Job ID
REQ-10056870
July 16, 2025
Switzerland
Summary
The Clinical Operations Program Associate Director (COPaD) is responsible for the oversight, coordination, and development of early modeling viability assessments, global feasibility assessments, recruitment projections, and allocation strategies for assigned trials and programs.
About the Role
The Clinical Operations Program Associate Director (COPaD) plays a crucial role in overseeing and coordinating various key aspects of clinical program management.
#LI-Hybrid
Location: Basel, Switzerland
Responsibilities
Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Leading and conducting the end-to-end feasibility process in collaboration with country feasibility managers, clinical trial teams, and medical teams.
- Analyzing various data sources, including clinical trial data, historical performance, publications, epidemiology, and the clinical trial and commercial landscape.
- Providing modeling and viability analysis to support early recruitment projections and clinical trial planning.
- Offering feedback on study design based on available data and feasibility insights.
- Proposing optimal country and site allocations, including associated risks and opportunities in alignment with the global program strategy.
- Acting as the point of contact for assigned program and trial feasibilities, leading multidisciplinary feasibility teams to develop, validate, and refine allocation strategies, including timelines, scenarios, and risk mitigation plans.
- Identifying and resolving events in the indication landscape that represent operational risks for the execution of clinical trials.
- Leading the integration of regional and local indication strategies within global execution plans.
- Partnering closely with the country feasibility team to ensure the quality of feasibility products.
- Creating and maintaining patient enrollment forecasts at the study level.
- Ensuring alignment of feasibility and allocation strategies with seamless startup planning alongside COPH, Study Start-Up Lead, and feasibility teams.
- Improving and developing tools and processes for modeling, viability assessments, feasibility, and recruitment projections.
Minimum Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in life sciences/healthcare required; advanced degree or equivalent preferred (PhD/MD/PharmD/Masters).
- 5 years of pharmaceutical clinical drug development experience recommended (minimum of 3 years in planning/execution of global clinical trials).
- Strong understanding of all aspects of clinical drug development with a particular emphasis on clinical trial design and execution.
- Possess strong, resourceful research skills to locate unusual information and develop a domain-specific knowledge base.
- Comprehensive understanding of the clinical trial matrixed process from research through post-marketing phase IV, including health authority guidelines and challenges.
Desirable Requirements
- Demonstrated ability to collaborate across partner functions in a matrix environment.
- Experience in feasibility for global clinical trials.
- Success in identifying, flagging, and resolving risks; experience with strategic scenario planning.
- Effective communication with leaders in a local/regional/global matrixed environment.
- Proven experience in strategic planning and managing operational challenges at various levels.
- Good project management capabilities with a strong ability to problem-solve and mediate issues.
- Strong ability to interpret analytical data insights and communicate the rationale behind them.
- Thorough knowledge of the international drug development process, including international standards (GCP/ICH), health authority regulations, and clinical development processes.
- Good understanding of the global competitive landscape and its implications on clinical development.
- Strong leadership and negotiation skills, along with exceptional presentation and diplomacy skills.
Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
Novartis is dedicated to creating an outstanding, inclusive work environment with diverse teams representative of the patients and communities we serve.
Accessibility and Accommodations
Novartis is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with medical conditions or disabilities. If you require accommodations during the recruitment process or need detailed information about the essential functions of a position, please send an email to inclusion.switzerland@novartis.com with the nature of your request and your contact information. Please include the job requisition number in your message.
Why Novartis
Helping people with disease and their families requires more than innovative science; it takes a community of smart, passionate individuals. Together, we can achieve breakthroughs that transform patients' lives. Ready to create a brighter future together?
Join our Novartis Network
If this role isn't the right fit for you, consider signing up for our talent community. Stay connected and learn about suitable career opportunities as they arise.
Benefits and Rewards
To learn about the many ways we support your personal and professional growth, please read our handbook.
Apply online using the form below.
Please note that only applications matching the job profile will be considered.