Novartis Posted September 1, 2026

Clinical Program Lead (CPL) - RLT Focus

Cambridge (USA), United States FULL_TIME
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About this opportunity

Location: Cambridge, MA. Hybrid May consider DWA, but candidates local to onsite preferred #LI-HybridExperience will determine which level 6 (Senior CPL or CPL) is appropriate after interview process based on skills and experience.CPL: Provides strategic medical guidance and leads the development of experimental oncology agents in the TCO portfolio, beginning with PE / DC (Portfolio Entry / Drug Candidate) of preclinical development and continuing through TDP (Transition Decision Point).

Major AccountabilitiesProvides strategic medical and scientific leadership and expertise to all line functions on the project team for the development of new oncology agents (e.g., small molecules, biologics, radioligand therapies) that are in preclinical development, typically beginning at the PE / DCCreates clinical development strategies for new oncology agents within the PE/ DC to TDP timeframe. The development strategy combines the CPL’s medical knowledge with the expertise of colleagues in a wide range of other disciplines (e.g., Clinical Pharmacology, Biostatistics) to optimize the clinical development strategy. Delivers solutions within functions, across functions, and on global projects, developing independent approach to TCO strategy.  Although registration studies are not within the responsibility of TCO, the CPL must provide an early clinical development strategy that foresees and supports subsequent registration trials.  Development of the Integrated Development Plan Approval (IDPA) in alignment with CPL Disease Area Leads (DALs), Development (DEV), Strategy & Growth (S&G), and Commercial teamsLead Biomedical Research Early Program Teams (BPTs) to enable the start of clinical development and continuing through clinical trials needed to support TDP. May lead multiple global project teamsIntegrates preclinical information (pharmacology, toxicology, and pharmacokinetics) and interprets implications for clinical development, as articulated in the Investigator’s Brochure and First-in-Human protocolCollaborates with clinical scientists to develop clinical protocols for TCO compounds and develop the instruments needed to implement, interpret and report them (e.g., case report forms, report and analysis plans, clinical study reports)Applies own medical knowledge to guide the safe, ethical and efficient conduct of the trials under own responsibility. Knowledgeable in Good Clinical Practice guidelines and Novartis Standard Operating Procedures and strives to maintain compliance with themLiaises with outside experts, investigators, and regulatory authorities in oncology, and represents own projects to those groups and authoritiesWrites and reviews abstracts/manuscripts etc. for presentation/publications at internal/external meetingsParticipates in task forces to support continuous improvement and other management objectives. Operational responsibility for quality and complianceMay provide informal mentorship to less experienced CPLsQualifications:Education:MD or DO degreeBoard-certification in an oncology specialty and PhD-level science are preferred Languages:Fluent English – Oral and writtenExperience/Professional requirement:At least 2 years of pharmaceutical/biotech industry experience in oncology clinical trials plus the equivalent duration experience from an academic medical center. If limited or no Pharmaceutical industry experience, then comparable senior academic experience in translational oncology and clinical researchExperience within RLT preferredRecognized as an expert in your field by external medical experts. External candidates have a substantial record of publication and international recognitionExcellent interpretation of oncology preclinical data (molecular biology, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and toxicology)Strong knowledge of the application of PK/PD and biostatistics to clinical development and clinical trialsProven ability to analyze and interpret efficacy and safety data relating to oncologyKnowledge of GCP and world-wide regulatory requirements for clinical trials and oncologyExcellent medical/scientific writing skillsSuccessful track record of strategic thinkingProven ability to develop and inspire project/line/matrix multidisciplinary teams in a global environmentExcellent personal ethical integrity and a commitment to improving the outcomes for patients with malignanciesExcellent written and oral English communication/presentation skillsStrong office IT skillsNovartis Compensation and Benefit Summary: The salary for this position is expected to range between $248,500.00 - 461,500.00 USD Annual per year.The final salary offered is determined based on factors like, but not limited to, relevant skills and experience, and upon joining Novartis will be reviewed periodically. Novartis may change 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 to be considered for annual equity awards.US-based eligible employees will receive a comprehensive benefits package that includes health, life and disability benefits, a 401(k) with company contribution and match, and a variety of other benefits. In addition, employees are eligible for a generous time off package including vacation, personal days,holidays and other leaves.

Job details

Seniority
Not listed
Function
Clinical Development
Therapeutic area
Not listed
Location
Cambridge (USA), United States
Employment type
FULL_TIME

How this role compares

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

We currently track 1416 comparable Clinical Development roles across 105 biopharma companies.

1416Comparable roles tracked
1300Currently active
105Companies hiring similar roles
52Countries represented

Salary context

418 of 1416 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 $248,500/yr – $461,500/yr
Lowest disclosed · Patient Safety, Medical Director · Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc (US) $0/hr – $0/hr (≈ $0–$0/yr)
Peer group range $0 – $468,000 (median $198,000)

Where these roles are based

Top locations among the 1416 comparable roles

United States738
India124
United Kingdom88
China69
Japan35
Poland33

+ 46 more countries

Seniority mix

967 of 1416 peers have a known seniority level

Manager276
Director236
Senior149
Associate Director118
Senior Director63
Associate40
Principal34
Executive/VP30
Intern/Fellow/Postdoc21

Therapeutic area mix

206 of 1416 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden

Oncology104
Immunology36
Neuroscience32
Cardiovascular / CVRM11
Respiratory9
Vaccines & Infectious Disease4
Dermatology & Aesthetics4
Ophthalmology3
Rare Disease2
Gastroenterology1

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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.

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Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
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Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
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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.