Principal Scientist II- Pathology Lab Manager

Band Level 4 Job Description Summary #LI-Onsite Location: Cambridge Internal Title: Principal Scientist II Manages molecular histology laboratory supporting preclinical toxicological pathology objectives. Participates in and/or leads multidisciplinary teams together with scientists from other units in Novartis; may work with external partners. Leads a lab and/or a project or technology area, integrating independent experimental work to drive achievement of goals with increasing efficiency. Builds increasingly broad scientific/technical/development toolkit for self and team, or deepens own technical/scientific specialty and enables Division community in own areas of expertise. Job Description Key Responsibilities: Serves as the scientific and operational lead for the molecular histology laboratory supporting investigative pathology in preclinical safety studies. Provides hands‑on scientific leadership and laboratory management while acting as a senior individual contributor and pathology subject‑matter expert. Partners with pathologists an to clarify mechanisms of toxicity, target engagement, biodistribution, and tissue‑specific risk. Provides expert guidance on antibody selection, tissue acquisition, probe design, controls, amplification strategies, and assay limitations. Manages day‑to‑day molecular histology laboratory operations, including workflow planning, prioritization, and resource allocation. Oversees method qualification, documentation, and data integrity, ensuring alignment with regulatory expectations. Accountable for instrumentation, reagents, vendor interactions, and continuous improvement of laboratory capabilities. Drives implementation of new technologies (e.g., spatial transcriptomics, digital image analysis) aligned with PCS strategy. Provides direct and matrix leadership to scientists and associates within the molecular histology laboratory. Coaches and mentors staff, building technical depth, scientific judgment, and experimental rigor. Contributes to workforce planning, capability development, and succession planning within PCS pathology. Generates innovative ideas within own team and/or project team/functional community to meet new technical requirements and/or answer project key scientific/technical/development questions. Recognizes and leverages innovation opportunities for own team across projects and/or with focus on own area of deep expertise; plans and executes approaches to enable/operationalize strategic focus areas. Leads or co‐leads technology, or early development projects or owns broad processes/technologies across multiple projects. Influences and inspires own team and/or brings matrix collaborators together across the organization with eye for progressing teams towards decision points and deepening scientific understanding. Identifies scientific/technical trends within own discipline that impact projects. Actively mentors, trains, and supports career development for own directs and/or matrix direct reports and junior collaborators, especially in own area of deep expertise. Develops and recommends objectives for lab unit, together with broader team. Gives and accepts constructive feedback, especially to support performance and development of direct reports; speaks up and challenges the norm and guides team to share their work and ideas and/or influences a constructive culture within functional community. Empowered to carry out novel research and/or technical activities within team, and/or matrix community surrounding field of expertise, which may involve devising new techniques to advance drug discovery, technology or early development projects. May lead or co lead projects; influences and achieves results through own scientific and technical strengths and enables innovative contributions of direct reports and/or matrix team within key projects/initiatives/technology areas. Reporting of technical complaints / adverse events / special case scenarios related to Novartis products within 24 hours of receipt Essential Requirements: BS Degree 15 years or more experience with GLP, non-GLP, toxicology and digital pathology work-flows People Leadership. Project Management. Collaborating across boundaries. The salary for this position is expected to range between $119,700 and $222,300 per year. The final salary offered is determined based on factors like, but not limited to, relevant skills and experience, and upon joining Novartis will be reviewed periodically. Novartis may change the published salary range based on company and market factors. Your compensation will include a performance-based cash incentive and, depending on the level of the role, eligibility to be considered for annual equity awards. US-based eligible employees will receive a comprehensive benefits package that includes health, life and disability benefits, a 401(k) with company contribution and match, and a variety of other benefits. In addition, employees are eligible for a generous time off package including vacation, personal days, holidays and other leaves. To learn more about the culture, rewards and benefits we offer our people click here. EEO Statement: The Novartis Group of Companies are Equal Opportunity Employers. We do not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion or other employment practices for reasons of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status. We strive to create an inclusive workplace that cultivates bold innovation through collaboration and empowers our people to unleash their full potential. Accessibility and reasonable accommodations The Novartis Group of Companies are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, or in order to perform the essential functions of a position, please send an e-mail to View email address on click.appcast.io call View phone number on click.appcast.io and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Please include the job requisition number in your message. Salary Range $119,700.00 - $222,300.00 Skills Desired Analytical Thinking, Bioinformatics, Clinical Data Management, Collaboration, Communication Skills, Critical Thinking, Data Analysis, Detail-Oriented, Ethics, Laboratory, Lifesciences, Management, Medical Research, Organization, Problem Solving Skills, Regulatory Compliance, Reports Writing, Team Management, Technical Skills, Time Management Skills, Toxicology, Training, Waterfall Model Improving the lives of people living with disease takes more than innovative science. It takes a focus on the needs of people and a community committed to meeting them. It takes a team of people like you. Working together. Learning together. Thriving together. Discover how you can join us in changing people’s lives. Novartis is aware of employment scams which make false use of our company name or leader’s names or recruiter’s names to defraud job seekers. 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