Senior Scientific Writer

Job Description Summary

The Senior Scientific Writer II develops high quality, accurate, and compliant medical and scientific communications aligned with therapeutic area strategy and the brand’s overarching scientific narrative. The role leads the planning, and delivery of a broad range of  scientific materials, including medical education slide decks, medical congress including symposia, advisory board materials, and scientific content supporting congress activities and internal medical engagements. Experience in one of the following therapeutic areas is required: Oncology, Cardiovascular, Renal, Neuroscience, and Immunology. Candidates will be assigned to work within the therapeutic area that aligns with their expertise - quality, accurate, and compliant medical and scientific communications aligned with therapeutic area strategy and the brand’s overarching scientific narrative.

Operating within an International, matrix environment, the Senior Scientific Writer II partners closely with other Scientific Writers and collaborates cross-functionally with colleagues across IMA (IMACE, TAs), Global Medical Affairs (GMA), and additional medical, clinical, and commercial stakeholders. Through these partnerships, the role drives content excellence, governance, and harmonization across therapeutic areas and markets, contributing to a cohesive and impactful scientific communication strategy.

 

Job Description

Major Accountabilities: 

Scientific Content Development 

• Develop a wide range of medical and scientific materials, including but not limited to scientific materials, including medical education slide decks, medical congress including symposia, advisory board materials, and scientific content supporting congress activities and internal medical engagements. 

• Prepare meeting and congress materials such as satellite symposia agendas, slide content, and speaker briefing documents. 

• Research, synthesize, and write original scientific content aligned with therapeutic area strategies and source materials. 

• Ensure scientific accuracy and produce scientifically robust, evidence-based, grammatically precise, and well-referenced content that meets IMACE quality expectations. 

• Communicate complex scientific concepts clearly and appropriately for diverse internal and external audiences. 

• Support internal scientific review and editing processes by providing input on messaging consistency, data interpretation, and content quality. 

• Manage multiple projects concurrently, potentially spanning more than one brand. 

Matrix Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement‑Functional Collaboration 

• Engage and collaborate with functional and cross functional peers and partners to understand scientific priorities, clarify content requirements, and support the delivery of high-quality medical materials aligned with strategic objectives, ‑functional partners to understand scientific priorities, clarify content requirements, and support the delivery of high-quality medical materials aligned with strategic objectives. 

• Participate in regular discussions with stakeholders to help refine key messages and ensure content is accurate, consistent, and fit for purpose. 

• Contribute to the continuous improvement of content formats, tools, and delivery approaches across channels to support a positive experience for internal and external audiences. 

Quality, Standards & Governance 

• Ensures content adheres to internal policies and external regulations, following structured review processes and maintaining clear version control and documentation trails. 

• Applies established writing standards, templates, QC processes, and governance frameworks to ensure consistency, scientific rigor, and audit ready documentation. 

Core Capabilities: 

Scientific Literacy & Evidence Synthesis: 
Demonstrates strong therapeutic area understanding and synthesizes complex clinical and scientific data into clear accurate content align to relevant TA Strategy and scientific narrative. 

• Scientific Communication Excellence: 
  Produces clear, structured, and audience appropriate scientific materials, translating complex concepts into precise, impactful communications. appropriate scientific materials, translating complex concepts into precise, impactful communications. ‑appropriate scientific materials, translating complex concepts into precise, impactful communications. 

• Content Development & Delivery: 
  Develops a wide range of scientific materials - such as slide decks, congress content, training materials, and advisory board reports - ensuring accuracy, completeness, and timely delivery across multiple projects. 

• Matrix Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement: 
  Engages effectively functional partners (e.g., IMA, GMA, medical and clinical teams) to understand content needs, align on messaging, and incorporate feedback smoothly.‑ 

• Quality, Standards & Governance: 
  Applies established writing standards, templates, QC processes, and governance frameworks to ensure consistency, scientific rigor, and audit ready documentation. ‑ready documentation. 

• Compliance & Documentation Management: 
  Ensures content adheres to internal policies and external regulations, following structured review processes and maintaining clear version control and documentation trails. 

• Digital Content & Lifecycle Management: 
  Uses digital platforms and modular content approaches to maintain and update materials, support reuse, and contribute to efficient knowledge management. 

• Scientific Problem Solving: 
  Applies strong scientific judgment to address data related questions, resolve content challenges, and support clear, accurate interpretation, solving related questions, resolve content challenges, and support clear, accurate interpretation.‑‑related questions, resolve content challenges, and support clear, accurate interpretation. 

• Continuous Improvement: 
  Identifies and communicates opportunities to enhance processes, content quality, and ways of working, contributing to overall improvements in scientific communication delivery. Trains new joiners, fellow colleagues as and when required. 

Ideal Background 

Education & Qualifications: 

Minimum: Minimum BSc or equivalent with 8+ years of clinical research.  

Desirable: MSc, PhD, PharmD, or MD with clinical research/pharmaceutical industry experience. 

Languages: 

Fluent oral and written English required. Additional country or regional language(s) desirable. 

Experience: 

• Extensive experience in medical or scientific writing; ideally within the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or healthcare communications environment, producing a wide range of scientific materials. 

• Experience in one or more of the following therapeutic areas is required: Oncology, Cardiovascular, Renal, Neuroscience, and Immunology. 

• Demonstrated ability to interpret, synthesize, and communicate complex scientific and clinical data, applying strong scientific judgment and attention to accuracy.  

• Experience working in a matrix, cross functional environment, collaborating with partners such as Medical Affairs, Clinical Development and other scientific and strategic stakeholders. ‑functional environment, collaborating with partners such as Medical Affairs, Clinical Development and other scientific and strategic stakeholders.  

• Proven track record of delivering high quality scientific content under tight timelines and managing multiple concurrent projects across brands or therapeutic areas. ‑quality scientific content under tight timelines and managing multiple concurrent projects across brands or therapeutic areas.  

• Familiarity with medical review and approval processes, including documentation management, version control, and alignment with internal and external compliance standards.   

• Experience using digital content platforms and tools, with comfort working in modular content or structured content environments.  

• Strong grounding in scientific standards and governance, including consistent use of templates, QC processes, and content frameworks.  

• Demonstrated ability to provide scientific input and problem solving support, addressing content related queries and ensuring clarity and consistency in messaging. solving support, addressing content related queries and ensuring clarity and consistency in messaging. ‑solving support, addressing content‑related queries and ensuring clarity and consistency in messaging.  

• Commitment to continuous improvement, with examples of contributing to process enhancements, content quality improvements, or efficiencies in workflow. 

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion:  

Novartis is an Equal Opportunity Employer and take pride in maintaining a diverse environment. We do not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion or other employment practices for reasons of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status. We are committed to building diverse teams, representative of the patients and communities we serve, and we strive to create an inclusive workplace that cultivates bold innovation through collaboration and empowers our people to unleash their full potential.  

 

Skills Desired

Building Constructions, Clinical Research, Clinical Trials, Drug Development, Hazard Identification (HAZID), Health Sciences, Immunology, Intensive Care UnIT (Icu) (Inactive), Internal Controls, Internal Medicine, Internet Protocol Suite, Job Description (Inactive), Medical Information, Organizing, Patient Care, Stakeholder Engagement, Utilization Management (Um) (Inactive)