Customer Excellence Operations Manager

#LI-Hybrid Location: São Paulo, SP This role is based in São Paulo, SP. Novartis is unable to offer relocation support for this role: please only apply if this location is accessible for you. The Customer Excellence Operations Manager is responsible for leading the Customer Excellence Operations organization, ensuring operational excellence, governance, compliance, performance management, and continuous improvement across Patient Support Programs (PSPs), Events Excellence, Data & Performance, and Central Operations. The role acts as the operational backbone of Customer Excellence, translating strategic priorities into sustainable operating models, governance frameworks, performance systems, and execution mechanisms that enable Novartis to achieve its business objectives while maintaining the highest standards of compliance, quality, and patient impact. The position requires strong leadership, enterprise thinking, process excellence expertise, financial stewardship, and the ability to influence senior stakeholders across local and global organizations.

Key responsibilities Define and evolve the Customer Excellence Operations strategy, translating organizational priorities into operational roadmaps, Must Win Battles, scalable operating models and enterprise-wide transformation initiatives aligned with global standards. Lead governance and continuous evolution of Patient Support Programs, ensuring strong patient journey experience, operational innovation, SOP adherence, compliance, audit readiness, CAPA implementation and quality improvement. Drive operational excellence and continuous improvement across Customer Excellence using Lean Six Sigma, project management methodologies, sustainable management systems, performance routines and data-driven decision making. Define performance measurement frameworks and ensure availability, quality and integrity of operational data across Customer Excellence, including the adoption of data governance practices and executive insights for decision making. Sponsor and enable digital solutions such as Power BI, Power Apps, OnePSP, NovaPSP and other tools that improve operational performance, visibility and customer engagement effectiveness. Own operational financial governance across Customer Excellence Operations, including budgets, forecasts, accruals, provisions, contracts, supplier payments, reporting controls, spending optimization and investment business cases. Lead vendor and partner governance for third-party service providers supporting PSPs, events, logistics and Customer Excellence activities, including supplier reviews, RFPs, vendor selection, contract governance and service-level compliance. Establish operational standards and governance for customer events, ensuring high-quality execution of congresses, advisory boards, speaker engagements and internal events while continuously improving processes and tools. Lead and develop a multidisciplinary organization of managers, specialists, analysts and external resources, fostering accountability, ownership, collaboration and capabilities in project management, operational excellence and technology. Essential Requirements University degree or equivalent experience required; advanced English required; relevant experience leading complex operational organizations in healthcare, pharmaceutical, life sciences, Customer Excellence or Patient Support Program environments. Strong background in Patient Support Programs, healthcare operations, customer excellence, governance frameworks, compliance standards and risk management. Proven ability to lead cross-functional and matrix teams, including multidisciplinary groups and external resources, with strong people leadership and organizational development capabilities. Advanced knowledge of project management and operational excellence methodologies, with Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt and PMP or equivalent certification preferred. Experience managing third-party providers, strategic vendors, RFPs, contract governance, service-level performance and supplier improvement initiatives. Strong executive stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence senior local and global stakeholders and translate strategy into execution. Experience with performance management, data governance, Power BI, data analytics and digital solutions that support operational visibility and decision making. Experience with global transformation, operating model redesign, process optimization and continuous improvement initiatives in complex organizations. Why Novartis: Our purpose is to reimagine medicine to improve and extend people’s lives and our vision is to become the most valued and trusted medicines company in the world. How can we achieve this? With our people. It is our associates that drive us each day to reach our ambitions. Be a part of this mission and join us! Learn more here: https://www.novartis.com/about/strategy/people-and-cultureYou’ll receive: Competitive salary, annual bonus, life insurance, home office policy (home office 2x a week), retirement and wellbeing plans, flexible working arrangements, birthday day-off, parental leave, subsidized dining facilities, health insurance, employee recognition platform, Wellhub, employee resource groups and virtual self-development tools.If you want to learn more about our benefits, you can access the Novartis Life Handbook: https://www.novartis.com/careers/benefits-rewardsCommitment to Diversity and Inclusion: Novartis is committed to building an outstanding, inclusive work environment and diverse teams' representative of the patients and communities we serve.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 Careers:  https://www.novartis.com/careers