External Operations Manager (Data and Digital)

Job Description Summary

The External Operations Manager (EOM) serves as a key business partner and primary interface with external vendors, ensuring operational excellence across the vendor network. This includes driving high productivity and maintaining quality service delivery.
The core responsibility of this role is to govern the vendor system landscape, including third-party user management. The EOM system focus is accountable for setting up, maintaining, and continuously improving vendor-related processes involving data and systems.
In collaboration with the System Support and Integration Manager (SSIM), the EOM addresses system issues, supports troubleshooting, and contributes to ongoing improvement initiatives. They also define and lead the governance framework, aligning SSIMs, internal super users, and vendor stakeholders.
Using a data-driven approach, the EOM analyzes organizational data to propose solutions to complex challenges and to support the development of new business models. They play a key role in implementing and integrating critical data initiatives that elevate GCS Operations to the next level of functional excellence, ensuring seamless vendor integration where needed.
The EOM holds end-to-end operational responsibility for assigned systems and data, leads local and project-related network activities, and actively contributes to cross-functional teams.

 

Job Description

Job responsibilities:

• Serves as the primary point of contact for system-related activities between EOM, SSIM, and external vendors.
• Coordinates EOM team efforts to enhance the IT landscape, identifying new use cases for automation and analytics. Applies data-driven decision-making to drive continuous process improvements in collaboration with SSIM, IGM, and vendors.
• Supports and coordinates system governance processes for IT platforms (e.g., SAP S4), working with GCS functions and vendors to ensure consistent system performance and fitness for use.
• Provides expert guidance to EOM and vendors on business processes and system design, supporting robust IT governance.
• Acts as super user, partnering with SSIM to resolve third-party user setups, troubleshoot system/application issues, and conduct root cause analysis to prevent recurrence.
• Monitors and optimizes system/application performance to support operational excellence and service continuity.
• Leads User Acceptance Testing (UAT) activities, including test case design, execution, and defect resolution to ensure successful project implementation.
• Delivers training and knowledge transfer to EOM team members and vendor partners to build system capability.
• Acts as a catalyst for innovation in data and digital areas, modelling Novartis values and behaviours.
• When assigned, manages financial activities, including RFPs, vendor selection, grants, POs, invoice approvals, and tracking of financial metrics.
• When assigned, manages vendor deviations, escalating major issues or bottlenecks to relevant internal stakeholders and external partners.
• Supports external audits and inspections, collaborating with TRD QA (and GCP QA where applicable) to address system-related topics.
• Monitors vendor performance using defined KPIs, collaborates with vendors to drive process improvements, and ensures timely action follow-up and closure.

Minimum Requirements:  

• >7 years of practical experience in chemical / pharmaceutical industry or > 3 years of experience in field of expertise
• Good knowledge about the Drug Development process
• Basic project management and risk management, good organization and planning skills, business analysis, high end analytics tools (SAP S4/HANA, Power BI, Qlik)
• Knowledge of relevant regulations (e.g. GMP, HSE etc.) and Novartis specific standards.
• Demonstrates problem-solving and idea generation skills.
• Good presentation skills.
• Fundamental Leadership skills.
• Very good communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills. Ability to work in interdisciplinary teams.

 

Skills Desired

Continual Improvement Process, Master Data, Material Requirements Planning (Mrp), Materials Management, Production Planning, Supply-Chain Management, Supply Chain Planning, Technical Requirements, Waterfall Model, Wms (Warehouse Management Systems)