Associate Director - Gen AI Business Analyst (Life Sciences)

Major Accountabilities

• Domain Expertise:
  • Serve as a strategic expert in life sciences, providing leadership in applying Generative AI to drug discovery, clinical trials, regulatory affairs, pharmacovigilance, and market access.
  • Drive thought leadership by identifying and promoting innovative Generative AI applications to position the organization as an industry leader.
• Business Analysis:
  • Lead enterprise-wide initiatives to gather, analyze, and prioritize business requirements, aligning AI solutions with long-term organizational objectives.
  • Oversee comprehensive analyses of complex business processes, designing AI-driven strategies to achieve operational excellence and competitive advantage.
  • Authorize and review business cases, feasibility studies, and ROI analyses to secure executive approval for transformative AI initiatives.
  • Ensure the creation of high-quality business requirements documents, process flows, and strategic roadmaps to guide enterprise-level AI implementations.
• Stakeholder Engagement:
  • Act as a key liaison between C-suite executives, technical teams, and external partners, driving alignment on AI strategies and initiatives.
  • Lead enterprise-level workshops, steering committees, and governance boards to shape AI adoption and ensure stakeholder buy-in.
  • Represent the organization in industry forums and partnerships to advocate for AI-driven innovation in life sciences.
• Team Management and Coaching:
  • Manage/mentor a team of Senior Specialist Business Analysts, providing strategic guidance, setting performance goals, and fostering professional development to ensure high-impact AI business use case delivery.
  • Coach Senior Specialists in advanced business analysis techniques and Generative AI applications, enhancing their ability to address complex challenges in the life sciences domain and ensuring alignment with organizational objectives.
• Generative AI:
  • Oversee the development and deployment of enterprise-scale Generative AI solutions, ensuring alignment with business needs and technical feasibility.s
  • Collaborate with AI architects and data science leaders to define model architectures and deployment frameworks for life sciences applications.
  • Ensure AI solutions are scalable, reliable, and fully integrated into mission-critical workflows.
• Regulatory & Compliance:
  • Establish governance frameworks to ensure AI solutions comply with global regulatory standards (e.g., USFDA, EU, PMDA) and ethical principles.
  • Lead risk management efforts, addressing ethical, legal, and operational risks associated with AI deployment in life sciences.

Minimum Requirements

• 10–12 years of core Business Analyst or strategic consulting experience in the life sciences domain with at least 5 years leading AI technologies, supported by a Master’s degree in Life Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, Computer Science, Data Science, or a related field. A PhD or MBA is highly desirable.
• Expert understanding of Generative AI, machine learning, and their applications in life sciences. Proficiency in advanced data analysis tools (e.g., Python, TensorFlow, Power BI).
• Exceptional project management skills, with a proven track record of leading enterprise-scale AI projects (e.g., Agile, SAFe, or PMI methodologies).
• Superior analytical and problem-solving abilities, with a strategic mindset and ability to drive organizational change.
• Outstanding communication and leadership skills, with the ability to influence C-level stakeholders and lead cross-functional teams.
• Deep familiarity with life sciences/pharmaceutical regulatory requirements and industry standards.

Why consider Novartis?

Our purpose is to reimagine medicine to improve and extend people’s lives and our vision is to become the most valued and trusted medicines company in the world. How can we achieve this? With our people. It is our associates that drive us each day to reach our ambitions. Be a part of this mission and join us!
Learn more here:

https://www.novartis.com/about/strategy/people-and-culture

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion:
Novartis is committed to building an outstanding, inclusive work environment and diverse teams' representative of the patients and communities we serve.
Join our Novartis Network: If this role is not suitable to your experience or career goals but you wish to stay connected to hear more about Novartis and our career opportunities, join the Novartis Network here:
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Why Novartis: Helping people with disease and their families takes more than innovative science. It takes a community of smart, passionate people like you. Collaborating, supporting and inspiring each other. Combining to achieve breakthroughs that change patients’ lives. Ready to create a brighter future together? https://www.novartis.com/about/strategy/people-and-culture

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Benefits and Rewards: Read our handbook to learn about all the ways we’ll help you thrive personally and professionally: https://www.novartis.com/careers/benefits-rewards