Director, Core Data Management

Role Description

As Director, Core Data Management, you will shape the future of enterprise data by establishing the standards, governance, and operational excellence needed to create trusted, AI-ready data products at scale. This is a high-impact leadership opportunity to influence how data is managed across the organization, partner with senior stakeholders across business and technology, and lead a talented team dedicated to delivering high-quality, governed data that powers innovation and accelerates our mission to reimagine medicine.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and evolve enterprise standards for core data, metadata, data modeling, and data quality.
• Drive consistent adoption of data standards across certified data products enterprise-wide.
• Establish trusted, governed, and artificial intelligence-ready datasets that enable business value.
• Lead, coach, and develop a team of Associate Directors across data management domains.
• Partner with data engineering and business teams to onboard and scale data products.
• Oversee post-launch data operations, ensuring performance, stability, and governance compliance.
• Maintain operational documentation, standards, reporting, and delivery performance metrics.
• Monitor service levels, identify trends, and proactively address operational risks.
• Coordinate cross-functional stakeholders, vendors, and partners to achieve successful delivery outcomes.
• Champion continuous improvement across the data product lifecycle and governance processes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field; advanced degree preferred.
• 15+ years of data management or data architecture experience in complex organizations.
• 3+ years leading teams within a regulated industry environment.
• Demonstrated ownership of an enterprise data model or CDM at scale, with formal domain/master-data governance.
• Working fluency in ODCS, DCAT, SKOS, OWL/RDF, or equivalent semantic-web/data-contract standards.
• Experience with a modern catalog/governance platform (Data Governance platform, Open Metadata, Atlan, Collibra, or Alation).
• Familiarity with pharma commercial data sources (IQVIA Xponent/OneKey/Plantrak, Veeva) is a strong plus.
• Proven people-leadership: hiring, coaching ADs, and managing distributed/vendor surge teams to deadlines.
• Executive communication skills — able to translate architecture into board-ready narrative.

Requirements

• Experience working with pharmaceutical commercial data sources, including IQVIA, Veeva, or similar platforms.

Salary Range

The salary for this position is expected to range between $185,500 and $344,500 per year. The final salary offered is determined based on factors like, but not limited to, relevant skills and experience, and upon joining Novartis will be reviewed periodically. Novartis may change the published salary range based on company and market factors.

Benefits

• Performance-based cash incentive.
• Eligibility for annual equity awards (depending on the level of the role).
• Comprehensive benefits package including health, life and disability benefits.
• 401(k) with company contribution and match.
• Generous time off package including vacation, personal days, holidays, and other leaves.

EEO Statement

The Novartis Group of Companies are Equal Opportunity Employers. We do not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion or other employment practices for reasons of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.

Accessibility and Reasonable Accommodations

The Novartis Group of Companies are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, or to perform the essential functions of a position, please send an e-mail to View email address on us.fitly.work or call View phone number on us.fitly.work and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Please include the job requisition number in your message.