Global Head, Oncology Translational Research

Job Description Summary

At NIBR Oncology, our people, and our patients, are our passion.

This role is a key scientific leader and integral part of the Oncology DA leadership team accountable for all translational research for the Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research (NIBR) oncology portfolio spanning multiple therapeutic modalities (i.e. CAR-T, biologics, bispecifics, radioligand therapies, low molecular weight molecules). This role will lead both forward and reverse translation of pre-clinical and clinical oncology and Immuno-Oncology (IO) programs including translational research, clinical biomarkers, pathology, and next-gen sequencing. As a senior leader, this role will interface extensively with both research, drug discovery, oncology data sciences, early clinical development and the late-stage clinical development team including the precision medicine group guiding exploratory biomarker plan design and strategy.

 

Job Description

Key Responsibilities:

• Directs the successful translation of pre-clinical research to human clinical trials, conducts analysis of pathways to find links to disease using both pre-clinical and clinical patient samples.

• Guides exploratory biomarker plan design and strategy for early stage Translational Clinical Oncology (TCO) and Global Drug Development (GDD) trials.

• Integrates translational pre-clinical with emerging clinical and biomarker data with disease biology to inform on mechanisms of response and resistance to therapy, patient stratification strategies as well as fundamental disease biology.

• Collaborates closely with the Oncology Data Science group to analyze high-dimensional pre-clinical and clinical data to enable clinical decision making, understand response and resistance to therapies and ultimately inform our future oncology research strategy.

• Leads and integrates new technologies (i.e. imaging, sequencing, proteomics, etc.) and new biomarker assays to support translational research for our clinical programs.

• Responsible for quality and compliance at the functional level including biomarker protocols written in Investigational New Drug (IND) or Clinical Trial Application (CTA) filings for our global clinical studies.

• Interfaces closely with the late-stage clinical development group to enable translational research informing our late-stage clinical studies.

• Lead a large global team responsible for setting, driving and executing the translational research strategy in alignment with the broader organization.

• Ensure seamless collaboration across relevant line functions. Work closely and effectively with other functional/sub-functional heads to foster collaborations

• Develop talent pipeline through recruitment activities and being a mentor, coach and educational resource across Novartis; mentor at highest level (ie. outside of area of expertise)

• Deploy & prioritize resources across units and / or global projects. May include possible oversight and support to project deliveries across functions

• Member of the oncology leadership team and responsible for representing research at senior levels/ disease boards and other internal/external forums

• Member of the early clinical development leadership team (TCO-LT) and provides guidance on the biomarker strategy for all phase 1 and first-in-human studies

• Partner with the Oncology Leadership Team (OLT) to establish a forward looking strategy and execute on the strategy including leading efforts in new areas of technology including AI/ML approaches (with data sciences), biomarkers, disease biology, and translational science that are in line with our long-term strategy and vision.

• Partner with business development to gain access to new technology and data platforms that will help inform and accelerate our translational research strategy.

Essential Requirements:

• This position will be located at the Cambridge, MA site and will not have the ability to be located remotely. This position will require 20% travel as defined by the business (domestic and/ or international).

• M.D., Ph.D. or comparable doctoral degree in a relevant discipline.

• 8+ years of experience in a pharmaceutical or biotech-based company or as an established leader in academia ideally with multiple years in a matrixed leadership role. 

• Outstanding scientific depth and breadth with a demonstrated track record of high impact publications in the field of oncology, immuno-oncology, or oncology translational research.

• Strong leadership presence and the ability to d