Innovation Postdoctoral Fellow in Biologics

As a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, you will join Biologics Research Center (BRC) in Basel and pursue an innovative research project at the forefront of biomedical science and drug discovery. You will work alongside leading scientists in a highly collaborative, multidisciplinary environment while gaining exposure to the broader ecosystem that translates scientific discovery into medicines.

Our fellows are empowered to ask bold scientific questions, apply cutting-edge technologies, and develop approaches that have the potential to transform patient care.

Research Opportunity

You will join the Cell Line Screening & Development unit, which develops manufacturing CHO cell lines for Novartis’ increasingly complex biotherapeutics pipeline. Working at the interface of research and technical development, you will gain exposure to the early biologics discovery and development process, from molecule design and developability assessment to technical development. Your project will focus on advancing a next-generation CHO platform by evaluating transposon-based gene integration systems. In close collaboration with partners in BRC and Technical Research and Development (TRD), you will contribute to an end-to-end production platform that supports early research through clinical and commercial supply.

To support this work, you will establish high-throughput capabilities for future artificial intelligence/machine learning approaches, from plasmid library design to screening systems with tailored molecule design, and identify multi-specific antibody producers with optimal productivity and quality. You will also apply state-of-the-art genetic characterization to the resulting CHO pools and clones and help generate AI-ready data.

Your work will help advance cell line development technologies and may enable faster, more reliable generation of production cell lines for next-generation biologics.

Why Join the Program?

The Novartis Biomedical Research Postdoctoral Fellowship Program is designed to develop the next generation of scientific leaders and power the future of medicine through rigorous research, and immersive learning experiences, including the implementation of AI tools in biomedical research.

Postdoctoral Research Fellows benefit from:

• Guidance from accomplished scientific leaders and subject matter experts
• Access to advanced technologies, platforms, and research capabilities
• Collaboration across disciplines and organizational boundaries
• A global and diverse community of postdoctoral fellows
• Dedicated programming designed to help fellows thrive throughout their careers.
• Personalized experiential learning opportunities through a Postdoc Practicum that empower fellows to explore new scientific domains, build cross-functional expertise, and expand their impact beyond their primary research project.
• Opportunities to present research, publish in leading journals, and build an international scientific network

We are entering a new era of biomedical research breakthroughs through the convergence of biology, technology, and artificial intelligence tools, and fellows are also supported in engaging with these emerging approaches.

This is a full-time training position of up to three years in duration.

Reimagining Medicine Together

At Novartis, our purpose is to reimagine medicine to improve and extend people’s lives. Through this program, you will grow as a scientist and future leader while contributing to discoveries that may ultimately benefit patients worldwide.

Start Date

September 2026

Key Responsibilities

• Design and perform high-throughput molecular cloning of plasmids and plasmid libraries
• Establish and optimize transposon-based workflows for stable gene integration and generation of engineered CHO cell pools
• Culture, maintain, transfect, and characterize mammalian cells, with a primary focus on CHO suspension cell system
• Design and execute experiments to compare transposon system performance, including integration efficiency, pool diversity, expression levels, productivity, and stability
• Develop, optimize, and troubleshoot protocols for cell pool generation, selection, and expansion
• Apply molecular biology and analytical methods to characterize engineered cell pools, including assessment of transgene integrity, expression, copy number, and productivity where appropriate
• Collaborate closely with scientists across Biologics Research Center, Technical Research & Development, and automation/data science functions
• Analyze, interpret, and clearly communicate experimental results through presentations, reports, and scientific discussions
• Document technical developments and contribute to invention disclosures and patent filings

Essential Requirements

• PhD (or equivalent doctoral degree) in a relevant scientific discipline completed prior to the fellowship start date. The program is intended for scientists immediately following their PhD training (PhD conferred in 2026 only).
• Demonstrated record of scientific achievement (publications, presentations, patents, or equivalent)
• Strong commitment to learning, innovation, and professional development
• Strong hands-on experience with mammalian suspension cell culture, transfection, selection, expansion, and cell banking
• Solid background in molecular biology techniques relevant to cell engineering, such as plasmid design, cloning, DNA/RNA analysis, and transgene expression assessment
• Demonstrated ability to independently design, execute, troubleshoot, and interpret complex biological experiments
• Experience generating AI‑ready datasets, including structured metadata capture and basic computational analysis.
• Strong team player with excellent communication skills and the ability to work effectively in a collaborative, multidisciplinary environment
• High scientific curiosity, rigor, and motivation to develop innovative technologies for biologics research and cell line development

Desirable Requirements

• Experience with CHO cell line development, stable pool generation, recombinant protein expression, or high-throughput plasmid design and cell engineering workflows or upstream process development
• Experience working with large omics datasets and libraries, with familiarity in programming languages such as R or Python.

Important:

Please submit your CV and cover letter by July 15, 2026 end of day.

In your cover letter, please describe your research interests, career aspirations, and how participation in the Novartis Biomedical Research Postdoctoral Fellowship Program will support your long-term development. Please confirm your availability for the program start on October 1.

Please note that we can only accept applicants who are eligible to work in Switzerland.