Novartis Posted September 7, 2026

Biomarker Therapeutic Area Head -Neuroscience

Basel (City), Switzerland FULL_TIME
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About this opportunity

#LI-Hybrid Location: BaselBringing life-changing medicines to millions of people, Novartis sits at the intersection of cutting-edge medical science and innovative digital technology. As a global company, the resources and opportunities for growth and development are plentiful including global and local cross functional careers, a diverse learning suite of thousands of programs & an in-house marketplace for rotations & project work. With strong medicines pipeline our current transformation will not just deliver growth for our business but continue to allow us to bring innovative medicines to patients quickly. Biomarkers are critical components of translational research, enabling robust therapeutic and mechanistic hypothesis testing in early clinical development, and as precision medicine enablers e.g. defining patient subpopulations, predicting patient responses, and use as diagnostics.The Therapeutic Area Head (TABH) in Biomarker Development (BMD) in Translational Medicine, partners with other Disease area, Translational Medicine, Global Development, and Commercial leadership for the development and implementation of innovative, complex, exploratory biomarker strategies, independent of clinical program stage, and provides an effective interface for transitioning projects to later stage development. The BMD TABH leads and develops a dedicated group of biomarker project team leads (BML) and therapeutic area biomarker leads (TABL) to develop and oversee clinical project strategies, plans and timelines

Key Responsibilities: Key leader to identify, develop, and drive disease, mechanistic biology, translational pharmacology and precision medicine approaches for the Neuroscience and DARe (Diseases of Aging and Regenerative medicine) portfolio, leveraging diverse biomarker modalities e.g. genetics, genomics, proteins, cells, imaging, digital devices and technology/data science strategiesStrategic decision-making and executive oversight in indication / patient selection, biomarker strategy formulation, and investigations into drug mechanisms of actionResponsible for delivering clinical project and disease biology “fit for purpose” biomarker strategies/plans across the Neuroscience and DARe (Diseases of Aging and Regenerative medicine) portfolio and leading reviews at Disease Area Decision Boards (DADBs), Biomarker Forum, Biomarker and Diagnostic Review Committee, TDSCs and governance boardsLeads, mentors and develops a dedicated group of biomarker project team leads (BML) and therapeutic area biomarker leads (TABL) to develop and oversee clinical project strategies, plans and timelinesProvides Novartis disease biomarker leadership internally and externally to drive innovative mid-long term disease area initiatives/consortium across biomarker/clinical study designs, endpoints, diagnostics and discovery strategiesProvides insight into optimal selection of exploratory, “fit for purpose” and validated biomarkers (across modalities e.g. genetic, genomic, soluble, cellular, imaging, digital) to address clinical and biological mechanism questions, trial endpoints and identify responsive patient subpopulationsWorks in close collaboration with other functions in Biomedical Research and Development (e.g. TMDP, CSI, PKS, PCS, RA, DDCI, DAs and DUs) to provide expertise, optimize portfolio value and issue resolutionResponsible for high-quality contributions and review of study protocols, clinical study reports, Integrated Development Plans, and Clinical Pharmacology PlansSupports high quality internal and regulatory submissions/decisions e.g. proof of concept/mechanism, dose selection/escalation, safety and competitive differentiation claimsAttends meetings with external parties including investigators, outside experts, and health authorities, as neededEssential Requirements: PhD and/or MD desirable with broad biology/technology knowledge in the clinical biomarker field; medical and/or clinical genetics experience desiredDeep expertise in drug developmentSubstantial impactful experience working in Pharma and/or biotechnology R&D business functions, leading internal and external high performing diverse teams and matrix organizationsScientific excellence and clinical expertise in neurodegeneration, neuroimmunology, neuromuscular and neurogenetic diseases/biology evidenced by significant contributions to the fieldDemonstrated technical and scientific expertise in multiple areas for development of innovative biomarker solutions with experience in working across key modalities (eg xRNA, AAV, biotherapeutics and small molecules)Well-developed interpersonal skills with good presence and ability to influence and negotiate with senior leadership, experienced presenter and communicatorStrong track record of people leadershipRecognized internally and internationally externally by key stakeholders; in depth understanding of external environment/trends; develops a strong professional networkFluent in oral and written English; other languages e.g. German, French, Italian useful but not requiredBenefits & 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: 169,400.00 - 314,600.00 CHF AnnualThe 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.    In addition to your base salary, you may be eligible for a performance-based bonus depending on certain performance parameters. Long-term equity awards granted at group level may also be part of your package. Further details will be provided during the application process.  Pay equity is a fundamental principle of our employment policy and reflects our commitment to create a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment that treats all employees with dignity and respect, as outlined in our Code of Ethics.   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 / EEONovartis is committed to building an outstanding, inclusive work environment and diverse teams’ representative of the patients and communities we serve.Accessibility and accommodationNovartis 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
Not listed
Function
Drug Discovery & Preclinical Research
Therapeutic area
Neuroscience
Location
Basel (City), Switzerland
Employment type
FULL_TIME

How this role compares

Computed from every other active Drug Discovery & Preclinical Research role in our database, not just this employer's listings.

We currently track 1003 comparable Drug Discovery & Preclinical Research roles across 79 biopharma companies.

1003Comparable roles tracked
918Currently active
79Companies hiring similar roles
31Countries represented

Salary context

420 of 1003 peers report a salary range (USD, annualized)

Peers share this role's job function. This posting doesn't list a seniority level, so peers aren't narrowed by seniority either -- the range below may span more levels than usual.

This roleSubject $169,400/yr – $314,600/yr
Highest disclosed · Executive Director, Toxicology · Exelixis Inc $285,000/yr – $405,500/yr
Peer group range $0 – $345,250 (median $159,000)

Where these roles are based

Top locations among the 1003 comparable roles

United States677
Germany50
China44
Switzerland35
United Kingdom34
France25

+ 25 more countries

Seniority mix

721 of 1003 peers have a known seniority level

Senior227
Principal171
Intern/Fellow/Postdoc83
Associate74
Director61
Associate Director42
Senior Director26
Manager24
Executive/VP13

Therapeutic area mix

130 of 1003 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden

Immunology50
Oncology41
Neuroscience23
Cardiovascular / CVRM6
Vaccines & Infectious Disease3
Respiratory3
Dermatology & Aesthetics2
Gastroenterology1
Rare Disease1

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.

65%similar
Lilly Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America Principal
Same function Same therapeutic area
65%similar
Regeneron Genetics Center (USA) Tarrytown, United States
Same function Same therapeutic area
65%similar
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc (USA) Tarrytown, United States Principal
Same function Same therapeutic area
65%similar
Lilly Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America Director
Same function Same therapeutic area
65%similar
E.R. Squibb & Sons,L.L.C. Princeton, United States Associate Director
Same function Same therapeutic area
65%similar
Boehringer Ingelheim Ridgefield, Connecticut, United States Senior
Same function Same therapeutic area

Notify me about similar jobs

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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.

65%
Advisor / Senior Advisor, CNS/PNS NAMs – Investigative Toxicology
Lilly · Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America · Principal
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
65%
Director, Immunoassay-based Biomarker Discovery and Analysis - Neuroscience
Lilly · Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America · Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
65%
Post-Doctoral Scientist, Neuroscience Cell Biology, Molecular Pharmacology
Lilly · Louisville, Colorado, United States of America · Intern/Fellow/Postdoc
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
65%
Scientist I, Neuroscience Molecular Imaging
AbbVie · North Chicago, IL · Seniority not listed
Function Therapeutic area 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.