Novartis Posted August 20, 2026

Associate Director, Search & Evaluation (Immunology)

Basel (City), Switzerland Regular
BD&L & Strategic Planning Immunology Associate Director

Novartis is the source of truth for this posting and owns the application process. We surface normalized context and market comparison you won't find on the original listing.

About this opportunity

#LI-HybridLocation: Basel, SwitzerlandInternal title: Associate Director, Search & EvaluationJoin us at the forefront of scientific innovation, where your insights can shape the future of Immunology at Novartis. In this role, you will identify and evaluate novel therapeutics with the potential to transform the practice of medicine for patients suffering from immunological diseases. The scope includes a wide range of tasks from contributing to the partnering strategy, accessing targets and novel biology of therapeutic relevance across all development stages. The individual acts as an ambassador for the Immunology Therapeutic Area and for the broader organization and serves as a go to person for respective external partnering opportunities. Working across research, commercial, and business development teams, you will play a pivotal role in uncovering high-impact opportunities, building strategic partnerships, and driving growth through informed decision-making. If you are passionate about translating scientific innovation into real-world impact and thrive in a collaborative, fast-paced environment, this is your opportunity to make a difference.

Key ResponsibilitiesIdentify and evaluate external therapeutic opportunities aligned with Immunology strategy across the development value chainLead search activities and efficient triaging and prioritization leveraging in depth knowledge in the immunology therapeutic area, and ensure prioritization aligns with strategic business development and licensing objectives.Build and analyze competitive landscapes and innovation ecosystems to inform opportunity sourcing and decision-makingConduct triage and due diligence for inbound opportunities with clear documentation and structured recommendationsCollaborate cross-functionally to prepare high-quality materials for governance reviews and deal execution processesEngage stakeholders across research, commercial, and corporate development to drive alignment and informed decisionsPresent strategic opportunities to senior leadership and contribute to internal consensus buildingRepresent Novartis at industry conferences and external meetings to strengthen partnerships and market visibilityEssential RequirementsAdvanced university degree in life sciencesWorking experience in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry, preferably in business development, strategy, consulting, or research, either in-house in a biotech or pharmaceutical company or working with health care clientsStrong understanding of drug discovery, clinical development, and emerging therapeutic conceptsDemonstrated ability to analyze complex scientific data and translate insights into strategic recommendationsProven experience collaborating across cross-functional teams in a matrixed global organizationExcellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with ability to influence senior leadershipBenefits & Rewards At Novartis, we’re committed to reimagining medicine together - and rewarding the people who make it happen.   Expected Annual Base Salary Range for role: CHF 129.500 - CHF 240.500  The base salary offered is determined based on gender-neutral objectives, such as relevant skills, competencies and experience in accordance with the Novartis pay setting policy and upon joining Novartis will be reviewed periodically.   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. In addition, we provide flexible and hybrid working options, where possible, and minimum 14 weeks paid parental leave.   Read our brochure to learn more about our global total rewards offering: https://www.novartis.com/sites/novartis_com/files/novartis-life-handbook.pdf   Note: Benefits and compensation may vary by country and are subject to local legal requirements, including provisions of collective bargaining agreements where applicable. A full overview of your compensation package, including any relevant collective bargaining agreement details applicable to your role based on your employment location and Novartis employer entity, will be communicated separately to you during the application process. 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 all individuals. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the recruitment process, or in order to receive more detailed information about the essential functions of a position, 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.

Job details

Seniority
Associate Director
Function
BD&L & Strategic Planning
Therapeutic area
Immunology
Location
Basel (City), Switzerland
Employment type
Regular

How this role compares

Computed from every other active BD&L & Strategic Planning role in our database, not just this employer's listings.

We currently track 56 comparable Associate Director BD&L & Strategic Planning roles across 19 biopharma companies.

56Comparable roles tracked
53Currently active
19Companies hiring similar roles
11Countries represented

Salary context

19 of 56 peers report a salary range (USD, annualized)

Peers share this role's job function and a matching or adjacent seniority level -- not necessarily the same therapeutic area or country.

This roleSubject Not listed on this posting
Lowest disclosed · Sr Inside Business Development Manager · AbbVie $27/hr – $48/hr (≈ $56,160–$99,840/yr)
Highest disclosed · Associate Director, Search & Evaluation (Immunology) · Novartis $160,300/yr – $297,700/yr
Peer group range $78,000 – $229,000 (median $123,250)

Where these roles are based

Top locations among the 56 comparable roles

United States23
China10
India9
Germany6
Japan2
Spain1

+ 5 more countries

Seniority mix

56 of 56 peers have a known seniority level

Manager48
Associate Director7
Senior1

Therapeutic area mix

13 of 56 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden

Dermatology & Aesthetics9
Vaccines & Infectious Disease2
Immunology1
Oncology1

Similar opportunities

The closest matches from our peer group, ranked by how similar they are, not how well you'd qualify for them -- treat this as market context, not a guaranteed shortlist; a weak match is labeled as one below.

85%similar
Novartis Cambridge (USA), United States Associate Director
Same function Same therapeutic area Same seniority
45%similar
Novartis Shanghai (Shanghai), China Associate Director
Same function Same seniority
45%similar
Novartis Shanghai (Shanghai), China Associate Director
Same function Same seniority
45%similar
Novartis Shanghai (Shanghai), China Associate Director
Same function Same seniority
45%similar
Novartis Shanghai (Shanghai), China Associate Director
Same function Same seniority
45%similar
AstraZeneca Barcelona, Spain Associate Director
Same function Same seniority

Notify me about similar jobs

Get an email when we spot other openings like this one – same job function, comparable seniority, roles you'd actually want to see.

How we calculate "similar"

No black box, no LLM guesswork: a deterministic score built from four normalized attributes. Here's this role's own peer group at different match levels, so you can see the mechanism, not just the result.

Every comparison starts from the same 100-point budget: 25 for working in the same function, 40 for the same therapeutic area, 20 for the same or adjacent seniority, 15 for the same country. A dimension we can't confirm on both sides contributes nothing, never a guess, never a free pass.

85%
Associate Director, Search & Evaluation (Immunology)
Novartis · Cambridge (USA), United States · Associate Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
45%
Associate Director Search & Evaluation
Novartis · Shanghai (Shanghai), China · Associate Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
45%
Associate Director - Digital Transformation & Business Excellence
Novartis · Hyderabad (Office), India · Associate Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
35%
Manager, Corporate Strategy
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc (USA) · Tarrytown, United States · Manager
Function Therapeutic area Adjacent seniority Country
Unmatched or unknown dimensions score exactly the same: 0 points, never a partial guess. A role we know almost nothing about beyond its function bottoms out at 25%; it never inflates to 100% just because there's little to compare against. Seniority uses a defined ladder (Associate → Manager → Associate Director → Senior → Principal → Director → Senior Director → Executive/VP) so "Director" and "Senior Director" count as adjacent, but "Director" and "Executive/VP" do not.