Associate Director, Portfolio Pathology

Novartis•Cambridge, MA

3d•$185,500 - $344,500•Hybrid

About The Position

Novartis is seeking an experienced toxicologic pathologist to join its Global Portfolio Pathology team in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The role helps implement pathology, nonclinical safety, and drug-development strategies across neuroscience, oncology, immunology, cardiovascular and metabolic medicine, global health, and regenerative medicine. It translates complex data sets into clear narratives that inform patient impact, program strategy, scientific standards, and drug development. The Associate Director works at the intersection of pathology, toxicology, investigative sciences, and regulatory pathology. The role supports development of small molecules, complex biologics, and emerging modalities, including cell and gene therapy, sxRNA, and radioligands. It leads multidisciplinary teams, establishes scientific standards, provides site-level scientific authority for pathology and biodistribution, and shapes portfolio decisions through governance and matrix leadership.

Requirements

DVM or equivalent degree, such as BVSc.
Graduate training in pathology.
Pathology board certification, such as DACVP or equivalent.
At least 5 years of experience in toxicologic pathology.
Demonstrated team leadership and strong written and oral collaboration and communication skills.
Ability to supervise direct and indirect team members and coach and develop others.
Experience leading programs, platforms, or initiatives.
Strong interpretive capability across toxicologic pathology, molecular pathology, and biodistribution.
Track record of translating findings into high-quality reports and regulatory documentation.
Scientific credibility demonstrated through publications and/or presentations.

Nice To Haves

PhD in a relevant biological or toxicologic field.
Rodent carcinogenicity safety assessment experience, including protocol development, primary or peer review evaluation, and regulatory document preparation for traditional 104-week carcinogenicity studies and transgenic Hras mouse studies.
Pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry experience spanning discovery through development, from early phase to registration.
Deep expertise in a pathology subspecialty, such as a business-relevant organ system, investigative techniques including immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, digital pathology or ultrastructural pathology, regulatory writing, or submissions.
Strong cross-functional influence and comfort operating in governance forums and matrixed teams.
High commitment to professional ethics, scientific rigor, clear data storytelling, and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

Build and inspire multidisciplinary teams across pathology, investigative and molecular pathology, and biodistribution, fostering scientific excellence, collaboration, and talent growth.
Establish scientific standards for non-GLP and GLP execution, reporting, and data integrity to ensure consistent, decision-grade, inspection-ready outputs.
Serve as the site scientific authority for pathology and biodistribution by anticipating and defining target-organ liabilities, developing pathogenesis and mechanism-of-action narratives, and making clear, risk-based recommendations.
Architect investigative pathology strategies using IHC, ISH/RNAscope, digital and spatial pathology, and -omics to connect tissue biology with target engagement, safety signals, and translational relevance.
Shape portfolio decisions through governance and matrix leadership, providing evidence-based narratives that guide go/no-go decisions, mitigation strategies, and development plans.
Lead innovation and set a vision for how pathology can enable modern drug development.
Supervise and develop direct and indirect team members.