Associate Director and Senior Principal, AI Methods, AI for Research (AI4R)

Key Responsibilities

• Lead matrixed teams to design and deliver robust, scalable machine learning solutions for drug discovery
• Drive development of core machine learning capabilities across priority AI use cases in biomedical research
• Identify opportunities for methodological innovation across the end-to-end drug discovery pipeline
• Build advanced algorithms, models, and workflows to accelerate therapeutic discovery and development
• Establish and manage strategic collaborations with leading academic and external research partners
• Act as subject matter expert on state-of-the-art machine learning approaches across research domains
• Translate complex model outputs into actionable scientific hypotheses and guide experimental design
• Define and implement meaningful success metrics for AI models to ensure measurable research impact
• Collaborate across multidisciplinary teams to align AI solutions with scientific and business objectives
• Promote awareness and adoption of advanced AI methods within the broader research organization

Essential Requirements

• 6+ years of experience in developing and deploying machine learning solutions across drug discovery domains
• Hands-on expertise applying machine learning to target identification, protein modelling, or translational research
• Strong experience with large-scale model training, high performance computing, and cloud-based infrastructure
• Advanced knowledge of modern machine learning methods such as representation learning or neural network architectures
• Proficiency in Python and deep learning frameworks, with strong software development and version control practices
• Demonstrated ability to drive innovation and deliver impactful machine learning solutions in complex, matrixed environments

Desirable Requirements

• Demonstrated contributions through publications, patents, or open-source projects in advanced machine learning research
• Experience with multimodal or foundation models applied to biomedical data such as imaging, genomics, or molecular structures

Novartis Compensation and Benefit Summary

The salary for this position is expected to range between 1,60,300.00 - 2,97,700.00 USD Annual.

The final salary offered is determined based on factors such as relevant skills and experience and will be reviewed periodically upon joining Novartis. Novartis may update the published salary range based on company and market factors.

Your compensation will include a performance-based cash incentive and, depending on the level of the role, eligibility for annual equity awards.

US-based eligible associates receive a comprehensive benefits package that includes health, life, and disability coverage, a 401(k) plan with company contribution and matching, and a range of additional benefits. Associates are also eligible for a generous time-off package, including vacation, personal days, holidays, and other leave options. To learn more about the culture, rewards and benefits we offer our people click here.