Location
Basel, Switzerland (Onsite)
Additional locations: Menges, Slovenia and Schaftenau, Austria
Position Overview
As a Scientific Project Consultant (SPC) within TRD Biologics, you will enhance scientific rigor and contribute to the success of our early development portfolio. This role involves providing end-to-end scientific leadership, structured problem solving, and strategic guidance. Serving as a trusted scientific advisor in a highly matrixed environment, you will align research decisions with process development needs, improving the quality and speed of decision-making at crucial milestones while facilitating knowledge flow and learning across projects and functions.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide early scientific and technical input to research teams, offering leadership and guidance on candidate selection while addressing safety, efficacy, and developability concerns.
- Facilitate portfolio oversight and cross-project knowledge flow, connecting learnings and identifying platform-level issues to encourage scientific exchange.
- Apply structured scientific thinking to address critical technical questions, define options and trade-offs, and present clear recommendations for timely conclusions.
- Strengthen governance and decision-making at key development gates through the application of scientific rigor, enterprise thinking, and a holistic portfolio perspective.
- Influence stakeholders across Novartis and various sites, ensuring alignment on scientific strategy amongst diverse teams.
- Coach and mentor teams by sharing experience and best practices to build scientific capacity and a collaborative work environment.
- Promote innovation for novel and complex modalities by initiating scientific exchanges and translating insights into actionable guidance.
- Assess, escalate, and communicate critical risks urgently, proposing mitigations while maintaining scientific rigor and balanced judgment.
- Collaborate with subject matter experts to capture prior knowledge in referenceable documents that support risk assessments and improve regulatory submissions.
- Ensure timely establishment of new formats or technology platforms from research to prepare for transfer and scaling.
What You’ll Bring to the Role
- Advanced degree (PhD preferred) in a relevant scientific discipline (e.g., biochemistry, chemistry, bioengineering, pharmaceutical sciences) demonstrating strong scientific credibility.
- Extensive experience (15 years desirable) across the full development spectrum, enabling end-to-end thinking and risk-based guidance.
- Cross-disciplinary breadth with deep expertise in at least one area, connecting analytical, drug substance, and drug product considerations.
- Strong internal and external network with proven ability to influence across a complex matrix with resilience and perseverance.
- Excellent communication, facilitation, and stakeholder management skills; capable of coaching and mentoring across levels and functions.
- Sound judgment with a strong sense of urgency for critical risks; adept at escalation and driving balanced mitigations.
- Fluent in English (written and spoken).
Desirable Requirements
- Experience with biologics and/or complex modalities (e.g., conjugates/AOCs), with the ability to translate innovation into practical development choices.
- Proven ability to drive execution through others, advancing from recommendation to implementation within a matrix organization.
- Comfort working across multiple projects and competing priorities, with a consultative mindset focused on scientific rigor and quality.
- The position may be appointed at either the Director or Associate Director level, based on the candidate’s experience and seniority.
Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
Novartis is dedicated to fostering an outstanding, inclusive work environment, with diverse teams that reflect the patients and communities we serve.
Accessibility and Accommodation
Novartis is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to all individuals. If you require reasonable accommodations for any part of the recruitment process due to a medical condition or disability, or if you need detailed information about the essential functions of a position, please send an email to inclusion.switzerland@novartis.com. Include the job requisition number in your message.
Application Process
Apply online using the form below. Only applications matching the job profile will be considered.