Business Process Excellence Lead

• Define and implement the end-to-end Lean Six Sigma operating model, including demand intake, project selection, training, coaching, mentoring, certification, governance, benefits validation, sustainment, and enterprise portfolio management covering priorities, risks, dependencies, certification pipeline, and value realization.

• Establish robust Lean Six Sigma governance through clear decision rights, standards, roles, stage gates, escalation paths, governance forums, and consistent execution across functions and geographies.

• Lead the BPE Academy and Process Excellence capability portfolio across Lean Six Sigma, Business Process Management, Design Thinking, Process Intelligence, AI and Automation-enabled process innovation, and Process Data Management & Governance, including curriculum design, learning delivery, faculty readiness, certifications, learner communications, and partner management.

• Modernize learning and program administration by leveraging digital technologies, analytics, automation, and responsible AI, while maintaining methodological rigor and building a scalable enterprise Continuous Improvement (CI) framework.

• Build and sustain a strong practitioner ecosystem of trainers, coaches, mentors, panelists, practitioners, change agents, BPE Champions, Global Process Owners, Process Owners, and Communities of Practice to drive adoption, knowledge sharing, and best-practice reuse.

• Apply Design Thinking, workshop facilitation, Lean thinking, DMAIC, and structured problem-solving techniques to lead process deep dives, uncover user needs, map pain points, co-create improvements, and coach project leaders and senior stakeholders on sustainable transformation.

• Establish portfolio governance, performance dashboards, and value-realization mechanisms that connect learning, certifications, project progress, capability growth, business outcomes, and validated benefits through collaboration with Finance and business stakeholders.

• Drive stakeholder engagement and operational excellence by partnering with business units, operations, quality, people teams, finance, data and digital functions, and external vendors; securing leadership sponsorship; managing risks, resources, reporting, documentation, process standardization, simplification, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Minimum Requirements

• University degree in business, engineering, operations, life sciences, technology, or related discipline.

• 10-15 years’ experience leading enterprise or cross-functional process excellence, continuous improvement, transformation, or capability-building programs in a complex global organization.

• Proven experience in designing, deploying, and scaling global capability-building programs in Operational Excellence and Process Excellence disciplines, including Lean Six Sigma (Yellow Belt, Green Belt, Black Belt), Design Thinking, Business Process Management, and related methodologies

• Demonstrated expertise in developing learning architectures, certification pathways, competency frameworks, and practitioner ecosystems that enable sustainable capability growth and business impact across geographies and functions

• Strong facilitation and workshop design capabilities, including application of human-centered design approaches and experiential learning methodologies such as LEGO® Serious Play® to drive innovation, stakeholder alignment, problem solving, and co-creation.

• Strong experience influencing senior stakeholders and working across functions, geographies, and organizational boundaries.

• Experience with performance management, KPI frameworks, dashboards, analytics, and data-driven decision-making.

Why consider 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-culture

Commitment 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 Network here:
https://talentnetwork.novartis.com/network