Head of Public Affairs - Gulf Cluster

Job Responsibilities

• Political & Legislative Engagement: Influence healthcare, political and legislative processes to advance access to innovation and serve Novartis’s strategic objectives and maintain strong relationships with key government stakeholders. 
• Business Alignment: Align Novartis’s strategies with Gulf Vision to maximize healthcare opportunities. 
• Public Policy Leadership: Deliver evidence-based insights and collaborate across government, industry, academia, and associations to position Novartis as a thought leader and drive access enabling policies.
• Integrated Strategy: Develop and execute a unified government affairs strategy supporting all Novartis divisions through effective cross-functional collaboration. 
• Crisis & Risk Management: Anticipate, manage, and mitigate high-impact issues with robust risk frameworks and transparent crisis response. 
• High-Level Stakeholder Engagement: Build strategic relationships with senior government officials to advocate for Novartis’s interests and enable effective communication. 
• Geopolitical & Economic Analysis: Monitor macroeconomic and geopolitical trends to inform strategies that safeguard and advance business objectives. 
• Leadership & Collaboration: Drive alignment within the country executive team and divisional government affairs staff, ensuring strategic consistency and engagement with senior leadership. 

Minimum Requirements

• A degree in healthcare, Political Science, Public Policy, Law, or closely related field.
• Minimum of 8 years of experience in government affairs, public policy, or a related field with significant experience in the healthcare or pharmaceutical industry.
• Local Policy and Gulf Market Experience: extensive experience with local policies and a deep understanding of the Gulf market dynamics. 
• Must be Arabic and English language speakers.