Senior Scientist I / II – Translational Experimental Cancer Biology (OTR) Full-time

Senior Scientist I / II – Translational Experimental Cancer Biology

Location: Cambridge, USA

Drive the mechanistic understanding of how cancer therapies succeed—and fail—at the cellular level. Within Oncology Translational Research, you will interrogate therapeutic response and resistance in breast cancer using advanced molecular and cellular biology approaches, including engineered human cell line systems and functional assays. Working at the interface of discovery and early clinical development, you will generate high-resolution insights into intrinsic and acquired resistance pathways, enabling patient stratification strategies and informing the design of next-generation therapies with improved efficacy, durability, and safety.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead mechanism-of-action studies to interrogate therapeutic response and resistance in breast cancer models
• Design and execute in vitro assays to uncover intrinsic and acquired resistance pathways
• Engineer and optimize human cell line models for functional screening and mechanistic investigations
• Collaborate cross-functionally across discovery, data science, and early clinical development teams
• Analyze, interpret, and clearly communicate experimental data to drive translational insights
• Document experiments rigorously and maintain high-quality scientific records and reproducibility standards
• Stay current with emerging scientific literature and integrate new methodologies into research strategies

Essential Requirements

• Doctor of Philosophy in biology, cancer biology, molecular biology, or a related scientific discipline
• Strong expertise in cell biology and advanced molecular biology techniques
• Proven experience studying resistance to small molecule therapies using molecular approaches
• Deep understanding of hormone-driven cancer biology, including breast or prostate cancer
• Experience designing and executing in vitro assays to investigate cellular mechanisms
• Demonstrated ability to engineer and work with human cell line models
• Strong problem-solving skills, scientific curiosity, and ability to interpret complex biological data
• Proven ability to collaborate effectively within multidisciplinary scientific teams

Desirable Requirements

• Experience with data mining and computational analysis applied to biological datasets
• Familiarity with single-cell sequencing or spatial transcriptomics approaches

Novartis Compensation and Benefit Summary:

The salary for this position is expected to range between $98,700.00 – $183,300.00 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.

EEO Statement:

The Novartis Group of Companies are Equal Opportunity Employers. We do not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion or other employment practices for reasons of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.

Accessibility and reasonable accommodations

The Novartis Group of Companies are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, or to perform the essential functions of a position, please send an e-mail to us.reasonableaccommodations@novartis.com or call +1(877)395-2339 and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Please include the job requisition number in your message.

Salary Range

$98,700.00 – $183,300.00

Skills Desired

Analytical Skill, Analytical Skill, Analytical Thinking, Biotechnology, Collaboration, Communication Skills, Data, Data Analysis, Design Of Experiments, Detail-Oriented, Dna Extraction, Drug Discovery, Ethics Laboratory, HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography), Immunology, Lifesciences, Machine Learning (ML), Molecular Biology, Operational Excellence, Organization, Presentation Skills, Problem Solving Skills, Project Teams, Reports Writing, Research