Executive Director of Applied AI
Job Location:
Basel - Switzerland
Monthly Salary:
Posted:
Application Deadline:
Vacancies:
Job Summary
Salary Range:
CHF164500.00 - CHF305500.00Job Description Summary
Location Basel Switzerland#LI-Hybrid 3 days/week in office
Internal Job Title: The Executive Director Applied AI Lead
Novartis is making a significant long-term investment in becoming an AI-first organization with sponsorship at the highest levels of the company. This is a rare opportunity to shape how generative AI and agentic systems are engineered deployed and adopted across a global enterprise whose work ultimately supports patients and healthcare systems worldwide. As Executive Director of Applied AI you will combine technical depth product thinking and enterprise influence to turn high-value business challenges into secure scalable AI products and intelligent workflows. You will lead a small globally distributed team of applied AI engineers and work directly with senior business and technology leaders to deliver measurable value at scale.
Job Description
Key Responsibilities
Define and lead the applied AI deployment strategy executionroadmapand business integration model across enterprise business units.
Act as a forward-deployed AI engineering leader partnering directly with business teams to translate strategic priorities into deployable products intelligentworkflowsand redesigned processes.
Lead technical solution architecture for complex AI deployments making hands-on decisions on application architecture system integration patterns model orchestration APIs securitycontrolsand production infrastructure.
Lead end-to-end implementation customization integration and scaling of generative AI agenticsystemsand workflow automation solutions in production environments.
Build lead and coach a small globally distributed team of forward deployed AI engineersestablishingengineering excellence through technical review processes codingstandardsand career development while actively guiding delivery on critical engagements.
Establish delivery frameworks and engineering standards that support scalability reliability securitymaintainabilityand sustained operational adoption.
Create reusable AI services accelerators evaluation frameworksblueprintsand integration patterns that reduce time to value across business domains.
Partner with data infrastructure information security architecturecomplianceand business teams to align solutions with enterprise priorities andregulated-environmentrequirements.
Track solution performance adoption and business value through monitoring feedback loops useranalysisand continuous service optimization.
Guidemodernization of existing systems and processes so they can integrate with agentic AI products applied AI models and enterprise technology platforms.
Communicate business impact technical transformation vision delivery progress risks and investment needs to senior executives and key stakeholders.
Essential Requirements
Bachelors degree in computer science engineering datascienceora relatedfield.
At least 15 years of progressive experience in technology leadership enterprise AItransformationor complex solution delivery including leadership of senior technical and cross-functional teams.
Deep hands-onexpertisein applied AI deliveryincluding takingmachine learning generativeAIand agentic solutions from concept through production and enterprise-scale adoption.
Strong software and product engineering grounding with experience integrating AI into complex enterprise platforms dataenvironmentsand operational workflows.
Hands-onproficiencywith modern AI engineering stacks including Python cloud platforms (e.g. AWS) LLM orchestration frameworks vector databasesMLOps/LLMOpsand software delivery practices.
Demonstrated success defining and scaling enterprise-level AI initiatives with measurable business valueautomationor performance outcomes.
Experience leading forward deployed solutions engineering or technical consulting teams translating ambiguous business problems into production-grade software systems in enterprise environments.
Consulting orprofessional-servicesexperience partnering with senior technology and business leaders on enterprise transformation operatingmodelsor technology strategy.
Provenpeopleleadership and organizational development capability including building high-performing teams developingleadersandestablishingeffective governance.
Strong executive communication and cross-functional influence skills with the ability to align priorities investmentdecisionsand delivery across a complex matrixed organization.
Desirable Requirements
Master of Science engineering postgraduate degree or MBA.
Experience delivering AI solutions in healthcare life sciences or another complex regulated environment or priorzero-to-one startup experience.
Benefits & Rewards
At Novartis were committed to reimagining medicine together - and rewarding the people who make it happen.
Expected Annual Base Salary Range for role:164500.00 CHF to305500.00 CHF Annual
The base salary offered is determined based on gender-neutral objectives such as relevant skills competencies and experience in accordance with the Novartis pay setting policy and upon joining Novartis will be reviewed periodically.
In addition to your base salary you may be eligible for a performance-based bonus depending on certain performance parameters.
The rewards of being part of our team go far beyond base pay and incentives. We also offer a variety of competitive benefits in kind to help you thrive personally and professionally such as insurance plans retirement plans wellbeing resources and global recognition addition we provide flexible and hybrid working options where possible and minimum 14 weeks paid parental leave.
In addition to your base salary you may be eligible for a performance-based bonus depending on certain performance parameters.Long-term equity awards granted at group level may also be part of your package. Further details will be provided during the application process.
Read our brochure to learn more about our global total rewards offering:
Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
Novartis is committed to building an outstanding inclusive work environment and diverseteamsrepresentative of the patients and communities we serve.
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
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Business Value Creation Change Management Curious Mindset Data Governance Data Literacy Data Management Data Quality Data Science Data Visualization Deep Learning Learning Agility Machine Learning (ML) Machine Learning Algorithms Mentorship Stakeholder Engagement Statistical Analysis Time Series AnalysisRequired Experience:
Director
About Company
Novartis is a global healthcare company based in Switzerland that provides solutions to the evolving needs of patients worldwide.
