ED, CRM Product Owner, Customer Engagement (CE)

Role Summary

Executive Director, CRM Product Owner leads the strategy, development, and delivery of best practice CRM capabilities across the US CRM ecosystem. Located in East Hanover, NJ, this role will not be remote and will require 20% travel (domestic and/or international). Reporting to the VP, Head of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Product Management, the role partners with business and IT leadership to build a robust CRM foundation and activate transformation across the US commercial organization. This position is dedicated to transforming how Novartis interacts with patients and customers by integrating process improvements, technology solutions, analytics, and user experience enhancements to deliver world-class, customer-centric experiences.

Responsibilities

• Create and steward the Product Vision, Roadmap, and Delivery: Define, communicate, and execute the vision and strategy for CRM capabilities/functions (e.g. Customer Engagement, Medical, etc) ensuring alignment with business goals and stakeholder needs
• Drive CRM Product Innovation: Champion the adoption of advanced CRM technologies (including AI) and processes to optimize customer engagement and deliver actionable insights across the organization.
• Gather CRM Requirements: Collect and interpret business needs, translating them into system and process improvements powered by technology, analytics, and best practices.
• Deliver Product Management Excellence: Uphold high standards for product management delivery, driving disciplined execution, predictable and high-quality releases, and continuous improvement.
• Transform Business Processes: Analyze current business processes and gaps, then design, implement, and scale improvements using data-driven and technology-enabled solutions.
• Lead Cross-Functional Collaboration: Facilitate collaboration between senior business leaders and working teams, securing input, feedback, and alignment on CRM initiatives.
• Ensure Governance & Compliance: Establish and enforce governance frameworks to guarantee all CRM initiatives meet regulatory, privacy, and compliance requirements.
• Build and Develop High-Performing Teams: Recruit, mentor, and lead groups of Product Owners, managing dependencies and fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.
• Drive Change Enablement: Align stakeholders, identify risks, and remove barriers to ensure successful adoption and sustained progress of CRM initiatives.
• Evangelize CRM Strategy: Promote the CRM strategy and communicate impact across the organization through stakeholder meetings, leadership forums, and targeted communications.
• Optimize CRM Investment: Prioritize and implement best practices, conduct build vs. buy analyses, and maximize the value of CRM investments.
• Maintain Industry Awareness: Stay current on CRM platforms (e.g., Salesforce, Veeva), industry trends, and best practices across sectors.

Education

• Bachelor's degree in related field is required; Master of Science and/or MBA preferred

Qualifications

• Required: Minimum 10+ years of experience in product management, technology strategy, innovation, or leadership roles, preferably in the pharmaceutical, healthcare, or CRM sectors
• Required: Proven success in leading product management for large-scale CRM transformation, including accountability for delivery, change management, UX, governance, communication strategy, and risk and compliance mitigation
• Required: Deep understanding of the CRM landscape (Sales, Marketing and Service), including Salesforce (Agentforce, Marketing Cloud, Health Cloud, Data Cloud, Core platform), Veeva, and the major and evolving players in the ecosystem
• Required: Deep expertise in CRM, AI, and Data platforms and architectures (e.g., Salesforce, Salesforce Data Cloud, Veeva, OpenAI, Snowflake, or similar data lake technologies)
• Required: Deep understanding of the pharmaceutical industry, including regulatory requirements, market dynamics, and emerging AI technologies
• Required: Experience managing and being accountable for the operations of product management teams, including backlog health and prioritization, agile practices and ceremonies, and driving strategic innovation
• Required: Excellent leadership and communication skills with the ability to build and lead high-performing teams; People management experience within CRM, AI, technology, or data-driven environments required
• Required: Must possess an ability to foster cross-functional alignment of key stakeholders to create a disciplined, ambitious, and collaborative, global, commercial CRM strategy
• Required: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret complex data and make informed decisions; Ability to adapt strategies and approaches in a rapidly evolving technological landscape