Franchise Medical Head📣 Job Ad

About the Franchise Medical Head Role

Novartis Saudi Arabia is seeking a Franchise Medical Head to lead the medical strategy and execution for a therapeutic franchise in Riyadh. This full-time position requires a candidate with over 10 years of experience in Medical Affairs within the pharmaceutical industry. The Franchise Medical Head will be instrumental in ensuring scientific excellence, fostering strong stakeholder engagement, and aligning medical activities with global and local business objectives, while also leading the Franchise Medical team and representing Medical Affairs within the franchise leadership structure.

Role Responsibilities

The Franchise Medical Head will be responsible for developing and executing the franchise medical strategy, ensuring it aligns with global and regional strategies. This includes integrated planning for launch readiness, lifecycle management, and patient access. The role involves translating strategy into an operational medical plan for the country or cluster, and leading and developing the Franchise Medical team, including Medical Leads and MSLs. Key responsibilities also include ensuring strong alignment with commercial, regulatory, and access strategies, maintaining high standards of medical and scientific credibility, and overseeing medical information, evidence generation, and scientific exchange with stakeholders. The role also ensures compliance with pharmacovigilance and regulatory standards, provides medical insights to shape clinical practice and healthcare policy, and supports and oversees clinical trials (Phase I–IV), investigator-initiated studies (IITs), and non-interventional studies (NIS).

Required Qualifications

• An MD, MBBS, PharmD, or PhD in Lifesciences. An MBA is considered a plus.
• More than 10 years of experience in a Medical Affairs function within the pharmaceutical industry.
• Demonstrated experience with specialty products.
• Familiarity with the healthcare landscape in Saudi Arabia.
• Significant leadership experience and a proven ability to manage and motivate teams of diverse backgrounds.

Key Accountabilities

• Develop and implement the franchise medical strategy.
• Lead and mentor the Franchise Medical team.
• Ensure cross-functional alignment with commercial, regulatory, and access teams.
• Uphold scientific integrity and medical credibility.
• Oversee medical information and scientific exchange activities.
• Ensure adherence to all relevant compliance and pharmacovigilance standards.

Location and Work Type

This is a full-time position based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.