Senior Manager Critical Infrastructure

27 February 2026
100%
Basel (City)

Job summary

Join Novartis as Senior Manager Critical Infrastructure, focusing on strategic governance. This role offers a dynamic work environment with growth opportunities.

Tasks

Lead infrastructure portfolio management and compliance initiatives.
Collaborate with internal and external partners for optimal service delivery.
Oversee performance management and contract governance for facilities.

Skills

Bachelor's degree in a technical field; 10+ years of leadership experience required.
Fluency in German and English, with strong communication skills.
Proven ability to innovate and solve problems effectively.

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About the job

Summary

The Senior Manager Critical Infrastructure serves as the subject matter expert for infrastructure portfolio management, projects and programs within the REFS (Real Estate & Facility Management Services) Swiss organization, with a strong focus on strategy and governance. This role is responsible for developing and managing comprehensive infrastructure management programs at both regional and global levels, ensuring regulatory compliance, financial optimization, and risk mitigation across the property portfolio. The Lead collaborates with internal and external experts and partners, establishes and enforces infrastructure policy frameworks, and drives continuous improvement initiatives such as critical tiering, gap analysis, and energy management. Additionally, the role oversees performance management of facility partners, contract governance, and the successful execution and transition of infrastructure strategies in alignment with business objectives, while fostering a culture of empowerment and accountability within a cross-functional, outsourced team environment.

Location: Basel, Switzerland

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About the Role

Major Accountabilities:

Engages and aligns stakeholders at regional and global levels to optimize infrastructure service delivery and strategy.

Translates global infrastructure strategy into actionable regional, country, or site-level plans for cost and productivity efficiencies.

Communicates operating philosophy, objectives, and expectations to REFS teams and third parties to build operational consistency.

Manage relationships with strategic internal and external partners and contributes to Infrastructure Network initiatives and projects.

Collaborates with various stakeholders on strategic planning for infrastructure budgets, staffing, asset replenishment, and resource allocation.

Partners with REFS Design & Construction Management and Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE) & BCM to align engineering, sustainability, risk management, and maintenance strategies.

Develops, implements, and oversees operational standards and governance for both retained and outsourced infrastructure capabilities.

Provides daily project management and oversight of outsourced infrastructure teams, ensuring contract delivery meets standards, timelines, and budgets.

Ensures compliance with QA/GMP/HSE regulations and leads continuous improvement and corrective actions for infrastructure operations.

Manages infrastructure budgets, monitors KPIs, assesses service delivery against SLAs, and escalates commercial contracting issues as needed.

Key Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree in a technical or scientific field, or equivalent experience; additional qualifications in economics and LEAN are advantageous

Over 10 years of leadership experience managing complex infrastructure programs or projects, with proven planning and organizational skills.

Strong understanding of local HSE regulations, as well as experience with process evaluation and improvement in GMP, health, safety, or environmental contexts.

Demonstrated business acumen as a Senior Manager, with the ability to lead, manage, and influence both direct and indirect reports to achieve objectives.

Analytical, methodical, and resourceful, with a consistent, motivated, professional, and reliable work ethic.

Effective communicator in both oral and written formats, fluent in German and English.

Skilled at building strong interpersonal relationships with team members and partners, understanding the overall picture as well as details and connection points.

Innovative in problem-solving and proactive in identifying and addressing issues, with experience operating and reporting within multi-level governance structures.

Fluent language skills in both German & English

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

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