Country Head, Communications & Engagement

About the role
Approximately 108,000 people and more than 140 nationalities work across Novartis globally and we are committed to improve and extend the lives of our patients. Novartis therapies reach nearly 800 million patients globally, and we are always finding innovative ways to expand access for our latest treatments.
As Country Head, Communications and Engagement (C&E) you will be responsible for all external and internal communication for Novartis Innovative Medicines (IM) across Australia and New Zealand. Your breadth of accountability is associate engagement, external & executive engagement (corporate reputation), therapy areas (TA) (product communications) and patient engagement.
As a member of the Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APMA) C&E and ANZ IM Leadership Teams, you will play an active role in providing strategic communications advice and counsel, collaborating with the regional team and sharing best practices while also leading, coaching and mentoring the local C&E team and building in-country capabilities.
Overall Responsibilities:

• Lead the country Communications & Patient Engagement team, to develop and execute cross-divisional communications plans which are in line with country and corporate strategic goals and desired market position for key brands.
• Shape the external environment for business success by developing and implementing medium to long-term strategies to increase Novartis IM share of voice.
• Together with your team, manage and own positive relationships between Novartis and key external stakeholders including general public, media, patients, patient organizations and relevant vendors.
• Contribute as an active member of the ANZ and APMA C&E Leadership Teams, providing strategic communications and patient engagement advice, participating in decision-making and leading on individual projects as agreed by the Teams.
• Build relationships with senior business partners and senior communications colleagues.
• Elevate the voice of patients within the company, to highlight patients' needs and opinions

External (Executive, Therapy Area Communications, Reputation) & Patient Engagement:
External and Patient Engagement

• Develop and implement the external engagement strategies for Communications and Patient Engagement.
• Develop key strategic programs to support Novartis external communications objectives including leadership and reputation, increasing positive awareness of Novartis, its mission and public service efforts.
• Oversee internal and external corporate communications channels, particularly identifying opportunities with digital/social media.
• Develop crisis-management communication planning, readiness and response capabilities.
• Lead proactive external communications activities in support of environment shaping initiatives including media events, press releases, conferences, speeches and interviews, including Executive Communications.
• Manage all external communications agencies and ensure the effective management and success of outcomes to achieve maximum impact.
• Develop a detailed understanding of the IM Business Franchise needs in terms if brand communications to drive awareness and advocacy for key strategic brands.
• Build, strengthen and maintain relationships with patient groups who have a strong share of voice in the policy environment to create alignment around the common goal of patient access to innovative medicines.
• Elevate the voice of patients within the company, to highlight patients' needs and opinions to the leadership team and customer facing functions, particularly medical, marketing and sales teams.
• Build partnerships with patient groups to capture and represent the patient voice among media, the general public and other external stakeholders, in accordance with local and global guidelines.
• Establish effective mechanisms to measure the effectiveness and business impact of Communications & Patient Engagement.

Internal Engagement:

• Lead on internal communications, associate engagement and change management.
• Collaboratively develop the internal communication strategy, along with the P&O group, and plan and implement effective communication of key internal messages.
• Help to build culture by engaging associates in communications campaigns being developed that inspire pride and purpose.
• Drive adoption of new communication channels and innovative content creation.
• Lead on working cross-divisionally with Novartis Corporate Communications to create synergies and secure provision of IM content to the wider organization.

Leadership:

• Lead the team in terms of strategic vision, aligned to the Global, Regional and local business objectives.
• Manage the day-to-day operational performance of the team including, people development, budgets, resource planning, risk management, objective setting and ensuring the team operates at a high level of integrity both internally and externally, aligned to Novartis policies and procedures.
• Oversee talent development and capability building to ensure a strong Communications & Engagement function for the future, importing and exporting local talent throughout the network.
• Enable teams to work in a truly integrated fashion across disciplines and from country to region and Global.
• Ensure a diverse and inclusive environment, free from all forms of discrimination and harassment.

Role Requirements
What you will bring to the role:

• University (degree or higher) educated, in Communications, Marketing, Journalism, or a related field.
• Extensive experience in PR or Communications
• Excellent written and oral communications skills
• Communications agency and/or client service experience preferred
• Knowledge of the pharma industry, government and legal regulations as well as an understanding of Pharma communication concerns regarding public, media, shareholder and employee relations
• Strong interpersonal skills and proven experience in managing and fostering positive relationships with a variety of stakeholders
• A good understanding of the ANZ media landscape, with a proven track record in managing issues and building and nurturing media relationships.
• A good team player and business partner, with the ability to effectively collaborate with team members and functions
• A proven track record leading teams and developing talent
• An ability to problem solve and experience in crisis management.

Why Novartis?
766 million lives were touched by Novartis medicines in 2021, and while we're proud of this, we know there is so much more we could do to help improve and extend people's lives.
We believe new insights, perspectives and ground-breaking solutions can be found at the intersection of medical science and digital innovation. That a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment inspires new ways of working.
We believe our potential can thrive and grow in an unbossed culture underpinned by integrity, curiosity and flexibility. And we can reinvent what's possible, when we
collaborate with courage to aggressively and ambitiously tackle the world's toughest
medical challenges. Because the greatest risk in life, is the risk of never trying! Imagine what you could do here at Novartis!
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: https://talentnetwork.novartis.com/network
Functional Area
Communications & Public Affairs
Division
Corporate Affairs
Business Unit
Communications & Engagement
Employment Type
Regular
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.
Shift Work
No
Early Talent
No