Job Description Summary
The Commercial Head / Business Unit Head Is a country leadership role, reporting directly to the Country President. Is responsible for setting and executing the strategy for specific area of accounts, ensuring strong commercial performance and effective implementation. This role requires a deep understanding of account-specific needs and untapped business challenges, with a focus on identifying both clinical and economic levers to improve healthcare delivery and accelerate patient access.Step into a pivotal leadership role at Novartis Portugal, reporting directly to the Country President. This is a great opportunity to shape the future of healthcare by driving innovation, performance, and impact across a dynamic and purpose-driven organization. As part of the leadership team, you’ll work alongside passionate teams to deliver transformative solutions for patients, foster a culture of excellence, and lead with integrity in a fast-evolving environment.
Job Description
Major accountabilities:
Performance & Launch
Lead the design and execution of strategic, account-specific plans that deliver patient value and competitive commercial impact.
Own sales, market share, and profitability targets, ensuring delivery against budget and growth objectives.
Drive product growth through lifecycle management, successful launches, and strategic partnerships.
Oversee cross-functional coordination for key launches, ensuring flawless execution and market readiness.
Maximize sales force execution, effectiveness, and ROI through capability building and innovative commercial approaches.
Manage budget and financial performance, ensuring full compliance with Ethics, Risk & Compliance standards.
Strategic Agility / Business Acumen / Results Orientation
Translate global and local strategies into actionable, market-specific plans that drive brand, customer, and launch success.
Collaborate with Commercial Heads to shape agile, customer-centric digital and engagement strategies that respond to evolving market and patient needs.
Contribute to strategic portfolio development by supporting commercial assessments, forecasting, in-licensing, and lifecycle planning in partnership with global, regional, and local teams.
Collaborate cross-functionally to drive shared goals, enhance customer engagement, and deliver value across the healthcare ecosystem.
Leadership & Culture
Champion the Novartis culture and leadership standards and actively showcase the Novartis culture and leadership expectations across all levels of the organization.
Foster a culture of excellence and innovation by driving engagement, accountability, and continuous improvement. Lead all people-management processes with integrity and strategic foresight.
Attract, develop, and retain top-tier talent in value & access—including from other industries.
Drive cross-functional collaboration and inclusivity. Build diverse, agile, and high-performing teams that consistently deliver results.
Key performance indicators:
Achievement of defined performance targets across key business metrics.
Delivery of customer satisfaction outcomes in line with the defined index.
Identification and realisation of new business development opportunities that support strategic growth.
Establishment and activation of external partnerships that contribute to business value and innovation.
Execution of pipeline product launches in alignment with budget and business plans.
Delivery of efficient, compliant, and high-performing operations across all business functions.
Requirements:
Minimum of 10 years’ relevant experience working with high-performing regional and local sales, marketing, medical, and/or access teams in the healthcare or life sciences industry.
Proven commercial leadership experience with full P&L responsibility
Demonstrated people management experience
International mobility required
Strong track record of performance and successful delivery
Proven success in leading product launches
Proactive self-starter with a change-agent mindset
Strong leadership capabilities with experience introducing innovation into healthcare systems
Deep understanding of customer needs, market dynamics, and competitor strategies
Comfortable working independently in a start-up environment with a hands-on, roll-up-the-sleeves approach
Proficient in analysing financial and market data to inform strategy and communicate insights effectively
Entrepreneurial mindset with unwavering integrity and professionalism
Languages:
English fluent spoken & written,
Highly desirable local language proficiency
Skills Desired
Accountability, Account Management, Commercial Excellence, Competitive Intelligence, Complexity Management, Compliance, Crm (Customer Relationship Management), Customer Engagement, Enterprise Sales, Ethics, Healthcare Sector, Integrated Marketing, Market Development, matrixed collaboration, Problem Solving Skills, Revenue Growth, Sales Strategy, Selling Skills, Strategic Leadership, Value Propositions
