Head of Neurodegeneration, Translational Medicine

About this role

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership & Scientific Direction
• Define and oversee the long-term translational strategy for the Neurodegeneration Pillar, ensuring scientific excellence and alignment with broader BR and TM organizational priorities.
• Serve as a senior advisor and thought leader within neurodegeneration disorders, leveraging deep specialty expertise to inform program design, biomarker strategy, and patient-relevant endpoints.
• Program & Portfolio Leadership
• Lead global translational teams across Phase I–IIa (“Discovery” through TDP), driving implementation of high‑quality development strategies in single or multiple neurodegeneration indications.
• Represent TM on global program teams (GPT) and decision boards, ensuring that neurodegeneration programs meet quality, regulatory, and differentiation objectives.
• Translational & Clinical Development Excellence
• Lead the design and execution of First‑in‑Human (FIH) and Phase IIa studies, working collaboratively with clinical, regulatory, biomarker, and profiling partners.
• Leads the creation of clinical components of key documents e.g., Clinical Trial Protocols (CTPs), Investigator’s Brochures, Clinical Study Reports (CSRs), regulatory documents etc. with high levels of quality and consistency
• Leadership of People, Culture, and Matrix Teams
• Serve as a culture champion, promoting empowerment, innovation, and collaboration across TM and broader BR organizations.
• Mentor and develop scientific talent across translational and clinical functions.
• External Impact & Partnerships
• Lead interactions with external stakeholders (e.g., regulatory authorities, key opinion leaders, data monitoring committees, advisory boards etc.) and internal NVS stakeholders
• Contribute to opportunity assessments and due diligence for neurodegeneration and adjacent therapeutic areas.
• Governance, Compliance & Documentation

Requirements

• MD and PhD required with clinical subspecialty training in neurological diseases with deep expertise in neurodegeneration disorders
• A minimum of 10+ years of extensive experience in translational medicine, early clinical development, or experimental therapeutics.
• Demonstrated success leading complex global programs and cross-functional scientific teams.
• Proven ability to shape development strategies, execute early clinical studies, and influence regulatory/packages supporting differentiation.
• Experience working in pharmaceutical/biotech company strongly preferred.
• Desirable Requirements:
• Direct people management experience