Novartis Posted October 8, 2026

Innovation Capability Director - Global Clinical Operations (GCO)

London (The Westworks), United Kingdom FULL_TIME
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Novartis is the source of truth for this posting and owns the application process. We surface normalized context and market comparison you won't find on the original listing.

About this opportunity

#LI-HybridThis position is based in our Westworks, London, UK offices. Novartis operates a Hybrid working policy with an expectation of 12 days per month onsite.Home worker contracts for UK based candidates can be offered depending on eligibility criteria being met. This can be discussed at interview stage if applicable.Relocation support is not available for this position. Novartis is unable to sponsor Visas for this position.Innovation in patient recruitment has never been more critical to bringing medicines to patients faster. As Innovation Capability Director - Global Clinical Operations, you will lead the identification, implementation and scaling of innovative recruitment and patient engagement solutions that improve clinical trial participation around the world. Working across global study teams, technology partners and cross-functional stakeholders, you will transform promising ideas into scalable capabilities that deliver measurable impact for patients, sites and clinical programs. This is a highly visible leadership role for an innovation expert with proven digital patient recruitment experience, a passion for advancing clinical research and the ability to shape strategy while driving execution in a complex global environment. You will bring deep expertise in digital marketing for patient recruitment, including emerging and artificial intelligence-enabled approaches that improve how patients are identified, engaged and connected with clinical trials.

Key ResponsibilitiesLead the adoption and scaling of innovative solutions that improve clinical trial recruitment, participation and patient experience.Partner with global study teams, technology providers and cross-functional stakeholders to deliver impactful patient recruitment innovations.Drive implementation, governance, risk management and continuous improvement of innovation initiatives across global clinical programs.Evaluate digital, data-driven and artificial intelligence-enabled approaches to improve patient identification, engagement and recruitment outcomes.Develop scalable frameworks, processes and best practices that support sustainable adoption of successful recruitment innovations.Identify emerging technologies, industry trends and recruitment approaches that strengthen organizational capability and innovation leadership.Serve as a trusted expert, influencing strategy, building capability and representing Novartis across the clinical research ecosystem.Essential RequirementsAdvanced degree in Life Sciences, Healthcare or a related discipline, or equivalent relevant education and experience.At least five years’ clinical trial innovation or solution delivery experience, particularly within clinical trial recruitment.At least seven years’ experience within pharmaceutical clinical drug development and a strong understanding of clinical trial operations.Proven digital patient recruitment expertise, including developing and implementing digital marketing strategies to identify and engage potential trial participants.Experience applying digital tools and artificial intelligence-enabled methods to patient recruitment, selection or matching in clinical trials.Strong knowledge of clinical development processes, regulatory requirements and Good Clinical Practice.Demonstrated success translating strategy into cross-functional programs and projects within a complex global matrix environment.Strong project management, influencing and problem-solving capabilities, with the autonomy and agility to navigate ambiguity and challenge established approaches. 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:  83,510.00 - 155,090.00 GBP AnnualThe 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.   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   Note: Benefits and compensation may vary by country and are subject to local legal requirements, including provisions of collective bargaining agreements where applicable. A full overview of your compensation package, including any relevant collective bargaining agreement details applicable to your role based on your employment location and Novartis employer entity, will be communicated separately to you during the application process. Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion / EEO Novartis is committed to building an outstanding, inclusive work environment and diverse teams’ representative of the patients and communities we serve.

Job details

Seniority
Director
Function
Clinical Development
Therapeutic area
Not listed
Location
London (The Westworks), United Kingdom
Employment type
FULL_TIME

How this role compares

Computed from every other active Clinical Development role in our database, not just this employer's listings.

We currently track 311 comparable Director Clinical Development roles across 54 biopharma companies.

311Comparable roles tracked
296Currently active
54Companies hiring similar roles
17Countries represented

Salary context

164 of 311 peers report a salary range (USD, annualized)

Peers share this role's job function and a matching or adjacent seniority level -- not necessarily the same therapeutic area or country.

This roleSubject $83,510/yr – $155,090/yr
Lowest disclosed · Patient Safety, Medical Director · Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc (US) $0/hr – $0/hr (≈ $0–$0/yr)
Peer group range $0 – $392,100 (median $263,000)

Where these roles are based

Top locations among the 311 comparable roles

United States252
United Kingdom16
India8
Switzerland7
Spain6
China3

+ 11 more countries

Seniority mix

311 of 311 peers have a known seniority level

Director218
Senior Director51
Principal42

Therapeutic area mix

93 of 311 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden

Oncology55
Immunology9
Neuroscience8
Cardiovascular / CVRM6
Respiratory6
Dermatology & Aesthetics3
Ophthalmology3
Vaccines & Infectious Disease2
Rare Disease1

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The closest matches from our peer group, ranked by how similar they are, not how well you'd qualify for them -- treat this as market context, not a guaranteed shortlist; a weak match is labeled as one below.

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Notify me about similar jobs

Get an email when we spot other openings like this one – same job function, comparable seniority, roles you'd actually want to see.

How we calculate "similar"

No black box, no LLM guesswork: a deterministic score built from four normalized attributes. Here's this role's own peer group at different match levels, so you can see the mechanism, not just the result.

Every comparison starts from the same 100-point budget: 25 for working in the same function, 40 for the same therapeutic area, 20 for the same or adjacent seniority, 15 for the same country. A dimension we can't confirm on both sides contributes nothing, never a guess, never a free pass.

60%
Clinical Development Physician Medical Director Oncology (Addlestone, GB, KT15 2NX)
Astellas Pharma · Addlestone, United Kingdom · Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
60%
Clinical Program Director Early Development Oncology
Ipsen Biopharm Ltd · London (UK), United Kingdom · Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
60%
Director, Clinical FSP Go to Market/Therapeutic Strategy Lead
IQVIA · Reading, United Kingdom · Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
50%
Principal Statistician
Mylan Pharma UK Limited · Sandwich, United Kingdom · Principal
Function Therapeutic area Adjacent seniority Country
Unmatched or unknown dimensions score exactly the same: 0 points, never a partial guess. A role we know almost nothing about beyond its function bottoms out at 25%; it never inflates to 100% just because there's little to compare against. Seniority uses a defined ladder (Associate → Manager → Associate Director → Senior → Principal → Director → Senior Director → Executive/VP) so "Director" and "Senior Director" count as adjacent, but "Director" and "Executive/VP" do not.