Director, Technology & Engineering for Software and Workflows

Novartis; Basel; On-site; CHF 142,000 - 264,000; Full time

Job summary

Novartis in Basel, CH seeks a Director, Technology & Engineering to lead a broad software portfolio, combining strategic direction with delivery accountability. You will shape a high-performing organization, advance AI-enabled engineering practices, and ensure solutions meet quality, security, and regulatory standards.

You will drive modernization across engineering teams, partnering with scientists and data experts to turn innovation into reliable software that accelerates drug discovery.

Qualifications

• Significant experience leading technology functions, engineering managers, and multidisciplinary software teams in a global, matrixed environment.
• Strong learning mindset and curiosity, with ability to explore emerging technologies and turn insights into action.
• Strategic agility—connecting long-term direction with near-term priorities, simplifying complexity.
• Track record leading large-scale SaaS, commercial, custom-built, on-premises, and cloud-based software with measurable impact.
• Deep understanding of modern AI-enabled software engineering practices, including DevOps, CI/CD, test automation, Agile/Lean delivery.
• Experience integrating AI models, agents, or other AI-enabled capabilities into production software and workflows.
• Demonstrated success leading complex, time-bound initiatives and improving delivery quality and performance.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, including engaging senior leaders and translating complexity into clear choices.
• Leadership style grounded in integrity, empowerment, accountability, collaboration, and developing others.
• Courage to challenge the status quo, take thoughtful risks, and drive progress.

Responsibilities

• Lead with purpose: set direction for technology and engineering aligned to scientific impact and strategy.
• Shape a learning culture: foster curiosity, experimentation, and shared ownership.
• Build exceptional teams: coach engineering managers and AI capabilities for growth.
• Accelerate AI-enabled engineering: integrate AI tools into a robust engineering framework.
• Raise the engineering bar: advance architecture, DevOps, CI/CD, test automation, observability.
• Protect sustainable value: align engineering with security, compliance, and governance.
• Influence beyond authority: build trusted relationships and translate tech to decisions.
• Create alignment: coordinate with delivery, architecture, operations, security, and vendors.
• Deliver meaningful outcomes: ensure high-quality solutions delivered on time and within scope.
• Navigate complexity: manage dependencies, risks, resources, and evolving tech.

Skills

Technical leadership

Learning mindset

Strategic agility

SaaS leadership

AI-enabled software

AI integration

Delivery excellence

Communication

Integrity & accountability

Courage to challenge

Job description

Salary Range:

CHF142,100.00 - CHF263,900.00

Band

Level 6

Job Description Summary

Imagine leading the organization that turns emerging technologies, scientific ambition, and bold ideas into software that helps researchers discover medicines faster.

Job Description

Internal job title: Director, Technology & Engineering

Position Location : Basel, CH

This role is based in Basel, CH. Novartis is unable to offer relocation support for this role: please only apply if this location is accessible for you.

The Software & Workflows organization partners with scientists, data experts, and AI specialists across Novartis Biomedical Research to transform scientific workflows and laboratory processes. Our ambition is to make advanced digital and AI capabilities usable, scalable, and impactful, helping teams generate better insights, improve decisions, and accelerate the discovery of innovative medicines.

You will lead technology and engineering execution across a broad portfolio of time-bound software delivery initiatives. Your role will combine strategic technical leadership with delivery accountability: building a high-performing organization, advancing modern and AI-enabled engineering practices, and ensuring that solutions meet demanding standards for quality, performance, security, compliance, and reliability.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead with purpose: Set a compelling direction for technology and engineering, connecting team priorities and technical choices to scientific impact and organizational strategy.

• Shape a learning culture: Encourage curiosity, experimentation, constructive challenge, and learning from outcomes while fostering urgency, trust, clarity, and shared ownership.

• Build exceptional teams: Lead, coach, and develop engineering managers, technical leaders, and AI engineering capabilities while creating opportunities for people to grow and thrive.

• Accelerate AI-enabled engineering: Champion the responsible integration of AI tools and agents into a robust, modern engineering framework and practices.

• Raise the engineering bar: Advance scalable architecture, DevOps, continuous integration and delivery, test automation, observability, and operational excellence.

• Protect sustainable value: Ensure engineering approaches align with enterprise strategy, architectural standards, security, compliance, and responsible AI governance.

• Influence beyond authority: Build trusted relationships across organizational boundaries and communicate complex technical topics in ways that enable timely, informed decisions.

• Create alignment: Partner with delivery, architecture, operations, security, compliance, enterprise technology teams, and software vendors to turn diverse perspectives into clear decisions and coordinated action.

• Deliver meaningful outcomes: Own engineering execution across a broad portfolio of initiatives, ensuring high-quality solutions are delivered predictably within agreed scope, budget, and timelines.

• Navigate complexity: Apply strategic agility to manage dependencies, risks, resources, and trade-offs, adapting plans as priorities and technologies evolve.

Essential Requirements

You are an inspiring and pragmatic technology leader who combines strategic perspective with a strong bias for execution. In short, while your expertise is in technology, your passion is with the outcomes. You are energized by complex problems, motivated by scientific impact, and committed to helping people perform at their best.

You bring:

• Significant experience leading technology functions, engineering managers, technical leaders, and multidisciplinary software teams in a global, matrixed environment.

• A strong learning mindset and curiosity, with the ability to explore emerging technologies, seek diverse perspectives, and turn new insights into practical action.

• Strategic agility—the ability to connect long-term direction with near-term priorities, simplify complexity, and adapt decisively as circumstances evolve.

• A track record of leading large-scale SaaS, commercial, custom-built, on-premises, and cloud-based software solutions with measurable business or scientific impact.

• Deep understanding of modern AI-enabled software engineering practices, including DevOps, continuous integration and delivery, test automation, and Agile or Lean delivery.

• Experience integrating AI models, agents, or other AI-enabled capabilities into production software and engineering workflows.

• Demonstrated success leading complex, time-bound initiatives and improving delivery predictability, quality, and operational performance.

• Excellent communication and influencing skills, including the ability to engage senior leaders and translate technical complexity into clear choices and recommendations.

• A leadership style grounded in integrity, empowerment, accountability, collaboration, and genuine commitment to developing others.

• The courage to challenge the status quo, take thoughtful risks, learn quickly, and help teams turn uncertainty into progress.

Desirable Requirements

• Experience in the pharmaceutical industry, life sciences, research, or another highly regulated environment.

• Experience leading globally distributed teams and collaborating across scientific, technical, vendor, and enterprise functions.

• Evidence of building inclusive, high-performing cultures in which people learn from one another and achieve more together.

What Success Looks Like

In this role, you will shape a technical organization known for clarity, learning, and dependable delivery excellence. Teams will understand how their work contributes to scientific outcomes, leaders will grow in capability and confidence, and partners will experience Technology & Engineering as a trusted force for progress. Together, you will turn emerging possibilities into reliable solutions that help advance drug discovery.

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 [e-mail] and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Please include the job requisition number in your message.

Skills Desired

Algorithms, Computer Programming, Computer Science, Computer Vision, Data Science, Global Project Management, Operational Excellence, People Management, R&D (Research And Development) (Inactive), Solutions Design