Discovery Postdoctoral Fellow, Oncology Translational Research

Job Description Summary

We are excited to invite applications for the Novartis Biomedical Research Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, a unique training opportunity designed for exceptional early-career scientists eager to tackle some of the most challenging problems in biomedical research and drug discovery.

As a Discovery Postdoctoral Fellow, you will join the Oncology Translational Research team in Cambridge, Massachusetts 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 with the potential to transform patient care. 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, immersive learning, and exposure to emerging technologies including artificial intelligence in biomedical research

Job Description

Internal Job Title:Discovery Postdoctoral Fellow

Position Location:Cambridge, MA, onsite #LI-onsite

* This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship.

* Please note that relocation support is not available for this position.

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

The start date for the 2026 Novartis BR Postdoctoral Fellowship Program cohort is October 1, 2026. Please confirm your availability to meet this date in your cover letter.

Research Opportunity

Cell surface proteins play critical roles in mediating interactions between cells and their environment and represent important therapeutic targets in oncology, including radioligand therapies, antibody-drug conjugates, and immune cell engagers. This three-year postdoctoral fellowship, co-mentored by scientists from Oncology Translational Research and Discovery Sciences, offers a unique opportunity to build a broadly enabling surface proteomics platform while uncovering disease-relevant cancer proteoforms that may reveal novel therapeutic targets and translational biomarkers.

You will:

• Work with expert translational, proteomics, and microscopy teams using state-of-the-art instrumentation and technologies.

• Develop and validate novel cell surface proteoform enrichment and mass spectrometry characterization methods in vitro.

• Apply validated approaches to identify and characterize surface protein and proteoform composition across cancer models.

• Investigate how proteoform composition differs across biomarker-defined cancer subtypes and evolves during treatment response and resistance.

• Optimize methods for tissue analysis and extend findings from cell culture into preclinical and patient-derived samples.

• Contribute to the identification of novel therapeutic targets and translational biomarkers.

Key Responsibilities

• Co-create a comprehensive research plan with scientific mentors, integrating emerging scientific literature and innovative methodologies.

• Execute experiments, interpret results, and drive scientific decision-making.

• Develop and validate novel in vitro methods for cell surface proteoform enrichment and mass spectrometry-based characterization.

• Apply scalable approaches to characterize surface protein and proteoform composition in models of therapeutic response and resistance.

• Optimize methods for tissue-based applications and translational studies.

• Communicate scientific findings to cross-functional project teams and key stakeholders.

• Present research at internal and external scientific meetings.

• Publish novel discoveries in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

​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:

• Mentorship from accomplished scientific leaders and subject matter experts.

• Access to advanced technologies, platforms, and research capabilities.

• Collaboration across disciplines and organizational boundaries.

• Participation in a global and diverse postdoctoral community.

• Dedicated learning and development programming designed to support long-term career growth.

• Personalized experiential learning opportunities through the Postdoc Practicum.

• Opportunities to publish research, present at leading scientific conferences, and build an international scientific network.

• Exposure to emerging technologies and artificial intelligence applications that are shaping the future of biomedical research.

Essential Requirements:

• PhD or equivalent doctoral degree in a relevant scientific discipline such as Oncology, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Chemical Biology, or a related field, completed prior to the fellowship start date.

• PhD conferred in 2026. This fellowship is intended for scientists immediately following completion of doctoral training.

• Demonstrated record of scientific achievement through publications, presentations, patents, or equivalent accomplishments.

• Strong commitment to learning, innovation, and professional development.

• Excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

• Experience working with in vitro models and handling preclinical and/or clinical tissue samples.

• Hands-on experience with protein analysis and cellular characterization techniques, including Western blotting, ELISA, protein labeling, immunoprecipitation, flow cytometry, high-content imaging, and microscopy.

• Interest in exploring emerging technologies and translating new approaches into impactful research applications.

• Strong communication skills and demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively within matrixed scientific teams.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Familiarity with mass spectrometry and proteomics data generation, analysis, and visualization.

• Experience using analytics and visualization tools such as Spotfire and R.

• Experience in oncology translational research.

How to Apply:

Please submit your CV and cover letter by July 25th, 2026.In your cover letter, describe your research interests, career aspirations, and how this fellowship will support your long‑term development. ​

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 contribute to discoveries that may ultimately benefit patients worldwide. ​

Compensation & Benefits:

The starting salary for this position is 87,000 USD per year.

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 clickhere.

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, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.

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 to perform the essential functions of a position, please send an e-mail to us.reasonableaccommodations@novartis.com or call +1(877)395-2339 and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Please include the job requisition number in your message.

Salary Range

$57,800.00 - $107,300.00

Skills Desired

Analytical Thinking, Chemical Biology, Chemistry, Clinical Research, Clinical Trials, Collaboration, Curious Mindset, Data Analysis, Detail-Oriented, Ethics, Gene Therapy, Immunology, Machine Learning (ML), Mammalian Cell Culture, Medical Research, Molecular Biology, Patient Care, Science