AI Scientist – AI-Driven Target Identification

Job Description Summary

The Oncology Data Science team in Biomedical Research at Novartis works at the intersection of oncology drug discovery, computational biology, AI/ML, and data engineering. We are seeking an enthusiastic AI/ML scientist with strong curiosity for AI-driven drug discovery to join the AI & Innovation team. This role will apply advanced AI approaches to generate insights from complex multi-modal datasets and advance our target and biomarker discovery efforts.

Key responsibilities

• Design, develop, implement and apply advanced machine learning algorithms, AI models, and platforms to enable the delivery of predictive insights from pre-clinical, clinical and real-world evidence datasets.
• Demonstrate value of innovative AI techniques in the context of drug target identification, biomolecular interaction modeling, drug development and biomarker discovery.
• Work with foundational models, including pre-trained, self-supervised, multi-purpose, and multi-modal models to advance generative AI applications in drug discovery.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop and adopt best practices for ML-ready data.
• Contribute to scientific publications and present results at internal and external scientific conferences.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Machine Learning, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, Computational Biology or related field.
• Strong experience in one or more of the following areas: generative AI, biomedical foundation models, geometric deep learning, multi-modal learning, and large-scale knowledge graphs.
• Excellent programming skills and proficiency in deep learning frameworks such as PyTorch, with openness to learning new tools and technologies.
• Practical experience across ML and LLM software stack, including feature engineering, model development, deployment, and validation.
• Prior experience working with omics data and familiarity with oncology drug development.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex data insights and recommendations to cross-functional teams.
• Demonstrated strong research skills, evidenced by publications in top-tier ML/AI conferences and/or leading scientific journals.

Rewards

At Novartis, we’re committed to reimagining medicine together - and rewarding the people who make it happen. 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 programs. In addition, we provide flexible and hybrid working options, where possible, and a minimum of 14 weeks paid parental leave.

Why Novartis

Helping people with disease and their families takes more than innovative science. It takes a community of smart, passionate people like you. Collaborating, supporting and inspiring each other. Combining to achieve breakthroughs that change patients’ lives. Ready to create a brighter future together?

Skills Desired

Biostatistics, Curious Mindset, Data Governance, Data Literacy, Data Quality, Data Science, Data Visualization, Graph Algorithms, Learning Agility, Machine Learning (ML), Machine Learning Algorithms, Python (Programming Language), Statistical Analysis, Time Series Analysis