First Line Manager

Novartis is hiring a First Line Manager. It pays €71k-€133k a year and Level rates it ; you can apply on Novartis.

Level's read on this job

Level rates this role Little AI ●○○○: aI is not part of the work.
Tools and skills the posting cites include CRM, team leadership and pharmaceutical sales.
Level classifies it as a lead role.
Level lists 835 other open roles at Novartis.
The role was posted within the past two weeks.

AI in this role

Lead a high-performing field sales force team in a pharmaceutical therapy area to drive commercial success and customer engagement.

crm

team-leadershippharmaceutical-salesaccount-managementcoaching

Salary Range:

€71,300.00 - €132,500.00

Job Description Summary

#Linkedin
#Belgium

At Novartis, our purpose is to reimagine medicine to improve and extend people's lives. As a First Line Manager you will lead a high-performing field force team in one of our Therapy Areas, responsible for delivering exceptional customer experiences and driving sustainable growth across portfolios.

This leadership role combines strategic account management, people leadership, cross-functional orchestration, and execution excellence. You will play a critical role in bringing innovative medicines to patients by ensuring commercial success, fostering customer partnerships, and developing a highly engaged and capable team.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities

Lead, coach, and develop a team of Sales Representatives to achieve sales, market share, productivity, and performance objectives across the disease area portfolio.
Develop and execute area business plans aligned with national strategic priorities and brand objectives.
Build a culture of high performance through ongoing coaching, capability development, feedback, and talent management.
Drive excellence in execution by ensuring the right customer engagement, content, channel, timing, and messaging across customer interactions.
Utilize customer and market insights to optimize territory performance, prioritize opportunities, and enhance customer impact.
Foster deep understanding of disease areas and products while ensuring field team capability development.
Lead strategic account engagement and support the development and execution of cross-functional account plans.
Collaborate closely with Medical, Value & Access, Patient Engagement, Key Account Management, and Customer Success teams to maximize customer and patient outcomes.
Identify barriers throughout the patient journey and work with internal and external stakeholders to improve diagnosis, treatment access, and quality of care.
Manage resources and operating budgets effectively to ensure optimal return on investment.
Maintain high standards of compliance and ensure adherence to all company policies, procedures, and ethical standards.
Ensure timely reporting of adverse events, technical complaints, and other product-related information in accordance with Novartis policies.

Essential Requirements

Proven leadership experience within the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, healthcare, or related industry.
Strong track record of delivering commercial results and leading high-performing teams.
Experience in diverse therapy areas, specialty care, or hospital-based environments preferred.
Demonstrated ability to develop business plans and translate strategy into execution.
Strong coaching, people development, and stakeholder management skills.
Excellent communication and influencing capabilities across a complex matrix organization.
Experience utilizing data, analytics, and customer insights to drive decision making.
Ability to lead through change and navigate a dynamic healthcare environment.
Strong understanding of healthcare systems, customer engagement, and account management principles.
Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred.
Fluent Dutch and/or French, English

Why Novartis?

Our people are at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where diverse perspectives drive innovation and where associates are empowered to make a meaningful impact on patients' lives.

Join us and help transform the future of medicine while developing your career in a truly global organization.|

Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion

Novartis is committed to building an outstanding, inclusive work environment and diverse teams representative of the patients and communities we serve.

Benefits & Rewards

At Novartis, we’re committed to reimagining medicine together - and rewarding the people who make it happen.

Expected Annual Base Salary Range for role: 71,300.00 - 101,900.00 - 132,500.00 EUR Annual

The base salary offered is determined based on gender-neutral objectives, such as relevant skills, competencies and experience in accordance with the Novartis pay setting policy and upon joining Novartis will be reviewed periodically.

In addition to your base salary, you may be eligible for a performance-based bonus depending on certain performance parameters.

The rewards of being part of our team go far beyond base pay and incentives. We also offer a variety of competitive benefits in kind to help you thrive personally and professionally, such as insurance plans, retirement plans, wellbeing resources and global recognition programs. In addition, we provide flexible and hybrid working options, where possible, and minimum 14 weeks paid parental leave.

You may be eligible for a company vehicle or a car allowance in accordance with the applicable local Novartis policies and guidelines.

Pay equity is a fundamental principle of our employment policy and reflects our commitment to create a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment that treats all employees with dignity and respect, as outlined in our Code of Ethics.

Read our brochure to learn more about our global total rewards offering:

https://www.novartis.com/sites/novartis_com/files/novartis-life-handbook.pdf

Skills Desired

Change Management, Coaching, Collaboration, Commercial Excellence, Complexity Management, Leadership, Mentorship, Professional Ethics

How we rate this

First Line Manager 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

First Line Manager is an open job at Novartis.
Level rates this role AI Level 1 of 4: Little AI.
The listed salary is €71k-€133k a year.
The role is based in Diegem.
The job was posted on October 14, 2026.
Seniority: lead.
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

Team LeadershipPharmaceutical SalesAccount ManagementCoachingCRM

Questions you could be asked

Tell me about a project where team leadership was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where pharmaceutical sales was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where account management was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where coaching was part of your work. What did you do?
Walk me through how you've used CRM in your day-to-day work.

Adapt your resume

List these exact terms on your resume: Team Leadership, Pharmaceutical Sales, Account Management, Coaching, and CRM. 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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