of goals, processes, and outcomes.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred. Fields of study may include Business, Marketing, Communications, Digital Media, or related.
• 8+ years of experience in pharmaceutical, biotech, or healthcare marketing operations with proven leadership in content operations transformation, regulatory/medical/legal (RML) review processes, or marketing compliance.
• Experience managing cross-functional teams and external vendors.
• Familiarity with content management and approval platforms (e.g., Veeva Vault PromoMats, Aprimo).
• Strong understanding of FDA and industry regulations related to promotional and medical content.
• Demonstrated ability to lead change, drive process improvement, and manage complex operations.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency in Agile methodologies and digital content lifecycle management.