Novartis Posted July 9, 2026

Principal Scientist II - Pharmacology

Cambridge (USA), United States FULL_TIME
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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-Onsite Location: Cambridge, MAThis position is located in Cambridge, MA and does not have the ability to be located remotely. Please only apply if this area is accessible to you.Over 40 therapies in the clinic! NIBR Oncology strives to reimagine medicines for cancer patients through a combination of treatment approaches including targeted therapies, immunotherapies, CAR-T, and radioligand therapy. NIBR is seeking an in vivo scientist to join our Oncology Pharmacology team in Cambridge, MA. The successful candidate will join a dynamic, multi-disciplinary team and play a key role in the development and application of in vivo models for evaluating novel cancer therapies and advancing the early-stage drug discovery pipeline. This is a labhead-based position, where the ideal candidate is expected to lead efforts in the design and execution of in vivo anti-tumor efficacy and PK/PD studies aimed at evaluating drug candidates in CDX, PDX, and syngeneic models. Applicants are expected to develop novel in vivo assays to interrogate key scientific questions and deliver high-value translationally relevant data that can inform clinical development. Qualified candidates will have extensive experience in a variety of molecular biology skills. A strong background and expertise in antibody drug conjugates is preferred. We are looking for highly motivated, inquisitive, and creative individuals, who thrive in a highly matrixed work environment, and can effectively communicate within multidisciplinary project teams.

Responsibilities:Design pre-clinical in vivo studies to explore novel hypotheses, screen candidate molecules, and establish proof-of-concept of new modalitiesDevelop in vivo CDX, PDX, and syngeneic models to evaluate anti-tumor activity, PK/PD relationships, relevant biomarkers, and key translational questionsManage associate-level scientistsCollaborate with cross-functional project teamsCritically analyze and present results within a multidisciplinary team environmentCareful adherence to animal protocols and proper documentation of data and methods in electronic laboratory notebookQualifications:PhD with 5-8 years of research experience as a postdoc or in the pharmaceutical/biotech industryDeep knowledge of antibody drug conjugatesExtensive experience working with CDX and PDX xenograft tumor models and/or syngeneic modelsExpertise in cell culture, PCR, ELISA, western blot, and flow cytometryStrong analytical, communication (written and verbal), and organizational skills, including a proficiency with PowerPoint and commonly used data analysis programs, such as Prism and ExcelNovartis Compensation and Benefit Summary: The salary for this position is expected to range between $126,000 and $234,000 per year.The final salary offered is determined based on factors like, but not limited to, relevant skills andexperience, and upon joining Novartis will be reviewed periodically. Novartis may change the publishedsalary range based on company and market factors.Your compensation will include a performance-based cash incentive and, depending on the level of therole, eligibility to be considered for annual equity awards.US-based eligible employees will receive a comprehensive benefits package that includes health, life anddisability 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
Principal
Function
Drug Discovery & Preclinical Research
Therapeutic area
Not listed
Location
Cambridge (USA), United States
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 237 comparable Principal Drug Discovery & Preclinical Research roles across 40 biopharma companies.

237Comparable roles tracked
220Currently active
40Companies hiring similar roles
15Countries represented

Salary context

75 of 237 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 $126,000/yr – $234,000/yr
Lowest disclosed · Sr Research Associate, FPD · Gilead Sciences, Inc. $94,945/yr – $122,870/yr
Peer group range $108,908 – $322,000 (median $180,500)

Where these roles are based

Top locations among the 237 comparable roles

United States187
India14
United Kingdom6
China5
China's Mainland4
Canada4

+ 9 more countries

Seniority mix

237 of 237 peers have a known seniority level

Senior117
Principal81
Director39

Therapeutic area mix

27 of 237 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden

Oncology14
Neuroscience3
Cardiovascular / CVRM3
Vaccines & Infectious Disease2
Respiratory2
Immunology2
Gastroenterology1

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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.

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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.

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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.