Director, Analytical Project Management

Novartis is hiring a Director, Analytical Project Management in Hyderabad, India. Level rates it ; you can apply on Novartis.

Level's read on this job

Level rates this project manager role Little AI ●○○○: aI is not part of the work.
Tools and skills the posting cites include project management, portfolio management and resource optimization.
Level classifies it as an executive role.
Level lists 870 other open roles at Novartis.

AI in this role

Lead end-to-end technical project and portfolio management for ARD India, ensuring execution of analytical development programs.

project-managementportfolio-managementresource-optimizationcross-functional-leadershipanalytical-development

Job Description Summary

The Director, Project Management (ARD India) is responsible for leading end-to-end technical project and portfolio management across ARD India, ensuring seamless execution of analytical development programs aligned with global ARD priorities.
This role drives technical excellence in project governance, planning, resource optimization, and cross-functional coordination across global and site stakeholders, enabling timely, compliant, and cost-effective delivery of development milestones.
The position acts as a strategic bridge between global ARD project management, scientific teams, and site operations, strengthening execution discipline, transparency, and decision-making across the portfolio.

Job Description

Key Accountabilities

1. Portfolio & Project Management Leadership

Lead the ARD India portfolio of Analytical Project Leads (APLs) analytical development projects across early and late phase programs spanning across the modalities, viz., oral, xRNA, radio-ligand therapy, parenterals.
Ensure robust project planning, tracking, and delivery in alignment with global timelines and regulatory requirements
Drive proactive risk identification, mitigation strategies, and escalation mechanisms
Implement standardized project management methodologies, tools, and best practices

2. Governance & Decision Framework

Establish and lead project governance structures (reviews, portfolio boards, dashboards)
Provide data-driven insights to support strategic decision-making and prioritization
Ensure transparency of project status, risks, milestones, and resource utilization
Align governance processes with global ARD project management standards

3. Cross-functional Integration & Stakeholder Management

Act as key interface between ARD scientific teams, TRD, global project leaders, and cross-functional partners
Ensure alignment of analytical development activities with overall program and CMC strategies
Facilitate effective communication across geographies (India, Switzerland, China)
Strengthen collaboration with functions such as Regulatory, Quality, Supply, and External Partners

4. Resource & Capacity Management

Lead demand and capacity planning across ARD project portfolio
Optimize resource allocation to ensure efficient utilization and delivery against priorities
Partner with functional heads to balance portfolio demands and capability development
Drive workforce planning aligned with future pipeline needs

5. Operational Excellence & Digital Enablement

Drive continuous improvement in project execution through lean principles and digital tools
Implement data analytics and dashboarding to enhance performance visibility
Standardize reporting, KPIs, and performance tracking across projects
Promote automation and digitalization in project management processes

6. People & Capability Leadership

Lead, mentor, and develop a team of Analytical Project Leads
Build strong project management capabilities within ARD India
Foster a high-performance culture focused on accountability, collaboration, and innovation
Support talent development, succession planning, and capability building

Minimum Requirements

PhD / Master’s in Analytical Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or Chemistry
15–18+ years in Analytical R&D / Pharmaceutical Development
Proven experience in project / portfolio management within drug development
Strong understanding of end-to-end development lifecycle (early to commercialization)
Experience in global, matrixed organizations with cross-functional leadership

Skills Desired

Budget Management, Coaching Techniques, Data Science, Design of Experiments (DOE), Laboratory Research, New Product Introduction (NPI), People Management, Problem Solving, Process Simulation, Research and Development, Waterfall Model

How we rate this

Director, Analytical Project Management at Novartis rates 0 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Little AI (AI Level 1 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.

Classification

Little AI. AI is not part of the work.

●●●● Builds AI80 to 100
●●●○ Works on AI60 to 79
●●○○ Uses AI40 to 59
●○○○ Little AI0 to 39

Levels come from how often the tools, models and workflows of the role are named in the posting itself. Read the description and count the AI tools, models and workflows it names.

Key facts

Director, Analytical Project Management is an open job at Novartis.
Level rates this role AI Level 1 of 4: Little AI.
The role is based in Hyderabad (Office).
The job was posted on October 26, 2026.
Seniority: executive.
Applications are handled by Novartis. Apply on Novartis

Prepare for this job

Built from this posting and from similar jobs on Level.

Skills and AI tools this role asks for

Project ManagementPortfolio ManagementResource OptimizationCross Functional LeadershipAnalytical Development

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AWS SQL Azure Generative AI AI agents Google Cloud

Pay

Typical project manager job: $111k

This posting doesn't list pay. Use the typical project manager figure when pay comes up. See project manager jobs

Questions you could be asked

Tell me about a project where project management was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where portfolio management was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where resource optimization was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where cross functional leadership was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where analytical development was part of your work. What did you do?

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List these exact terms on your resume: Project Management, Portfolio Management, Resource Optimization, Cross Functional Leadership, and Analytical Development. An applicant tracking system matches the wording, not the idea.
Attach one line of real, concrete experience to at least one of them. A tool named with nothing behind it rarely survives a human read.

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