Summary
as an associate director assoc. Dir. Ddit m&a de process governance, you will play a crucial role in the deal enablement team.
this role acts as the guardian of process adherence, ensuring that all m&a it teams follow the established frameworks, tools, and methodologies when planning and executing m&a it deals. While governance is the foundation, this role goes beyond checklists—it’s about enabling teams to work faster, smarter, capturing real-world feedback, and closing the gap between process design and execution.
about the role
key responsibilities
1. Governance oversight & framework enforcement
* ensure consistent application of m&a it methodologies, processes, and tools across all phases of deal planning and execution.
* identify gaps between defined processes and real-life execution; develop mitigation and improvement plans.
* escalate non-compliance or risk areas while maintaining a solutions-oriented and collaborative approach.
2. Stakeholder collaboration & process alignment
* act as a central point of contact for m&a it teams to clarify governance expectations, answer process-related questions, and support adherence.
* collaborate with m&a it functional leads, program managers, and project teams to ensure process fit and alignment with deal requirements.
* capture stakeholder feedback from each m&a project to ensure frameworks remain relevant, practical, and effective.
* conduct regular reviews and interviews with key stakeholders to understand unique challenges of ongoing and past deals.
3. Process optimization & continuous improvement
* drive updates to m&a it framework, based on feedback, lessons learned, and observed process deviations.
* identify and eliminate process inefficiencies or duplications to streamline m&a it delivery.
* partner with the deal enablement team to document new best practices and embed them into training materials or process libraries.
* help define kpis and success metrics to measure governance effectiveness and team compliance.
4. Project management support
* provide governance oversight and guidance during active m&a deals, ensuring processes are embedded in execution plans.
* support program and project managers in aligning project timelines and deliverables with governance standards.
* assist in developing governance-related documentation, templates, and dashboards for use across the m&a it team.
6. Knowledge sharing & enablement
* create and lead training sessions, workshops, or onboarding activities to raise awareness of governance practices.
* actively contribute to knowledge sharing within the deal enablement team and the wider m&a it organization.
* maintain clear documentation of governance policies, playbooks, and frameworks for cross-team visibility and learning.
ideal background
* university degree or equivalent. Master’s degree desirable.
* experience in project or program management, preferably within an it, m&a, or large-scale transformation environment.
* excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, able to influence without authority.
* prior experience in m&a it projects is a strong plus.
* experience supporting or participating in due diligence processes is a bonus.
* familiarity with ai tools and their potential applications in governance or it process automation is a welcome addition.
why novartis: helping people with disease and their families takes more than innovative science. It takes a community of smart, passionate people like you. Collaborating, supporting and inspiring each other. Combining to achieve breakthroughs that change patients’ lives. Ready to create a brighter future together?
join our novartis network: not the right novartis role for you? Sign up to our talent community to stay connected and learn about suitable career opportunities as soon as they come up:
benefits and rewards: read our handbook to learn about all the ways we’ll help you thrive personally and professionally: