Assoc Director, Statistical Programming

Novartis
London, United Kingdom
4 months ago
Job Type
Permanent
Work Location
Hybrid
Seniority
Director
Education
Masters
Posted
12 Feb 2026 (4 months ago)

Job Description Summary

Office Location: London (The Westworks), United Kingdom

#LI-Hybrid Hybrid (12 days per month on-site if living within 50 miles of our London office)
#LI-Remote Remote (if living beyond 50 miles of our London office)

The Associate Director, Statistical Programming , is responsible for all statistical programming aspects of one or more drug development programs or indication programs with Early Development space. As a program lead, the Associate Director ensures cross-functional collaboration within and outside AQS and decision-making for assigned trials/programs in drug life cycle management. They ensure that the assigned trials/programs are adequately resourced, and oversee all aspects of programming, quality and regulatory compliance. This key leadership position ensures the efficient execution of trial/program level plans, delivering high-quality results on time. A thorough understanding of the drug development process, experience in regulatory activities, and expertise in statistical reporting, along with a proven track record in operational or functional leadership, is required.

Job Description

Major accountabilities:

  • Lead SP activities for multiple clinical trials within a program or an indication /disease area.Experience in one of the TA areas: Immunology, Cardiovascular & Metabolic Diseases and Neuroscience is must.

  • Coordinate activities of internal / external programmers. Make statistical programming decisions and propose strategies at program or indication/disease level. Develop scientific documentation for the program(s) or indication/disease area together with the Biostatistician(s).

  • Responsible for allocating resources within a program and ensuring resource sharing between programs to meet Advanced Quantitative Science and organizational goals.

  • Recruit, mentor, and nurture statistical programmers. Conduct performance appraisal of direct reports, as applicable.

  • Build and maintain effective working relationships with cross-functional team members within the clinical trial/program, and able to summarize and discuss status of deliverables and critical programming aspects with them (timelines, scope, resource plan).

  • Maintain up-to-date advanced knowledge of programming software (e.g. SAS/R) as well as industry requirements (e.g. CDISC, eCTD, Define.xml), attend functional meetings and training.

  • Represent SP (Early Development) at indication or program-level, in audits/inspections and Health Authority (HA) meetings, and on technical programming aspects in external conferences or consortiums (e.g. CDISC).

Minimum Requirements:

  • In-depth understanding of clinical trials methodology, regulatory requirements, and Good Clinical Practice (GCP). Demonstrated leadership, collaboration, and organizational skills with the ability to successfully manage and oversee multiple trials simultaneously, ensuring deadlines are met.

  • BS/MS degree in life science, computer science, statistics, mathematics, or equivalent relevant degree. Must also be fluent in English

  • Must have early development experience, ideally in Oncology

  • Excellent interpersonal skills with a proven ability to operate effectively in a global environment, influencing and communicating across functions and with external stakeholders.

  • Expert in SAS or R programming, including the development and validation of deliverables within a Statistical Programming environment, and the creation of advanced MACROs and/or functions.

  • Matrix or people management of approximately 6-15 internal or external programmers. Depending on role, may act as a functional/operational manager of associates or may be an individual contributor with no direct reports.

  • Advanced knowledge of industry standards, including CDISC standards, and a solid understanding of the development and use of standard programs.

  • Experience as a Lead/Program/Project Programmer for one or more programs/indications, including the coordination of large teams of internal and/or external programmers. Ideally, extensive years of industry experience, with at least experience in a programming or statistical role. Experience of line management or equivalent leadership experience, such as matrix management (applicable for people managers only).

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? : https://www.novartis.com/about/strategy/people-and-culture

Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion:

Novartis is committed to building an outstanding, inclusive work environment and diverse team’s representative of the patients and communities we serve.

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: https://talentnetwork.novartis.com/network

Skills Desired

Classification Systems, Clinical Trials, Computer Data Storage, Computer Programming, Cross-Functional Teams, Data Analysis, Data Structures, Initiative, People Management, Programming Languages, Reporting, Statistical Analysis, Waterfall Model

Related Jobs

View all jobs
Spotlight

Director Biostatistics - Hematology

CSL
Spotlight

Senior Director, Global Clinical Program Lead, Immunoglobulin

CSL

Industry Insights

Discover insightful articles, industry insights, expert tips, and curated resources.

Where to Advertise Biotech Jobs in the UK (2026 Guide)

Where to advertise biotech jobs UK in 2026: the specialist boards, academic networks and trade channels that reach biotech R&D and bioprocessing talent. The candidate pool spans life scientists, computational biologists, regulatory specialists and biomanufacturing engineers — each with distinct professional networks and job search behaviours. General job boards reach a broad audience but lack the specificity that biotech professionals expect. Specialist platforms, academic channels and sector-specific communities each serve a different part of the market. This guide, published by BiotechnologyJobs.co.uk, covers where to advertise biotech roles in the UK in 2026, how the main platforms compare, what employers should expect to pay, and what the data says about hiring across different role types.

Biotech Jobs UK 2026: What to Expect Over the Next 3 Years

Biotech Jobs UK 2026: roles, salaries and the genomics, cell therapy and AI-driven drug discovery hiring trends shaping UK biotech careers. Biotechnology is creating jobs at a rate that few other sectors can match. New disciplines are emerging from research labs and entering commercial hiring pipelines, existing roles are fragmenting into deeper specialisms, and the technologies driving it all — from AI-assisted drug discovery to next-generation gene editing — are advancing faster than the workforce can keep pace with. For job seekers, this creates an unusual challenge. In most industries, career planning means navigating a relatively familiar landscape and identifying where your skills fit. In biotech, that landscape is being actively redrawn. The roles generating the most hiring activity in 2028 may look quite different from the ones appearing in job adverts today. That's not a reason to feel overwhelmed — it's a reason to get informed. The candidates who thrive in this market aren't always those with the longest CVs or the most letters after their name. They're the ones who understand where the sector is heading: which disciplines are gaining commercial traction, which technologies are driving employer demand, and how the definition of a "biotech job" is expanding well beyond traditional pharmaceuticals and research roles. This article breaks down what the UK biotech jobs market is likely to look like over the next three years — covering emerging job titles, the technologies reshaping hiring, the skills employers are prioritising right now, and how to position your career ahead of the curve rather than behind it.