Portfolio Management & LCM, Lead at Novartis · Toranomon…

Portfolio Management & LCM, Lead

Location: Toranomon (NPKK Head Office)

Band

Level 5

Job Description Summary

-Marketing leader in a small revenue organization OR experienced managers of marketing sub-function. -Develop and drive the execution of brand marketing plans with the objective to maximize market share and revenue growth in the market.

Job Description

Job Purpose

The Portfolio Management & LCM Lead is responsible for executing portfolio and late-lifecycle management activities for assigned mature and non-priority brands, ensuring disciplined budgeting, performance monitoring, and operational continuity.

The role translates portfolio strategy into high-quality execution, provides actionable insights, and enables informed decision-making through close cross-functional collaboration.

Major Accountabilities

1. Shape portfolio strategy through analytics and insights

• Analyze portfolio and brand performance using market forecasts, financial data, and competitive intelligence.
• Develop clear strategic options, including invest, optimize, simplify, or exit, with quantified impacts and trade-offs.
• Support leadership decision-making by translating insights into concise, decision-ready recommendations.

2. Drive lifecycle and portfolio initiatives

• Lead late-lifecycle strategies, including SKU rationalization, pack optimization, and cost-to-serve improvements.
• Ensure initiatives are aligned with overall portfolio priorities and the country commercial strategy.
• Track post-implementation impact and refine recommendations based on performance.

3. Orchestrate cross-functional collaboration within and beyond the Commercial Portfolio Unit

• Work closely with Digital Marketing Execution to explore scalable and efficient execution models for assigned brands.
• Collaborate with Commercial Partnerships & Alliances to assess internal versus external delivery options.
• Lead the structured transition and onboarding of brands from Therapeutic Areas into the Commercial Portfolio.
• Coordinate the handover of budgets, forecasts, data, materials, and key assumptions to ensure operational continuity and execution readiness.

4. Manage portfolio governance, forecasting, and performance tracking

• Support budgeting and forecasting processes for assigned brands and portfolio segments.
• Monitor performance against targets, identify risks and opportunities, and recommend corrective actions.
• Contribute to portfolio reviews, governance forums, and leadership discussions.

5. Provide senior-level contribution and informal leadership

• Serve as a subject matter expert within the portfolio team.
• Provide guidance and thought leadership without formal people management responsibility.
• Model structured thinking, ownership, and cross-functional collaboration.

Key Performance Indicators

• Accuracy and timeliness of forecasts and budget submissions
• Portfolio performance against financial and operational targets
• Quality, frequency, and clarity of performance monitoring insights
• Timeliness and completeness of responses to ad hoc operational requests
• Effectiveness of cross-functional collaboration based on stakeholder feedback
• Compliance with portfolio investment guardrails

Job Dimensions

Number of Associates None

Financial Responsibility

Responsible for supporting budgeting, forecasting, and performance monitoring for assigned brands and portfolio segments.

Decision-Making

Develops strategic options and recommendations related to portfolio investment, optimization, simplification, and exit decisions. Identifies portfolio risks and opportunities and recommends appropriate corrective actions.

Internal and External Stakeholder Interface

Works closely with stakeholders across Therapeutic Areas, Finance, Digital Marketing Execution, Medical, Commercial Partnerships & Alliances, and other internal and external partners.

Impact on the Organization

Supports the effective management of mature and non-priority brands by enabling disciplined portfolio decisions, operational continuity, lifecycle value maximization, and alignment with country commercial priorities.

Ideal Background

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, science, or a related field
• Advanced degree preferred, such as a Master of Business Administration, MBA

Languages

• Business-level English
• Native-level Japanese

Experience and Professional Requirements

• 7 to 10 years of commercial or marketing experience within the pharmaceutical or medical device industry
• Hands-on experience managing brands across the end-to-end product lifecycle, including mature and late-stage phases beyond launch execution
• Proven experience contributing to or leading portfolio-level strategy, with the ability to look beyond individual brands to optimize, reprioritize, or revise lifecycle strategies
• Strong experience in late-stage value maximization and portfolio trade-off decisions
• Strong capability in leveraging analytics, market forecasts, and financial insights to inform strategic recommendations, portfolio choices, and lifecycle decisions
• Proven ability to navigate complex stakeholder landscapes and align multiple internal and external functions
• Experience collaborating with functions such as Therapeutic Areas, Finance, Digital, Medical, and other partners to drive coherent portfolio and lifecycle outcomes

Skills Desired

Asset Management, Commercial Excellence, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Influencing Skills, Leadership, Operational Excellence, Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), Product Marketing, Stakeholder Engagement, Stakeholder Management