Director, PK Sciences Clinical Pharmacology Artificial Intelligence (AI) Lead

Overview

In this role you will lead the development and execution of AI-driven strategies to transform clinical pharmacology support for new medicines. You will drive AI-based applications to accelerate PKS deliverables and enable cross-functional, translational workflows. You work closely with PKS, ADME/BA, M&S, and clinical teams to integrate pharmacokinetic insights into study design and regulatory documents. This is a hands-on, impact‑driven role at the intersection of translational medicine and data science, offering the opportunity to shape how AI accelerates drug development at Novartis.

Pay / Benefits

• health, life and disability benefits
• 401(k) with company contribution and match
• generous time-off package
• annual incentive eligibility
• comprehensive benefits package for US-based employees
• vacation, personal days, holidays and other leaves

Responsibilities

• Lead the AI strategy for clinical pharmacology within PKS and oversee its implementation.
• Demonstrate AI/digital fluency and leverage enterprise tools to support strategic, scientific, and operational leadership in clinical pharmacology.
• Identify and develop high-value AI use cases to improve planning, analyses, and decision quality in clinical pharmacology.
• Represent the PK Sciences function in project teams and regulatory interactions as appropriate.
• Provide expert PK/PD input across Drug Discovery, Development, and Commercial continuum to support candidate progression.
• Collaborate with teams to use AI to accelerate understanding of PK/PD relationships and inform dosing strategies.
• Drive use of AI to enhance study protocols, reports, and development plans, including pharmacokinetic sections of regulatory submissions and responses.
• Foster close interdisciplinary collaboration among PKS, ADME/BA, M&S, and operations through PK science sub-teams.
• Work with clinicians to integrate PKS insights into study design, data interpretation, and decision-making.
• Model AI/ML approaches to enable data automation and regulatory document authoring in PKS contexts.

Key requirements

• Ph.D. or Pharm.D. with relevant PK/PM knowledge
• 8–10 years of drug discovery/development experience
• 6+ years in ADME/DMPK translational/clinical development or AI strategy
• Extensive PK knowledge (PK/PD, drug metabolism) and cross-functional project experience
• Experience in a global, matrixed project-team environment
• Strong oral and written communication skills

• Cross-functional collaboration
• Strategic thinking
• Communication
• Artificial intelligence / machine learning approaches
• Pharmacokinetics, drug metabolism, PK/PD evaluation
• Regulatory science awareness

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