Senior Expert (AI Engineering)

Novartis seeks a Senior AI Engineering Expert in Basel to translate advanced machine learning models into scalable solutions that accelerate drug discovery.

The company is looking for a senior specialist to bridge the gap between pioneering research and practical application. This role focuses on transforming complex machine learning architectures into reliable, production-ready tools that directly support the discovery of new medicines.

Responsibilities

• Architect and train sophisticated machine learning systems, such as deep learning and graph-based models, specifically for pharmaceutical research.
• Manage the complete lifecycle of models, starting from initial problem definition through to deployment and ongoing optimization.
• Perform thorough testing and benchmarking to ensure models meet both scientific standards and business goals.
• Implement robust inference services that satisfy strict requirements for speed, capacity, and cost efficiency.
• Develop automated workflows for training, retraining, and monitoring, including mechanisms to detect model drift.
• Refine models and associated pipelines to maximize performance, stability, and scalability within production settings.
• Champion engineering standards that ensure reproducibility, rigorous testing, and consistent deployment practices.
• Work closely with diverse teams to convert research breakthroughs into functional AI applications.
• Collaborate with scientific specialists to verify model accuracy against biological and chemical criteria.
• Guide team members and foster a culture of high engineering standards across the AI research division.

Requirements

• At least four years of hands-on experience developing, training, and deploying machine learning models with documented real-world results.
• Expert-level command of Python alongside frameworks like PyTorch or JAX, with deep knowledge of model design and optimization techniques.
• Demonstrated success in fine-tuning and deploying large pre-trained or foundation models, including those for language and scientific domains.
• Solid grasp of model evaluation methodologies, including benchmarking, cross-validation, and assessing performance across varied data distributions.
• Practical experience with distributed training and large-scale computing setups for high-performance model development.
• Proven ability to optimize models and pipelines for latency, throughput, cost, and overall production efficiency.
• Familiarity with MLOps workflows, including experiment tracking, model versioning, reproducibility protocols, and cloud-based deployment.
• Excellent problem-solving abilities, strong collaboration skills, and clear communication to drive engineering excellence in complex settings.

What the company offers

• Comprehensive benefits package featuring insurance coverage, retirement plans, wellbeing resources, and global recognition programs.
• Flexible hybrid working arrangements where feasible.
• Generous parental leave policy providing at least 14 weeks of paid time off.
• Opportunity to earn a performance-based bonus contingent on meeting specific performance criteria.

About the company

Novartis is dedicated to reimagining medicine and values the individuals who contribute to this mission. The company prioritizes pay equity and strives to build a diverse, inclusive workplace that respects all employees. It aims to create teams that reflect the patients and communities it serves.

• Focuses on reimagining medicine together and rewarding contributors.
• Upholds pay equity as a core employment principle.
• Fosters a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment that treats all employees with dignity.
• Builds teams representative of patients and communities to serve them effectively.