Global Head of Technology & Architecture in Biomedical Research (BR)

Job Description Summary

Location: Basel Switzerland, #LI-Hybrid 3 days/week in office
This role is required to be in our Basel office 3 days/week.

Internal job title: Global Head BR Technology, Foundations & Architecture

About the Role:

The Global Head of Technology & Architecture in Biomedical Research (BR) will spearhead our Information Technology strategy in drug discovery and early clinical development, ensuring our technologies are aligned with our objectives while promoting unity and cooperation with key internal and external partners, transforming our global labs into high-throughput, AI-orchestrated environments. By integrating "dry lab" hypothesis generation with "wet lab" robotic validation, you will build the "Self-Driving Lab" of the future.

The leader will be a member of Biomedical Research´ Data & Digital Leadership Team and a matrixed member of the Data, Digital, and IT (DDIT) leadership team representing the needs of Biomedical Research. The role reports into the Chief Data & Digital Officer, BR and will work closely with the Data and Digital leadership team.

We are seeking an entrepreneurial and technically strong Global Head of Technology & Architecture to lead the strategy, design, and evolution of our next-generation Data & AI platforms and lab of the future endeavors supporting our global biomedical research organization.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities:

• Deliver top-tier research informatics to expedite the discovery of new treatments using data & digital technology and enhance the user experience of our researchers.

• Ensure the evolution of BR´s technology capabilities, underlying architecture, drive make or buy decisions for software products and architecture in close alignment with DDIT to deliver harmonized, scalable, end-to-end approaches across projects.

• Lead the strategy, design, and evolution of our next-generation Data & AI Platforms supporting a global biomedical research organization, and define multi-year vision and roadmap for the Research Data & AI Platforms, ensuring alignment with scientific priorities and the digital AI strategy.

• Significantly contribute to the creation of a global digital strategy for BR's AI-driven drug discovery using Data Science, (Gen) AI, and ML on the technology part, and take part in key strategic cross-divisional data and digital projects and initiatives to ensure seamless compatibility of data systems and solutions across the Novartis Research- Development and Commercial units.

• Driving the lab of the future initiative from an informatics perspective together with lab equipment and automation experts from other BR functions,

• Collaborate closely with Novartis DDIT and the BR Data Science community to devise and execute on the digital and AI strategy for BR to ensure BR is a fully AI enabled Research Organization.

• Evaluate emerging technologies (agentic workflows, vector databases, GPU infrastructure, lab digitalization technologies, quantum computing etc.) and translate them into practical capabilities that drive research outcomes; Lead platform architecture reviews and steer technology selection.

• Provide strategic input and vision on Technologies to the President of Research and BR´s scientific leadership, and act as a recognized advisor to top management.

• Partner closely with DDIT functions to ensure enterprise solutions are preferentially deployed where possible and seek synergies; Serve as a bridge between engineering, R&D scientists, data science, and IT security/compliance and infrastructure groups.

• Grow and lead a diverse, inclusive, high-performing team and instill a collaborative, enterprise mindset, and develop and mentor high-performing, diverse team of platform engineers, software engineers, domain specialists, and architects, lab technologists.

Essential Requirements:

• PhD or master’s degree in computer science, data science, AI, computational biology, cheminformatics, or a related discipline. A background that spans both technology and life sciences is strongly preferred.

• 12+ years of experience in platform engineering, architecture, infrastructure, data engineering, cloud architecture, research lab technologies or ML infrastructure; with 8+ years in leadership roles.

• Strong understanding of modern AI/ML workflows, including LLMs, model training/serving, monitoring, MLOps, and GPU infrastructure.

• Expertise with cloud-native architectures, microservices, APIs, Kubernetes, IaC, observability tools, and high-performance computing.

• Familiarity with scientific research workflows and associated data modalities (omics, imaging, real-world data, lab-generated data)

• Experience translating research and business needs into platform capabilities, and translating technical constraints into business language.

• Extensive Leadership of multidisciplinary, global team with the ability to successfully operate in a matrixed and fast changing environment.

• Proven ability to influence and collaborate across scientific, technical, and business stakeholders, with ability to influence senior leadership & exceptional stakeholder management skills.

• Excellent interpersonal, communication & presentation skills with the ability to communicate complex technical concepts to a wide audience

• Strong ability to navigate complexity and drive to deliver collective impact with an enterprise mindset

Skills Desired

Computer Science, Computer Vision, Cross-Functional Teams, Data Science, Data Strategy, Global Project Management, Leadership, R&D (Research And Development)