Global Head of Technology & Architecture in Biomedical Research; BR

Location:

Cambridge, USA

3 days/week in office. This role requires presence in the Cambridge office 3x/week.

The Global Head of Technology & Architecture in Biomedical Research (BR) will spearhead our Information Technology strategy in drug discovery and early clinical development, ensuring our technologies are aligned with objectives while promoting unity and cooperation with key internal and external partners. The leader will be a member of the Biomedical Research Data & Digital Leadership Team and a matrixed member of the Data, Digital, and IT (DDIT) leadership team representing the needs of Biomedical Research.

The role reports to the Chief Data & Digital Officer,  , and works closely with the Data and Digital leadership team.

• Deliver top‑tier research informatics to expedite discovery of new treatments using data & digital technology and enhance the user experience of researchers.
• Ensure evolution of   technology capabilities and underlying architecture, drive make or buy decisions for software products and architecture in close alignment with DDIT to deliver harmonised, scalable, end‑to‑end approaches across projects.
• Lead the strategy, design and evolution of next‑generation Data & AI Platforms, and define multi‑year vision and roadmap for the Research Data & AI Platforms, aligning with scientific priorities and the digital AI strategy.
• Significantly contribute to the global digital strategy for  ’s AI‑driven drug discovery using Data Science, (Gen) AI and ML, and take part in key strategic cross‑divisional data and digital projects to ensure seamless compatibility of data systems and solutions across Novartis Research‑Development and Commercial units.
• Drive the lab of the future initiative from an informatics perspective together with lab equipment and automation experts from other   functions.
• Collaborate closely with Novartis DDIT and the   Data Science community to devise and execute the digital and AI strategy for  , ensuring   is a fully AI‑enabled research organisation.
• Evaluate emerging technologies (agentic workflows, vector databases, GPU infrastructure, lab digitalisation technologies, quantum computing etc.) and translate them into practical capabilities that drive research outcomes; lead platform architecture reviews and steer technology selection.
• Provide strategic input and vision on technologies to the President of Research and  ’s scientific leadership, acting as a recognised advisor to top management.
• Partner closely with DDIT functions to ensure enterprise solutions are preferentially deployed where possible and seek synergies; serve as a bridge between engineering, R&D scientists, data science, IT security/compliance and infrastructure groups.
• Grow and lead a diverse, inclusive, high‑performing team and develop and mentor platform engineers, software engineers, domain specialists, architects and lab technologists.

• PhD or master’s degree in computer science, data science, AI, computational biology, cheminformatics or a related discipline.
• Background that spans both technology and life sciences is strongly preferred.
• 12+ years of experience in platform engineering, architecture, infrastructure, data engineering, cloud architecture, research lab technologies or ML infrastructure, with 8+ years in leadership roles.
• Strong understanding of modern AI/ML workflows, including LLMs, model training/serving, monitoring, MLOps and GPU infrastructure.
• Expertise with cloud‑native architectures, microservices, APIs, Kubernetes, IaC, observability tools and high‑performance computing.
• Familiarity with scientific research workflows and associated data modalities (omics, imaging, real‑world data, lab‑generated data).
• Experience translating research and business needs into platform capabilities and translating technical constraints into business language.
• Extensive leadership of multidisciplinary, global team with ability to operate successfully in a matrixed and fast‑changing environment.
• Proven ability to influence and collaborate across scientific, technical and business stakeholders, with ability to influence senior leadership and exceptional…