Job ID
REQ-10081020
Date: Jun 16, 2026
Location: Switzerland
Available in: English
Summary
The Innovation Scout drives the early identification and translation of emerging technologies, scientific opportunities, and external innovations into actionable insights and experiments that inform product, platform, and portfolio direction. Acting as a bridge between the external innovation landscape and internal strategic priorities, this role focuses on separating meaningful signals from noise, rapidly testing high-potential ideas through lightweight prototyping, and accelerating the path from insight to validated opportunities. By enabling faster, evidence-based decision-making, the Innovation Scout helps shape future-facing capabilities and ensures the organization remains ahead of key technology and scientific inflection points.
About the Role
Location: Basel, Switzerland (Hybrid Role)
Novartis is unable to offer relocation support for this role: please only apply if these locations are accessible for you.
Innovation Discovery & Evaluation
- Continuously identify and prioritize emerging technologies across Software & Workflows that enable future outcomes and strengthen Portfolio, Data, and AI strategies.
- Assess innovation opportunities using structured criteria including value, feasibility, maturity, risk, and strategic fit.
- Contribute to vendor assessments, RFI/RFP processes, and external partner evaluations.
- Identify early trends and directional signals that could influence software, platform, or portfolio strategy.
Experimentation & Rapid Validation
- Translate high-potential opportunities into testable hypotheses and structured experiments.
- Conduct rapid prototyping to validate assumptions and generate evidence for decision-making that can inform scaled implementation initiatives.
- Define success criteria and learning objectives to ensure experiments produce actionable results.
Strategic Translation & Integration
- Translate external innovation signals into improvements for existing Software and Workflow capabilities and into new strategic opportunities.
- Partner with Software and Workflow leaders to drive experiments, pilots, and scalable initiatives.
Insight Communication & Influence
- Deliver clear, concise, and compelling narratives tailored to executive, delivery, and technical stakeholders.
- Influence prioritization and investment decisions through evidence-based recommendations.
- Establish credibility as a trusted advisor on emerging technologies and innovation opportunities.
Innovation Culture & Ways of Working
- Operate with urgency by focusing on rapid learning cycles and actionable outputs.
- Collaborate effectively across organizational boundaries to accelerate innovation adoption.
- Foster a culture of experimentation, curiosity, and continuous learning across teams.
Skills Required
- Minimum 5+ years of experience in the life sciences/pharmaceutical industry.
- Advanced degree in a relevant field (e.g., Life Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, Engineering, Computer Science, or related discipline).
- Strong understanding of scientific domains (e.g., biomedical research, data-driven science) to effectively evaluate technologies and vendor offerings in context.
- Strong understanding of digital, software, data, and AI technology landscapes, including emerging patterns and capabilities.
- Ability to distinguish meaningful signals from noise and assess relevance in complex, evolving environments.
- Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills to evaluate opportunities and prioritize based on value, feasibility, risk, and strategic alignment.
- Experience shaping hypotheses and defining structured approaches to early-stage opportunity evaluation. Ability to connect technology trends to real user, scientific, and business problems.
- Excellent communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to convey complex ideas to executive, product, and technical audiences.
- Ability to synthesize complex concepts into clear insights and compelling, actionable recommendations.
Benefits & Rewards
At Novartis, we are committed to reimagining medicine together and rewarding the people who make it happen.
Expected Annual Base Salary Range for this role: CHF 93,800.00 - CHF 134,000.00 - CHF 174,200.00.
The base salary offered is determined based on gender-neutral objectives and will be reviewed periodically upon joining Novartis. In addition to your base salary, you may be eligible for a performance-based bonus depending on certain performance parameters.
The rewards of being part of our team go far beyond base pay and incentives; we also offer a variety of competitive benefits in kind to help you thrive personally and professionally, such as insurance plans, retirement plans, wellbeing resources, and global recognition programs. Furthermore, we provide flexible and hybrid working options, where possible, and a minimum of 14 weeks of paid parental leave.
Accessibility Statement for Switzerland
Novartis is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to all individuals. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the recruitment process due to a medical condition or disability, please send an e-mail to diversity.inclusion_ch@novartis.com and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Please include the job requisition number in your message.
Why Novartis
Helping people with disease and their families takes more than innovative science. It requires a community of smart, passionate individuals. Together, we collaborate, support, and inspire each other to achieve breakthroughs that change patients' lives. Ready to create a brighter future together?
For more about our culture, visit: People and Culture at Novartis.
Apply online using the form below. Only applications matching the job profile will be considered.
Primary Location Salary Range
CHF 93,800.00 - CHF 174,200.00
Division
Biomedical Research
Business Unit
Research
Location
Switzerland
Site
Basel (City)
Company / Legal Entity
C028 (FCRS = CH028) Novartis Pharma AG
Functional Area
Research & Development
Job Type
Full time
Employment Type
Regular
Shift Work
No
Research & Development Biomedical Research Switzerland
Job ID
REQ-10081020
Senior Principal Innovation Scout
Apply online using the form below. Only applications matching the job profile will be considered.