Head of Strategy & New Products, Japan

Job Description Summary
The Strategy & New Products Head is responsible for driving country-level strategic planning and growth initiatives, collaborating on early phase launch activities, and shaping the portfolio and pipeline, driving faster decisions and clearer accountability. This role ensures alignment with global and local stakeholders, supports the implementation of the overall growth strategy, and builds organizational capability for long-term portfolio success. 
Job Description
1. Country Strategy, Strategic Planning & Growth 
Drive key initiatives and strategic projects to support the implementation of the overall growth strategy for the country 
Identify and evaluate strategic opportunities and revenue potential for continued future growth 
Coordinate yearly strategic planning processes, ensuring cross-functional and operational priority alignment 
Periodically assess organizational capability in line with overall strategy and market dynamics, proposing actions for improvement 
 
2. New Products (Early Launch, Portfolio & Pipeline) 
Co-evaluate and co-plan early launch product strategies aligned with key global and local stakeholders 
Collaborate with global and local cross-unit and cross-functional teams to drive early launch activities 
Co-develop commercialization strategies with BUs; support rollout of ONE Brand Plan approaches for key pipeline products 
Build and strengthen organizational capability for launch excellence across the country 
Provide input to the internal pipeline in alignment with the International operating model (e.g., IMB milestones) 
Supports & partner with global team in the evaluation of global external Corporate & Business Development (C&BD) opportunities by providing country-level perspective 
Contribute to long-term BU portfolio strategy development (5+ years) by providing country-focused input and integrating cross-functional insights 
 
Leadership & Culture 
Lead and coordinate cross-functional teams to drive the strategic priorities 
Build a high-performance culture, manage recruiting, performance, and coaching; develop critical capabilities and talent pipelines. 
Attract, develop, and retain top talent; strengthen succession plans and capabilities across the country organization. 
Role-model Novartis Leadership Expectations & Behaviours, inspire transformation and performance, and demonstrate self-awareness with a growth mindset. 
Key Performance Indicators :
Strategic Planning 
Timeliness and quality of strategic plans; 
Partnership with global & local stakeholders 
Early Launch 
Success of early launch initiatives; launch readiness metrics; Collaboration/partnerships across functions/units to drive joint outcomes 
Portfolio & Pipeline 
Quality and impact of pipeline input; successful integration of country insights into global plan 
Languages: 
English 
Japanese
Experience/Professional Requirement:  
Extensive (>10) years’ experience in leadership positions within the pharmaceutical or life science industry and/or consulting. Ideally should have both Pharma and Consulting experience 
Proven track record in strategic planning, portfolio management, or new product launches in the pharmaceutical or life sciences industry 
Experience in early launch planning, commercialization strategy, and/or business development 
Strategic thinking and analytical skills: ability to synthesize complex data and market dynamics into actionable strategies 
Strong business acumen and understanding of the pharmaceutical market and product lifecycle 
Proven track record of leading cross-functional projects and collaborating with global and local stakeholders 
Project management: ability to drive multiple initiatives simultaneously and deliver results in a fast-paced environment 
Stakeholder management: strong communication, negotiation, and influencing skills across diverse groups (global, country) 
Matrix leadership and talent development: building high-performance, diverse teams; coaching, succession planning, and influencing across complex cross-functional and regional interfaces 
Experience in change management and organizational development is a plus 
 
 
 
Skills Desired
Business Development, Business Strategies, Collaboration, Curious Mindset, Data Analytics, Decision Making, Finance, Go-to-Market Strategies, Influencing Skills, Leadership, Market Strategy, Operations Management, Prioritization, Project Management, Stakeholder Management, Strategic Partnership Development, Strategic Planning, Strategic Thinking, Strategy Development