Cardio-Renal Discovery & Scientific Strategy Area Leader

At Roche you can show up as yourself, embraced for the unique qualities you bring. Our culture encourages personal expression, open dialogue, and genuine connections,  where you are valued, accepted and respected for who you are, allowing you to thrive both personally and professionally. This is how we aim to prevent, stop and cure diseases and ensure everyone has access to healthcare today and for generations to come. Join Roche, where every voice matters.

The Position

In Roche’s Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development organization (pRED), we make transformative medicines for patients in order to tackle some of the world’s toughest unmet healthcare needs. At pRED, we are united by our mission to transform science into medicines. Together, we create a culture defined by curiosity, responsibility, and humility, where our talented people are empowered and inspired to bring forward extraordinary life-changing innovation at speed.

pRED Cardiovascular & Metabolism, Immunology (CMI), located in Basel, Switzerland, focuses on the discovery and early development of innovative treatments for specific diseases that affect the lives of millions. In the cardiovascular and metabolism area, we are developing cutting-edge therapies to treat metabolic diseases. 

The Position

The Cardio-Renal Discovery Area Leader is a newly created and premier scientific leadership role within the CVRM therapeutic area, acting as the principal architect of the early-stage pipeline in cardiovascular and renal diseases. The focus is on pioneering novel cardiovascular and renal discovery programs and advancing them from target assessment through preclinical candidate selection . This role emphasizes deep, mechanistic disease expertise, leading an elite team of translational scientists and discovery biologists to interrogate the complex, interconnected biology of the cardiorenal axis.  

This role reports directly to the Discovery Head of CVRM. Key interactions include presenting high-level portfolio strategies to the Leadership Team and governance boards, as well as maintaining deep collaborative relationships with world-renowned scientists and academic networks in cardiology and nephrology. 

As a leader in CMI, you act as a catalyst for innovation, championing an enterprise mindset that prioritizes long-term scientific impact. You cultivate an environment of high performance and psychological safety, empowering elite teams of translational scientists to interrogate complex cardiorenal biology. Your leadership is defined by an unwavering commitment to integrity, courage, and passion, driving the organization to deliver transformative breakthroughs for patients.

Your key responsibilities will include:  

• Novel Target Identification: Drive scientific strategy to validate disease-modifying targets across CV and renal segments.

• Mechanistic Subspecialties: Champion programs targeting advanced mechanisms like myocardial energetics and podocyte injury.

• Modality-Agnostic Innovation: Lead teams across small molecules, RNA-based therapeutics, and advanced biologics.

• Phenotypic & Human-Centric Screening: Oversee 3D cardiac organoids and kidney-on-a-chip models.

• Preclinical-to-Clinical Translation: Accountability for scientific integrity of preclinical pharmacology and design architecture for transitioning leads into IND/CTA-enabling packages.

• Scouting & Due Diligence: Serve as technical authority for evaluating external assets and biotech platforms.

• Scientific Eminence: Cultivate collaborative relationships with academic research networks and consortia.

Who You Are

You will bring 10+ years of progressive biopharmaceutical industry or premier academic translation experience, with a documented history of driving CV/renal assets from early concept to successful IND/CTA filing and FIH readiness.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Education Level: PhD, MD, or MD/PhD in Cardiovascular Physiology, Renal Physiology, Pharmacology, Molecular Biology, or a highly relevant life sciences discipline.

• Specialist Knowledge: Advanced authority on the pathophysiology of cardiorenal networks, including CKD/Nephropathy, Myocardial Remodeling & Fibrosis, the Cardiorenal Axis, Genetic & Rare Diseases, and Atherosclerosis & Lipid Metabolism.

• Fluency in English (written and spoken) is required.

Unwavering focus, collaborative teamwork and exceptional delivery are key behaviours that drive our mission of doing now what patients need next. Together, we can be transformative

Who we are

A healthier future drives us to innovate. Together, more than 100’000 employees across the globe are dedicated to advance science, ensuring everyone has access to healthcare today and for generations to come. Our efforts result in more than 26 million people treated with our medicines and over 30 billion tests conducted using our Diagnostics products. We empower each other to explore new possibilities, foster creativity, and keep our ambitions high, so we can deliver life-changing healthcare solutions that make a global impact.

Let’s build a healthier future, together.

Roche is an Equal Opportunity Employer.