Translational Medicine Academy fellow in Biomarker Development (BMD) Molecular, Cellular & Soluble Sciences (MCS)

Job Description Summary

Novartis is a place where bright curious minds combine to solve the worlds toughest healthcare challenges and reimagine medicine together. Its an inspiring environment for aspiring talent. For those embarking on a career in innovative medicines or moving into the industry its an opportunity to gain early exposure experience and insights that are hard to find anywhere else.

Biomedical Researchs global Translational Medicine (TM) group builds on basic research advances to develop new therapies that address unmet medical need. We are the crucial bridge between drug discovery and clinical application. Through our work we increase the speed quality and productivity of drug discovery and development by Novartis and play a pivotal role in bringing innovative medicines to patients.

Biomarker solutions are critical in clinical development to: define the stage/subtype of the disease; predict the effect of medication; select a group of patients who would benefit most from a given therapy; and identify opportunities for development of companion diagnostics. Our scientists identify and use a wide range of biomarkers to investigate a disease profile a compounds mechanism of action potency and likely side effects select patients who may respond to therapy based on their genetic profile; and develop parallel/expanded indications for the compound.

The TM Academy is a cross-functional program within TM designed for career starters career changers and career relaunchers. If you are ready for two transformative years to gain hands-on experience in a diverse multicultural global and inclusive environment in early drug development and clinical trials contributing to innovative programs and projects that help bring breakthrough treatments closer to patients worldwide then this is the opportunity for you!

Job Description

This advert is exclusively for Biomarker Development (BMD) Molecular Cellular & Soluble Sciences (MCS) within the TM Academy. Other TM Academy roles are advertised separately under:

• REQ TM Academy Biomarker Development Laboratory Excellence and Operations (BMD LEO)
• REQ- TM Academy Clinical Science & Innovation (CS&I)
• REQ TM Academy Pharmacokinetic Sciences (PKS) Modeling & Simulation
• REQ TM Academy Preclinical Safety Data Science

Location: Basel Switzerland

Duration of program: 24 months

Program start: 01-September- 2026

Applications are open until 17-May-2026 included.

By submitting your application you confirm that you would be available to begin the program on 01-September with final selection decisions expected to be communicated by end of June/early July.

Please note that we can only accept applicants who are eligible to work in Switzerland.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Your journey begins with a basecamp: 4-week immersive blended experience designed to introduce you to our organization the drug development process the various departments in Translational Medicine the clinical trial process and the tools and technical platforms needed for your work.

Throughout the program fellows reunite for continuous learning focused on soft skills cross-functional exposure and thematic introduction series - broadening your perspective beyond your immediate team and function.

As TM Academy fellow in BMD you will receive training and mentorship you will be empowered to do and learn and you will work in a diverse multicultural global and inclusive environment.

Key learning areas include:

• Work as a tissue biomarker subject matter expert in clinical studies.
• Work with biomarker and pathologist experts to develop tissue biomarker plans and assays for implementation in clinical studies.
• Work with internal and external stakeholders to resolve issues related to tissue biomarker assessment in ongoing clinical trials.
• Learn and contribute to processes tailored to implement tissue biomarkers in clinical trials.
• Work and collaborate with PCS.
• Contribute to technology innovation for human tissue protein assessment.

During the TM Academy you will

• build a strong foundation in translational medicine with support from industry experts
• embark on a progressive blended and flexible learning experience covering conceptual theoretical and experiential techniques
• be part of a global network of supportive peers and mentors who will guide you to work and collaborate on meaningful projects that shape the future of medicine
• gain hands-on experience by contributing to and supporting:
  • singleplex and multiplex tissue imagingwhile contributing to the establishment ofcritical inhouse capability in spatial data analysiswithin the BMDPCS Tissue Biomarker Laboratory.
  • daytoday implementation of singleplex and multiplex immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence workflows from histology/ tissue processing and staining through image acquisition and will contribute to downstream data analysis and standardization efforts supporting innovative Translational Medicine programs.
• broaden your professional horizon by doing a deep dive in different areas aligned with your interests and based on open opportunities.
• have the opportunity to teach back and mentor new fellows
• Gain broad exposure totranslational biomarker science from experimental execution to data interpretation.
• Develop technical independence scientific rigor and crossfunctional collaboration skills in a real TM program setting.
• take laboratorybased responsibilities (70-80% of time):
  • Performhandson singleplex and multiplex immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence experimentson multiple platforms including:
    • Tissue preparation and handling
    • Antibody panel application and staining workflows
    • Instrument operation and run QC
  • Support theestablishment and optimization of internal laboratory workflowsfor tissue imaging within the BMDPCS lab environment.
  • Work closely with pathologists and histology experts to ensurebiological and technical data quality.
  • Contribute todocumentation and standardizationof laboratory procedures to enable reproducibility and scalability.
• Contribute to data analysis (20-30% of time):
  • Contribute todownstream image and spatial data analysis including:
    • Image quality control and preprocessing
    • Cell segmentation and phenotypic annotation
    • Basic spatial analysis and result visualization
  • Translate laboratory outputs intoclear interpretable resultsfor TM project teams.

Role requirements

Education

PhD inlife sciences biomedical sciences bioengineering pathologyrelated disciplines or a related field completed or close to completion by start date.

Mandatory laboratory expertise:

Demonstratedhandson laboratory experiencewith the following:

- Single and multiplex immunohistochemistry

- Single and multiplex in situ hybridization

Strong interest inexperimental method developmentand laboratory innovation.

Data & computational skills:

Mastery of image analysis is expected using software such as Halo Visiopharm etc

Familiarity withimagebased or singlecell data analysisis desired; deep expertise isnotmandatory at entry.

Basic experience withPython and/or Rfor data exploration or analysis is an advantage.

Mindset & working style:

Comfortable workingat the bench on a daily basis

Curious detailoriented and motivated byemerging technologies

Collaborative and open to learning across laboratory pathology and data science interfaces

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
and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Please include the job requisition number in your message.

Skills Desired