Head of Global Development Process Excellence

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Job Description

Sandoz continues to go through an exciting and transformative period as a global leader and pioneering provider of sustainable Biosimilar and Generic medicines. As we continue down this new and ambitious path, unique opportunities will present themselves, both professionally and personally. Join us, the future is ours to shape

As Head of Global Development Process Excellence, you will lead and embed a culture of operational excellence, innovation efficiency, and continuous improvement across the Sandoz Global Development (SGD) organization. You will drive strategic transformation of processes to accelerate time-to-market, enhance regulatory readiness, and improve cost-efficiency - while maintaining high standards of scientific rigor and compliance. You will partner closely with Technology and cross-functional teams to optimize end-to-end development workflows, embed automation, adopt data-driven decision-making, and help implement digital solutions across the SGD value chain.

Major accountabilities: 

Responsibilities include but not limited to:

• Define and execute a process excellence strategy tailored to the needs and strategic goals of Sandoz Global Development.

• Closely collaborate with Technology team on definition and implementation of technology-driven transformation in SGD; aligning disruptive initiatives with broader business goals (e.g., data integrity, automation of key processes, speed to market).

• Champion robust data governance, interoperability, and FAIR principles. Drive business adoption of platforms that enable real-time insights, predictive modelling, and automation

• Prioritize and allocate resources to high-impact disruptive initiatives. Balance short-term deliverables with long-term innovation bets

• Foster a culture of experimentation, agility, accountability and digital fluency. Upskill teams and embed digital capabilities across SGD functions.

• Define KPIs to measure SGD productivity (e.g., reduction in cycle time, improved trial design, enhanced safety signal detection, reduced time for creation of submission documents)

• Drive data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement across development functions.

• Collaborates with internal (e.g., Technology, Platform heads, Regulatory, Clinical, Safety) and external partners when / where applicable (academia, regulators). Ensure alignment and buy-in across the ecosystem.

• Facilitate harmonization of global development practices across regions and sites.

• Anticipate and mitigate risks related to data privacy, algorithmic bias, and patient trust. Promote responsible innovation and compliance with global standards.

• Follow industry trends and emerging practices to drive agility, speed, efficiency, and effectiveness.

 Minimum Requirements: 
 What you'll bring to the role:

• Advanced degree in pharmaceutical sciences, engineering, or business (PhD, PharmD, MBA preferred).

• Fluent English required (oral and written)

• 15+ years of experience in pharmaceutical R&D, with significant exposure to Generics and/or Biosimilars (strong experience from FMCG industry would be seen as a plus).

• Proven track record in leading large-scale transformation and process excellence initiatives.

• Demonstrated success in designing and implementing Lean, Six Sigma, or Agile methodologies within a scientific or technical environment.

• Track record of reducing development cycle times, improving cost efficiency, and enhancing quality and compliance

• Proven track record in Generics and biopharma R&D, ideally across multiple phases (early pipeline, product development, clinical, post approval phase).

• Strong experience collaborating with Technology / IT teams to implement digital tools with strong efficiency gains (e.g., LIMS, ELN, RIM, Safety, CTMS, automations, data lakes, AI/ML models).

• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills across global, matrixed environments.

Why Sandoz?

Generic and Biosimilar medicines are the backbone of the global medicines industry. Sandoz, a leader in this sector, provided more than 900 million patient treatments across 100+ countries in 2024 and while we are proud of this achievement, we have an ambition to do more

With investments in new development capabilities, production sites, new acquisitions, and partnerships, we have the opportunity to shape the future of Sandoz and help more patients gain access to low-cost, high-quality medicines, sustainably.

Our momentum is powered by an open, collaborative culture driven by our talented and ambitious colleagues, who, in return for applying their skills experience an agile and collegiate environment with impactful, flexible-hybrid careers, where diversity is welcomed and where personal growth is supported 

Join us

Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion:

We are committed to building an outstanding, inclusive work environment and diverse teams representative of the patients and communities we serve.

Accessibility and accommodation

Sandoz is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to all individuals. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the recruitment process, please send an e-mail to and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Please include the job requisition number in your message

#Sandoz

Skills Desired

Applied Mathematics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Aws (Amazon Web Services), Big Data, Building Construction, Cloud Computing, Computer Science, Data Governance, Data Literacy, Data Management, Data Quality, Data Science, Data Strategy, Electrical Transformer, Machine Learning (Ml), Master Data Management, Professional Services, Python (Programming Language), R (Programming Language), Random Forest Algorithm, Statistical Analysis, Time Series Analysis

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