Novartis

Overview

The Associate Director, CRM Innovation Labs leads the Hyderabad extension of this capability and serves as a strategic partner to US CRM Innovation Labs and CRM leadership, shaping the innovation portfolio, establishing experimentation governance, and driving evidence-based decisions.

About Novartis

Novartis is on a mission to transform medicine and improve lives worldwide. As a global leader in healthcare, we leverage advanced technology, data, and digital capabilities to deliver patient-centric solutions, enhance customer engagement, and drive innovation.

Requirements & Eligibility

• Bachelor’s degree in business, technology, life sciences, engineering, or a related field
• 11+ years of experience in innovation, product management, digital transformation, consulting, emerging technology, CRM, or related disciplines
• Experience establishing or scaling innovation capabilities, operating models, or experimentation portfolios
• Proven success leading discovery, prototypes, proofs of concept, and evidence-based investment decisions
• Experience evaluating emerging technologies and managing internal teams, external partners, startups, or specialist providers
• Strong senior-stakeholder influence, strategic problem solving, and cross-functional leadership

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the Hyderabad CRM Innovation Labs extension by defining its operating model, governance, ways of working, reusable practices, and collaboration interfaces with US Labs, Product Owners, and delivery teams.
• Shape and manage a focused CRM innovation portfolio aligned to business priorities, customer and user needs, emerging technologies, strategic feasibility, and measurable value.
• Build internal innovation capability by fostering a culture of curiosity, disciplined experimentation, transparency, continuous learning, and accountable decision-making.
• Establish clear opportunity intake and governance mechanisms to assess whether ideas should enter Labs, leverage existing CRM capabilities, or be redirected to the appropriate accountable teams.
• Guide opportunities through structured experimentation stages including discovery, shaping, prototyping, proof of concept, validation, and evidence-based decisions.
• Develop and leverage an external innovation ecosystem across startups, technology partners, academia, specialist providers, and industry trends in CRM, AI, automation, analytics, experience, and life sciences.
• Partner with cross-functional stakeholders across business, Product, DDIT, architecture, engineering, UX, analytics, data, privacy, security, legal, compliance, and procurement to de-risk opportunities.
• Ensure validated concepts transition effectively into value realization with clear ownership, roadmap or adoption paths, delivery and support plans, and compliance controls.