Summary
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
About The Role:
The Country Public Affairs Head, Malaysia is a senior strategic leadership role responsible for shaping the external policy environment, building trusted partnerships with government and healthcare stakeholders, and advancing Novartis priorities in support of patient access, healthcare system sustainability, and business growth. This role serves as a trusted advisor to the Country President and country leadership team, translating policy, regulatory and healthcare system developments into strategic opportunities and risks while ensuring aligned, enterprise-wide public affairs engagement.
This is a high-impact opportunity for an experienced public affairs professional who wants to help shape Malaysia's healthcare policy landscape, accelerate access to innovative medicines, and position Novartis as a trusted partner to government, industry and the broader healthcare ecosystem.
About The Role
Key Responsibilities:
- Develop and lead the Malaysia public affairs strategy in alignment with Novartis corporate priorities, country business objectives, and regional/global public affairs agenda.
- Serve as a strategic advisor to the Country President and leadership team by providing timely policy intelligence, external insights, risk assessment, and recommendations on government and healthcare system developments.
- Identify and shape priority policy areas that can enable patient access to innovation, support sustainable healthcare financing, and strengthen Malaysia's readiness for innovative therapies.
- Build and maintain trusted relationships with senior government officials, policymakers, payers, healthcare leaders, patient groups, research institutions, industry associations, business chambers and other relevant stakeholders.
- Lead or actively contribute to local industry and trade association platforms to advance evidence-based policy dialogue and shape an enabling environment for innovation and patient access.
- Partner cross-functionally with Value and Access, Medical, Regulatory, Communications & Patient Advocacy and business teams to deliver integrated advocacy strategies for key portfolio and policy priorities.
- Represent Novartis externally with credibility and integrity through government meetings, policy submissions, briefing documents, partnerships and stakeholder platforms, in line with Novartis public policy engagement standards.
- Anticipate and mitigate policy, regulatory and reputation-related risks, including through proactive issues management and coordinated engagement with relevant internal and external stakeholders.
Essential Requirements:
- Bachelor's degree in public policy, political science, business, law, life sciences, healthcare or a related field; Master's degree preferred.
- Significant experience in public affairs, government affairs, policy, external affairs or a related discipline in Malaysia.
- Strong understanding of Malaysia's healthcare policy environment, including patient access, healthcare financing, reimbursement, regulatory policy and innovation-related issues.
- Proven ability to engage and influence senior government officials, policymakers, healthcare stakeholders, industry associations and other external partners.
- Experience developing public affairs strategies that connect external policy priorities with business objectives and patient access goals.
- Ability to advise senior business leaders, navigate ambiguity, and translate policy developments into clear strategic implications and actions.
- Strong cross-functional leadership, stakeholder management, communication, judgment and integrity.
- Experience in pharmaceutical, healthcare, medtech, life sciences or another highly regulated sector.
- Excellent written and spoken English.
Desirable Requirements:
- Experience in Global/ MNC, complex & matrixed organizations.
- Established network across Malaysia's public sector, healthcare ecosystem, patient community, industry associations and business chambers.
- Experience in market access, healthcare financing, public-private partnerships, formulary inclusion, procurement or policy reform.
- Experience managing media, reputation, crisis or issues-related matters.
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
Benefits and Rewards: Learn about all the ways we'll help you thrive personally and professionally.
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