Associate Director, Technical Lead (Custom Applications Focus)

Responsibilities:

• Lead technical solutioning across the full design-build-release lifecycle for new and existing custom applications, ensuring performance, reliability, and long-term maintainability.
• Provide hands-on engineering leadership that elevates team quality, unblocks delivery, and sets a high bar for modern software practices.
• Champion AI-driven engineering transformation across the team, embedding AI tools into architecture, code generation, code review, CI/CD, and testing workflows.
• Drive the integration of LLM-based agents and AI models into custom applications where they add measurable scientific or operational value.
• Embed security at every layer of the engineering lifecycle, enforcing OAuth2, OIDC, SAML, zero-trust principles, secrets management, and OWASP-aligned secure-by-design practices.
• Own and actively mitigate technical debt across legacy and modern custom applications.
• Drive continuous improvement toward scalable, maintainable, and cloud-native solutions.
• Translate product and stakeholder needs into clear, sequenced technical plans and ensure execution stays aligned and unblocked across matrix teams.
• Partner closely with delivery leads, architects, and operations teams to manage technical dependencies and deliver predictable outcomes on time-bound initiatives.
• Contribute to a coherent technical architecture across the broader BR Data & Digital product portfolio and foster a team-before-self culture of urgency, quality, and continuous improvement.

Essential for the role:

• 7+ years of hands-on experience designing and delivering custom-built applications in complex, large-scale enterprise environments, including greenfield development and modernisation of legacy systems.
• Deep expertise in AWS cloud architecture and modern DevOps practices.
• Strong experience with CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure-as-code, containerisation using Docker/Kubernetes, and git-based delivery workflows.
• Strong security mindset with practical experience in OAuth2, OIDC, SAML, secrets management, OWASP, least privilege, and zero-trust approaches.
• Active practitioner of AI-driven engineering, using AI tools to accelerate architecture decisions, code generation, code review, CI/CD, and testing.
• Proficiency in Python and/or Java, or another modern programming language, with the ability to lead and review code across a cross-functional engineering team.
• Experience delivering full-stack applications, with solid understanding of API design and relational or non-relational database design and management.
• Proven ability to manage complex technical dependencies, mitigate risks, and keep delivery on track within time-bound product initiatives.

Desirable for the role:

• Hands-on experience with agentic and AI-enabled software engineering, designing, integrating, and shipping LLM-based agents or AI models into production applications.
• Experience with modern frontend technologies, such as React, TypeScript, or similar, and the ability to contribute to or guide full-stack application delivery.

Benefits & Rewards:

At Novartis, we’re committed to reimagining medicine together - and rewarding the people who make it happen.

Expected Annual Base Salary Range for role: 1,354,220.00 to 2,514,980.00 CZK

The base salary offered is determined based on gender-neutral objectives, such as relevant skills, competencies and experience in accordance with the Novartis pay setting policy and upon joining Novartis will be reviewed periodically.

In addition to your base salary, you may be eligible for a performance-based bonus depending on certain performance parameters.

The rewards of being part of our team go far beyond base pay and incentives. We also offer a variety of competitive benefits in kind to help you thrive personally and professionally, such as insurance plans, retirement plans, wellbeing resources and global recognition programs. In addition, we provide flexible and hybrid working options, where possible, and minimum 14 weeks paid parental leave.

Pay equity is a fundamental principle of our employment policy and reflects our commitment to create a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment that treats all employees with dignity and respect, as outlined in our Code of Ethics.

Read our brochure to learn more about our global total rewards offering: https://www.novartis.com/sites/novartis_com/files/novartis-life-handbook.pdf

Note: Benefits and compensation may vary by country and are subject to local legal requirements, including provisions of collective bargaining agreements where applicable. A full overview of your compensation package, including any relevant collective bargaining agreement details applicable to your role based on your employment location and Novartis employer entity, will be communicated separately to you during the application process.

Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion:

Novartis is committed to building an outstanding, inclusive work environment and diverse teams representative of the patients and communities we serve.

Accessibility and accommodation: 

Novartis is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to all  individuals. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the recruitment process, or in order to receive more detailed information about the essential functions of a position, please send an email to di.cz@novartis.com and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Please include the job requisition number in your message.