Novartis Posted June 22, 2026

Clinical Sciences Associate Director

Shanghai (Shanghai), China Regular
Clinical Development 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

May provide clinical leadership and strategic input for all clinical deliverables across assigned indication/program or studies within BR. May act as Focus/Disease/Platform Area Lead.May function as a Core Project Team member for assigned projects to drive the R-D-C continuum. May co-lead project clinical sub-team and reports study/project progress and issues with their resolution plan to project teams and stakeholders. Directs early stages of study design and operational plans.

Key responsibilities: Study Leader and/or Clinical Scientist for predominantly high complexity, global studies and may provide additional Clinical Sciences support to high priority, high complexity, global studies.Independently lead the clinical protocol development process in collaboration with the Medical Lead and other line functions; responsible author for clinical protocols, amendments, etc.; contribute to the medical/scientific input given for the development of study-related documents and processes which resides in other line functions; contribute to the development of clinical sections of study-level regulatory documents.Lead development of strategic and scientific input into study concept, feasibility, and ability to execute; develops and implements study-level operational execution plan in partnership with key cross functional partners, if applicable.Collaborate with key cross functional partners to identify and select strategic and high performing sites to ensure recruitment commitments are met.Lead a global cross functional CTT to ensure all trial deliverables are met; sets stretch goals, promotes realistic planning and timelines, and presents actionable alternatives to accelerate timelines.Partner with line functions to gain input and alignment and manages internal and external stakeholder expectations.Lead the ongoing medical/scientific review of clinical trial data across assigned studies in collaboration with the medical expert and key line functions, and partners on data analysis and data interpretation, including safety trend analysis, signal detection, development of first interpretable results, reporting clinical study results in CSR, and internal/external publications.Prepare and lead dose escalation meetings with investigators. Coordinate the real time availability of quality clinical trial data, to provide consolidated information for dose escalation meetings and Phase II data reviews with relevant stakeholders.Proactively lead risk mitigation discussions, risk management and implementation at the trial level.Responsible and accountable for forecasting and managing overall study budget(s) in collaboration with key partners.Collaborate with key partners to set vendor strategy and timelines for assigned studies.Responsible for implementation of best practices and standards for trial management, including sharing lessons learned. Represent group on initiatives; may serve as Subject Matter ExpertContribute to talent and career development of staff. In collaboration with the relevant manager, contributes to hiring/interview/onboarding and mentoring process for new hires.Line management of assigned associates. Accountable for talent attraction and retention; supporting career growth and development.May deputize for his/her manager upon request.Essential requirements:Bachelors in life science/healthcare required; Advanced degree or equivalent education/degree in life sciences/ healthcare preferred (PhD/MD/ PharmD/ Masters).Approximately 8+ years’ experience in clinical trials/development.Demonstrates high learning agility in multiple therapeutic areas.Proficient in clinical trial methodology with an emphasis in early clinical development. Strong operational project and program management experience with an emphasis in early clinical development, including excellent planning, prioritization, problem solving and organizational skills.Track record of successfully leading multiple complex clinical trials concurrently. Used to managing multiple priorities.Demonstrated capability to interpret, discuss and represent trial level data.Good working knowledge of clinical finance principles to manage efficient expenditure to minimize variance between actual and forecasted spend.Maintain expert knowledge of ICH-GCP, external regulations and procedures, and supplements by training and practice of Novartis SOPs and internalpoliciesFluent oral and written EnglishDesirable requirements:Demonstrated knowledge and ability to confidently drive complex collaborations through unpredictable circumstances and higher paced changes.Demonstrates leadership and influence by creating a positive work environment by inspiring and encouraging mutual respect, instills innovation and accountability on a functional and trial level.Strong interpersonal skills with a proven track record of successfully interacting with and influencing with a wide range of people, building strong positive relationships.Demonstrates strong organizational awareness and stakeholder management skills.Demonstrate strong tolerance for ambiguity, willingness to adapt, and willingness to speak-up and challenge.Embraces a culture of diversity, inclusion, quality, innovation and always driving forward with integrity.

Job details

Seniority
Associate Director
Function
Clinical Development
Therapeutic area
Not listed
Location
Shanghai (Shanghai), China
Employment type
Regular

How this role compares

Computed from every other active Clinical Development role in our database, not just this employer's listings.

We currently track 309 comparable Associate Director Clinical Development roles across 48 biopharma companies.

309Comparable roles tracked
274Currently active
48Companies hiring similar roles
28Countries represented

Salary context

66 of 309 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
Peer group range $90,199 – $315,000 (median $180,250)

Where these roles are based

Top locations among the 309 comparable roles

United States107
India87
China12
Poland11
United Kingdom11
Spain9

+ 22 more countries

Seniority mix

309 of 309 peers have a known seniority level

Manager146
Senior91
Associate Director72

Therapeutic area mix

24 of 309 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden

Oncology9
Immunology6
Cardiovascular / CVRM4
Neuroscience3
Dermatology & Aesthetics1
Ophthalmology1

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.

60%similar
Gilead Sciences Shanghai Pharmaceutical Technology Co., Ltd. Shanghai, China Associate Director
Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
Novartis Shanghai (Shanghai), China Associate Director
Same function Same seniority Same country
50%similar
AbbVie Shanghai, Shanghai Manager
Same function Adjacent seniority Same country
50%similar
Novartis Beijing (Beijing), China Senior
Same function Adjacent seniority Same country
50%similar
Novartis Beijing (Beijing), China Manager
Same function Adjacent seniority Same country
50%similar
Novartis Guangzhou (Guangdong Province), China Manager
Same function Adjacent seniority Same country

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.

60%
Assoc Director, Clinical Operations
Gilead Sciences Shanghai Pharmaceutical Technology Co., Ltd. · Shanghai, China · Associate Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
50%
Global Clinical Operations- (Senior) CRA
Novartis · Beijing (Beijing), China · Senior
Function Therapeutic area Adjacent seniority Country
50%
Clinical Medical Manager (Beijing, Beijing, CN)
Novo Nordisk · Beijing, China · Manager
Function Therapeutic area Adjacent seniority Country
50%
(Sr.) Clinical Trial Manager - Oncology (Beijing, China)
Boehringer Ingelheim · Beijing, China · 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.