Group Head - Scientific Innovation (RX & AI and Computational Sciences)

Summary

Novartis has embraced a bold strategy to drive a company-wide digital transformation. Our objective is to position Novartis as an industry leader by proactively adopting digital technologies that foster innovative approaches to hasten drug discovery and development. By utilizing both internal and external R&D data with the power of data science, predictive models, generative AI, and machine learning, our objective is to identify new targets, create more effective therapeutic molecules, better predict drug pharmacokinetics and safety risks, refine clinical trial design, and significantly shorten development cycles. The AICS team leads BR in exploring and applying advanced AI and ML methodologies to generate novel drug discovery insights, and to speed and improve drug discovery efficiency whilst focusing on patients’ needs.

AI & Computational Sciences (AICS) partners with drug discovery teams, raises the level of AI expertise across Biomedical Research (BR) and ensures that BR science keeps up with the rapidly evolving ecosystem of AI technologies by connecting with AI leaders in academia and industry.

This role leads the Scientific Innovation group within AICS and is tasked with leading a group of scientists with significant domain expertise in biomedical research along with being AI-native, and also act as the primary SME liaison of AICS to BR Disease Areas (DAs) and Function Areas (FAs).

About The Role

Purpose of the role

Scientific Innovation Group Lead

• Lead a team of AI researchers who also bring significant domain area expertise
• Work with AI modelers to ensure models are robust and performant
• Work with Engineering and Product Development resources to ensure delivery of AI solutions
• Raise the awareness of AI applications to aid in answering key research questions across BR
• Help position AI-aided drug discovery contributions to deliver and support progress of Biomedical Research’s portfolio, enable new kinds of therapeutic discoveries, shorten cycle times, and increase efficiency.
  
  

Collaboration & partnership

• Act as the primary liaison as a subject matter expert for AICS, for identification of research questions, solution design, and evangelism of results and impacts of AI across Biomedical Research
• Regularly communicate, engage, align with AICS teams, broader data science community, and senior scientists.
• Initiate and lead key high-value internal collaborations across BR.
• Help to design translatable metrics for AI models that will lead to tangible impact in collaboration with BR DAs and FAs.
  
  

What You’ll Bring To The Role

• 10+ years of significant experience in innovation, development, deployment and continuous support of Machine Learning data management and modeling
• Expertise in bringing advanced analytics insights and actions to a large Research organization & deep understanding of Drug development
• Passion for understanding emerging technologies with pragmatic insight into where those technologies can be integrated into business solutions
• Ability to balance requirements, manage expectations, and drive effective results using a proactive attitude towards identifying and resolving issues
• Entrepreneurial spirit with can-do, pro-active attitude
• Strong organizational, problem-solving, and influencing skills and demonstrated track record of exceptional teamwork
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills
• Ability to execute and prioritize well in a complex matrixed environment.
• Operational and functional leadership
  
  

Novartis is committed to building an outstanding, inclusive work environment and diverse teams representative of the patients and communities we serve.

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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Benefits and Rewards: Read our handbook to learn about all the ways we’ll help you thrive personally and professionally: https://www.novartis.com/careers/benefits-rewards