Principal Scientist - Translational Intestinal Immunology (80-100%*)

Job Description Summary

Location: Basel, Switzerland
Full time, onsite, #LI-Onsite

In the Immunology group in Biomedical Research, We are developing the next generation of medicines for inflammatory bowel disease with the ambition to transform the lives of patients. This is an opportunity for you to bring your scientific talent and curiosity into a highly collaborative, interdisciplinary environment, where your work will turn complex human data into actionable therapy-relevant insights in a competitive and dynamic field.

 

Job Description

The Translational Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) lab is integrated in the Immunology Research Disease Area and will accelerate target discovery and positioning of therapeutic compounds for IBD (Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn’s disease). To lead the lab research activities, we are looking for a scientist who has a strong background in mechanistic translational research in mucosal immunology. If you are passionate about the molecular basis of IBD and compound mode of action at the interface of preclinical and clinical research, we want you on our team. 

Key Responsibilities

• Design and execute mechanistic experiments hands-on, to link human disease biology to druggable targets within and beyond the immune system, and to accelerate preclinical compound development, strengthen understanding of drug modes of action, differentiate novel drugs to standard-of care treatment.

• Leverage human biosamples (e.g. blood, intestinal biopsies) to generate decision-making data and position candidate molecules for clinical trials (target validation, MoA studies, biomarker strategy).

• Partner closely with early clinical teams (Biomarker Development, Translational Medicine) to test clinical hypotheses for early clinical strategies (e.g. patient stratification).

• Champion data-driven target discovery, in collaboration with data scientists, in vivo biology labs and other groups in Novartis Biomedical Research to connect quantitative methods (e.g. ex vivo analyses, transcriptomics) to patient heterogeneity and outcomes.

• Drive a culture of collaboration, talent development and integrity.

Minimum Requirements

• Ideally PhD or MD qualified in Mucosal Immunology, Gastroenterology, Barrier Immunology (skin/lung/intestine), or a related field with a strong track record of peer-reviewed publications.

• At least 3 years of relevant translational research expertise in an interdisciplinary setting in academia or industry, bridging clinical and preclinical evidence

• Hands-on mastery of routine immunological/ cell biology/ molecular biology assays (e.g. multi-parametric flow cytometry) and in vitro human models relevant to IBD and mucosal immunity (e.g. primary immune/epithelial cells, slice cultures).

• Proven ability to conduct experiments using in vitro human systems and biosamples (e.g., PBMCs, primary immune/epithelial cells, tissue explants), including sample-tracking best practices and consent/ethics).

• Experienced in collaboration with data scientists, ensuring high quality experimental design and reproducibility.

• Proven track record of completing projects on schedule in view of narrow timelines

Additional Requirements

• Prior experience mentoring junior researchers would be an advantage

• Experience contributing to drug discovery programs in biotech/pharma or translational academic/clinical setting (e.g. in vitro pharmacology, biomarker studies) is a plus.

• Data Science literacy and confidence in interpreting multi‑omic outputs and statistical analyses is an additional asset.

*Restrictions on flexible working requirements may apply and can be discussed at interview stages as necessary

Accessibility and accommodation:
Novartis 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 inclusion.switzerland@novartis.com and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Please include the job requisition number in your message.

 

Skills Desired

Gastroenterology, Gastrointestinal Disease, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases