Lab Automation & Logistics Delivery Lead

Job Description Summary

As a Delivery Lead for Lab Automation & Logistics in Data & Digital (D&D), you will drive the delivery and adoption of cutting-edge automation, orchestration, and AI-enabled solutions across laboratory operations and sample logistics in Biomedical Research.

You will play a pivotal role in transforming how scientific workflows are executed enabling scalable, efficient, and data-driven lab environments that accelerate research outcomes.

Job Description

Internal job title: Associate Director

Position Location : San Diego, CA or Cambridge, MA, onsite #LI-onsite

This role is based in San Diego, CA or Cambridge, MA. Novartis is unable to offer relocation support for this role: please only apply if either location is accessible for you.

The role focuses on creating and improving automated, and scalable end-to-end processes across lab, data, and logistics environments. Delivery is performed through predictable, high-quality, and timebound initiatives, aligned with enterprise priorities and architectural standards. The Delivery Lead is instrumental in prioritizing, planning, and executing initiatives across the full lifecycle from ideation to release, scaling, and transition to operations while ensuring alignment with architectural, security, and compliance standards. The role plays a central part in enabling innovative value creation for Biomedical Research through effective delivery leadership, workflow-centric thinking, and strong stakeholder engagement.

Scope of Responsibility

The role operates across the following capability areas:

• Lab device and system integration
• Workflow orchestration across systems and teams
• Automation (RPA, event-driven workflows)
• AI solutions for operational processes
• Sample ordering, production, and logistics workflows
• Compliance-enabled workflow design and execution

Key responsibilities:

• Lead end-to-end delivery of lab automation and workflow orchestration initiatives, driving scalable and efficient lab and logistics processes across Biomedical Research
• Ensure delivery excellence by managing scope, timelines, and budget while leading cross-functional matrix teams and aligning across stakeholders and D&D functions
• Drive workflow automation by identifying inefficiencies and translating business processes into scalable, reusable automation solutions (RPA, orchestration, AI)
• Own stakeholder engagement by acting as the primary interface, building strong relationships, aligning priorities, and communicating progress, risks, and outcomes clearly
• Guarantee compliance and standards by ensuring solutions meet architectural, security, and regulatory requirements, and align with enterprise platforms and data integrity needs

Essential Requirements:

• Masters or PhD degree in a scientific/technology/computational science/data science area.
• 10+ years of relevant experience in a multidisciplinary environment across the Pharma continuum.
• Proven ability to deliver complex initiatives end-to-end, consistently achieving high-quality outcomes on time and within budget across lab, data, or digital domains
• Strong project management expertise, including prioritization, planning, execution, communication, and risk management, with the ability to manage dependencies across multiple teams and systems
• Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional matrix teams, with the ability to effectively coordinate diverse stakeholders and drive aligned execution
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to act as a trusted delivery partner across business and technical audiences
• Solid domain and digital expertise, including understanding of lab operations and scientific systems, and hands-on knowledge of workflow automation, RPA, and AI-enabled solutions
• Strong systems thinking and automation mindset, with the ability to identify optimization opportunities and apply appropriate approaches (workflow orchestration, RPA, AI) to deliver scalable solutions

Desirable Requirements:

• Experience applying modern delivery practices (e.g., agile, experimentation, product-centric delivery models)
• Agentic AI experience
• Ability to translate ambiguous operational challenges into structured, deliverable initiatives
• Proven ability to drive innovation, continuous improvement, and high-performance delivery behaviors in complex environments
• Curious, self-motivated, and continuous learner
• Collaborative and delivery-oriented mindset