Job Description

Summary The Associate Director, Labor Rights EMEA will report to the Director, Labor Rights and is responsible for independently leading the identification, assessment, management, and mitigation of labor rights risks with Novartis external partners across the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. This is an essential role to fully operationalize Novartis refreshed labor rights strategy to meet due diligence requirements including the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) and foster partnerships with external partners that champion ethical labor practices. Your expertise, energy, and creative problem-solving will be critical in influencing external partner behaviour in ensuring their compliance with the Novartis Third Party Code (TPC). You will also be responsible for supporting the global Human Rights management team in delivering on its overall strategy and mission to embed human rights-based approaches across NovartisMajor accountabilities:

• Identify and assess labor rights risks and promote responsible raw material sourcing with primary external partners and beyond, conducting thorough risk assessments and due diligence to guarantee ongoing compliance.

• Act as a central liaison for internal business functions for proactive risk management and alignment with Novartis Third Party Code (TPC) and human rights standards.

• Use extensive expertise in labor rights within the EMEA region, particularly within the pharmaceutical or chemical sectors, to identify and rectify recurring issues.

• Lead investigations and assessments pertaining to SpeakUp cases at external partner locations.

• Develop and enforce corrective action plans for non-compliant external partners, collaborating with internal business functions for enforcement.

• Create and implement capability building initiatives to improve external partners' understanding and compliance with labor rights practices.

• Utilize digital tools such as worker voice surveys and grievance mechanisms to increase labor rights monitoring at external partner locations and enable effective remediation of the findings.

• Establish relationships with senior leaders and project implementers within and outside the company to manage and co-develop solutions in ethical sourcing practices.

Essential Requirements:

• Degree or equivalent relevant experience in a field such as law, human rights, supply chain management, or international relations.

• Extensive experience in labor rights risk management and significant work with suppliers on labor rights compliance issues is required.

• Proven ability to help suppliers transform from low to high compliance, enhancing their labor rights standards.

• Familiarity with digital tools for labor rights monitoring such as worker voice platforms and grievance reporting mechanisms.

• Strong influencing and negotiation skills to drive change in external partners, ensuring adherence to labor rights standards. Entrepreneurial spirit and ownership mindset with a proactive drive to get things done and deliver impactful results with minimal supervisor oversight

• Skilled in conducting labor rights risk assessments, interpreting data, and generating actionable insights for decision-making in risk scenarios.

• Ability to manage multiple projects, meet deadlines, and adapt to cultural differences across the EMEA region.

• Fluency in English, both written and spoken, with additional language skills relevant to the EMEA region considered advantageous

Why Novartis:
Our purpose is to reimagine medicine to improve and extend peoples lives and our vision is to become the most valued and trusted medicines company in the world. How can we achieve this? With our people. It is our associates that drive us each day to reach our ambitions. Be a part of this mission and join us! Learn more here:Youll receive: You can find everything you need to know about our benefits and rewards in the Novartis Life Handbook.Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion:
Novartis is committed to building an outstanding, inclusive work environment and diverse teams' representative of the patients and communities we serve.Accessibility and accommodation
Novartis is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the recruitment process, or in order to perform the essential functions of a position, please send an e-mail to diversityandincl.india@novartis.com and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Please include the job requisition number in your messageJoin our Novartis Network: If this role is not suitable to your experience or career goals but you wish to stay connected to hear more about Novartis and our career opportunities, join the Novartis Network here:Skills Desired Auditing, Business Continuity Management, Business Networking, Compliance Management, Compliance Risk, Computer Cluster, Electronic Components, Internal Audit, Law (Legal System), Market Risk, Operational Risk, Operational Risk Management, Risk Assessment, Risk Management, Senior Management, Software Frameworks

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