Senior Expert Operational Excellence – Business Operations Digital Transformation (LDC & AI) (m/f/d)

Senior Expert Operational Excellence – Business Operations Digital Transformation (LDC & AI) (m/f/d)

Summary

This role drives operational excellence and digital transformation within Business Operations by integrating digital capabilities, AI-enabled solutions and end-to-end transformation initiatives. Acting as a key interface between Business, IT (DD&IT), and global process owners, the position enables sustainable business value, adoption of digital solutions and the evolution of a future-ready, scalable, digitally enabled function.

#LI-Hybrid

Location - Schaftenau, Austria

Major Accountabilities

Drive Process Excellence

• Continuously optimizing processes through digital tools and automation to deliver efficient, scalable and high-quality outcomes.
• Identify and implement opportunities for standardization, simplification and efficiency gains.
• Partner with Global Process Owners, Business Partners and country teams to ensure consistent execution and optimization of processes.
• Enable end-to-end SAP/S4HANA processes in alignment with global standards.

Enable Digital & AI Transformation

• Drive adoption of data, digital and AI solutions.
• Translate business needs into scalable digital use cases and support prioritization within the transformation portfolio.
• Enable effective utilization of digital tools by acting as a bridge between technical and business stakeholders.

Lead Cross-Functional Initiatives

• Manage and deliver transformation initiatives ensuring alignment across departments and functions.
• Ensure business readiness, stakeholder alignment and sustainable adoption of new processes and tools.
• Contribute to governance, reporting and performance tracking frameworks.

Build Future-Ready Capabilities

• Promote a digital-first mindset and embed data-driven ways of working across Business Operations.
• Support capability building initiatives such as AI, data literacy and digital tools in alignment with TRD priorities.
• Contribute to the development of a future-ready workforce combining business, process and digital capabilities.

Requirements

Education

• University degree in Informatics, Bioscience, Business Administration or similar with fluency in English and relevant experience in data, analytics, AI or platform roles.

Experience

• Several years of experience in Process Management.
• Proven track record in delivering digital or AI-enabled transformation initiatives.
• Experience with enterprise systems such as SAP/S4HANA and global process models.

Skills & Competencies

• Experience leveraging data, automation and digital tools in a business context.
• Demonstrated learning agility in digital and AI topics.
• Understanding of data integrity, compliance and governance requirements.
• Strong end-to-end process thinking and operational excellence mindset.
• Ability to bridge business, digital and data domains.
• Strong stakeholder management in global, cross-functional environments.
• Solid change management and transformation delivery capabilities.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills with proven speaking, presentation and facilitation experience in internal and external environments.

Desirable Requirements

• Experience in pharmaceutical, biotech, or regulated environments.
• Exposure to large-scale transformation programs such as SAP/S4HANA and ERP transformations.
• Certification or training in Lean, Six Sigma or Change Management.

Rewards

In addition to a market-competitive base salary, Novartis offers an attractive incentive program, a modern company pension scheme, childcare facilities, learning and development opportunities as well as worldwide career possibilities within the Novartis group. For this position the minimum salary is disclosed according to Austrian law and the actual salary will be significantly higher depending on experience, qualifications and competencies.

Novartis is open for part-time and job-sharing models and supports flexible and remote working where possible.

Why Novartis

Helping people with disease and their families takes more than innovative science. It takes a community of smart, passionate people. More information: https://www.novartis.com/about/strategy/people-and-culture

Benefits and Rewards: Learn about all the ways Novartis helps employees thrive personally and professionally. Read our handbook