Senior Principal Scientist/Principal Scientist, Immune Engagers

Novartis•Cambridge, MA

1d•$132,300 - $245,700•Onsite

About The Position

Novartis Oncology Immune Therapeutics is seeking a collaborative scientist to lead biology and drug-discovery efforts for novel immune cell engagers and multispecific immune modulators. The role combines cancer-immunology expertise, rigorous decision making and cross-functional leadership to advance programs from target validation toward clinical development and contribute to broader immune-engager strategy. The position is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, and is an onsite role. This is a dual posting. The final level and title will be determined by the hiring team based on skills, experience and capabilities. The posted levels are Principal Scientist II and Senior Principal Scientist.

Requirements

PhD in cancer biology, immunology or a related discipline with 5+ years of relevant research and/or industry experience; or an MS with 10+ years of relevant industry experience.
Strong expertise in cancer biology and/or immunology, especially T cell and/or myeloid cell biology.
Expertise in tumor immunology, especially T cell-mediated anti-tumor activity, tumor-associated myeloid cell biology and immune suppression in the tumor microenvironment.
Proficiency in immune-cell functional assays and complex immunophenotyping analysis, including integrated in vitro and ex vivo assays and multiparameter flow cytometry.
Experience in antibody, multispecific biologic and/or immune-engager discovery within cross-functional teams.
Ability to formulate hypotheses, design rigorous experiments, interpret complex data and translate findings into project decisions, evidenced by a strong track record of research publications.
Excellent communication, presentation, analytical and collaboration skills.

Nice To Haves

Strong track record in T-cell engager or myeloid cell-engager discovery, with leadership from target validation through IND-enabling or early clinical activities.
Demonstrated success as a project team leader, aligning multidisciplinary stakeholders and driving decisions through scientific and organizational complexity.
End-to-end program perspective connecting indication biology, modality design, translational strategy, differentiation and development path.
Innovation in next-generation immune engagers or multispecific concepts, such as dual-targeting, logic-gated or TME-dependent approaches, and associated discovery workflows.
Experience mentoring junior project leaders and a broader scientific reputation demonstrated through publications, patents, presentations or collaborations.

Responsibilities

Identify and validate tumor-targeting strategies for immune cell engagers and/or multispecific immune modulators.
Lead biology strategy and execution for multidisciplinary drug-discovery programs, defining goals, critical experiments, decision criteria and differentiated product profiles.
Serve as project team leader and/or biology lead, integrating antibody engineering, disease biology, translational, pharmacology, safety, biomarker, data science and clinical perspectives.
Design and interpret mechanistic studies of immune cell activation, anti-tumor activity, target biology, selectivity, resistance and safety-relevant biology.
Present evidence-based recommendations, risks and development plans at governance reviews.
Supervise and develop scientists while building productive internal and external collaborations.
Contribute to immune-engager strategy, target and indication prioritization, and next-generation modality innovation.