Internal Job Title: Discovery Postdoctoral Fellow

Position Location: Cambridge MA, onsite #LI Onsite

About the Role:

We are thrilled to open applications for our Discovery Fellowship track of the Novartis Postdoctoral Fellowship Program.

Come join Novartis Biomedical Research as a Discovery Postdoctoral Fellow and investigate GPCR/cAMP signaling pathway in a multidisciplinary team. GPCR proteins are key drug targets.  To gain mechanistic insights into GPCR signaling, you will explore key nodes in the pathway using cellular tools, human genetics, genomics, chemical biology, pharmacology and more.

You will be part of our Discovery Sciences team in Cambridge, MA, and work closely with leaders in Basel, Switzerland.

As part of the Discovery Fellowship track of the Novartis Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, you will join our vibrant, dedicated postdoctoral community for events, including the monthly postdoc seminars and other scheduled events for postdocs. Fellows are surrounded by a supportive, collaborative community of postdocs and scientists, who would contribute to the acceleration of your scientific growth, along with building your professional skillset, e.g. you will have the opportunity to do a Postdoc Practicum in another laboratory or in a business function of Novartis. This applied research program is up to 3 years in length, with the option of applying for an extension of up to 1 year (pending review by the Head of Biomedical Education & Innovation and the postdoc supervisor).

Discovery Postdoctoral Fellows have a unique opportunity to conduct innovative, interdisciplinary research and are expected to publish their results in leading journals. We collaborate across scientific and organizational boundaries, with a focus on powerful new technologies that have the potential to help produce therapeutic breakthroughs for patients.

Through the Novartis Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, you will build your competency as a drug hunter, and as a scientific leader in the field. You will join a professional network that will support your growth as a research scientist, and you will have the opportunity to tackle disease and make an impact, by reimagining medicine together.

Start date: September 2025

Key responsibilities:

As a Discovery Postdoctoral Fellow, you will:

• Design, implement and advance scientific experiments to uncover novel mechanisms underlying cAMP-dependent signaling. 
• Work independently as well as with interdisciplinary teams, and Interact with diverse teams covering a broad spectrum of expertise.
• Shape your postdoc project by pondering and dedicating your efforts to multiple possible key scientific questions.
• Combine diverse available tools to consolidate your research strategy (in vitro assays, pharmacological tools, genetic studies, animal models)
• Unravel the interaction of GPCRs with less characterized cAMP pathway nodes and understand mode of action.
• Increase understanding of novel pharmacological target classes either by in depth characterization of single members of questioned pathways or by gaining insights in unexplored general interaction specificities.

Role Requirements:

• Early-career scientists with a PhD in Biology; broad range of scientific and technical disciplines welcome (cell and developmental biology, chemical biology, genetics and more)
• Note that PhD students in the last year of their thesis work are eligible to apply Applicants are only eligible to apply up to 2 years from the date of receiving their PhD (i.e. PhD degrees must have been awarded May 2023 or later). Expected start in Fall 2025.
• Experience in cell culture, molecular biology techniques, biochemistry, GPCR signaling, or genomics /proteomics analysis workflows will be a plus.
• Strong publication record or other scientific achievements (i.e. awards, patents, grants)
• Excellent analytical, communication, presentation and organizational skills
• Passion for fundamental exploratory research and boundless curiosity

How to apply:

Please submit your CV and cover letter by July 1st, 2025, for consideration. Please make sure to discuss in the cover letter how this training program will help you fulfill your career goals. 

The starting salary for this position is $87,000 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. #PDX