Director, Agency Management Lead

Job Description Summary

Location:

The ideal location for this role is the East Hanover, NJ site but a distant working arrangement may be possible in certain states. Distant workers are responsible for the cost of home office expenses and periodic travel/lodging to the East Hanover, NJ site, as determined necessary by hiring manager. This position will require minimal travel as defined by the business (domestic and/or international)

The Agency Management Lead will be responsible for overseeing agency partnerships and managing an integrated roster across the US Integrated Marketing Organization. This individual will work closely with procurement and brand leaders to select and onboard new agency partners, while managing existing relationships – monitoring budget, usage and performance across the full US pharma portfolio. At the same time, they will maintain close connectivity to key talent in our agency holding companies and ensure that the best people are staffed to our business. This individual will report directly to the ED, Marketing Operations, Creative and Production Operations, and will act as a strategic partner in the devel-opment of the agency engagement vision and strategy. The Lead will continuously evolve the model of creativity with partners, while optimizing our approach for collaboration across the US organization (IMO and beyond.)

 

Job Description

Key responsibilities:

• Define a vision and engagement strategy for managing new and existing agency relationships, setting clear expectations, and ensuring partners are accountable for adhering to Novartis ways of working
• Define roadmap for automation across all agency partners including plans to evolve our work and processes with AI
• Evaluate technology and other innovative models to reimagine our ways of working across agency partners as well as our internal teams
• Act as liaison between Novartis and creative and content agencies, serving as the primary contact for onboarding, reviews, and re-evaluation of contracts
• Partner with change management teams to optimize process to train all agency partners
• Track, analyze, and report on agency performance and manage budget across the roster and US pharma portfolio
• Maintain agency management as a centralized capability that looks across the full US Pharma portfolio to balance creative excellence with cost efficiency
• With Procurement team, help to provide Novartis with outsourcing resources, guidance, and best practices

Minimum Requirements:

Education: Bachelor's degree in related field is required

Work Experience:

• Minimum of 7 years of experience in commercial Marketing and/or Vendor Account Management, in a regulated industry 
• Minimum of 3+ years of experience in managing the agency selection process, agency staffing plans, client contracts, and new business development
• 3+ years' experience in managing agency KPI’s and performance metrics 
• Demonstrated experience in managing budgets, external suppliers/agencies, and evaluating different agency cost models
• Candidates with both Creative Agency and Client-side experience preferred 
• Commercial and/or Cross-functional experience in Pharmaceutical, Healthcare or Consumer Packaged Goods, preferred

he pay range for this position at commencement of employment is expected to be between $168,000 .00 and $312,000.00 however, while salary ranges are effective from 1/1/25 through 12/31/25, fluctuations in the job market may necessitate adjustments to pay ranges during this period.  Further, final pay determinations will depend on various factors, including, but not limited to geographical location, experience level, knowledge, skills and abilities. The total compensation package for this position may also include other elements, including a sign-on bonus, restricted stock units, and discretionary awards in addition to a full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits (including 401(k) eligibility and various paid time off benefits, such as vacation, sick time, and parental leave), dependent on the position offered. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment. If hired, employee will be in an “at-will position” and the Company reserves the right to modify base salary (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, Company or individual department/team performance, and market factors. 

 

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 us.reasonableaccommodations@novartis.com or call +1(877)395-2339 and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Please include the job requisition number in your message.

 

Salary Range

$168,000.00 - $312,000.00

 

Skills Desired

Agility, Analytical Skill, Brand Awareness, Brand Engagement, Channel Management, Channel Marketing, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Customer Engagement, Customer Experience, Customer Insights, Digital Marketing, Digital Media, Influencing Skills, Marketing, Marketing Communications, Social Media, Stakeholder Engagement, Stakeholder Management, Strategic Partnerships, Waterfall Model