Novartis Posted June 22, 2026

Director, Preclinical Safety (Toxicology) China Head

Shanghai (Shanghai), China Regular
Drug Discovery & Preclinical Research Director

Novartis is the source of truth for this posting and owns the application process. We surface normalized context and market comparison you won't find on the original listing.

About this opportunity

Interact with multi-disciplinary teams during due diligence procedures to critically assess nonclinical safety programs for external drug candidates and provide line function aligned recommendations for follow-up actions

Key responsibilities:Conduct due diligence activities under compressed timelines with the ability to rapidly identify key issues followed by clear and comprehensive communication of risks, issues, gaps and conclusions to the due diligence team.Lead PCS cross-disciplinary teams as required to further evaluate potential nonclinical safety issues or findings.Work in close collaboration with the PCS TA Head and Global Head of PCS to ensure that nonclinical safety assessments, mitigation strategies and development plans are fully aligned within the line functionWork in close collaboration with the Translational Medicine External Program (TEP) Team to support further implementation of the TEP model and improve processes and procedures.Support Biomedical Research Integration Office (BRIO) integration activitiesSought-after mentor and role model for talent development, coaching, and performance discussions across the organizationKey Performance Indicators  (Indicate how performance for this role will be measured)Recognized within Novartis for scientific and regulatory expertise in drug development and safety assessmentRecognized for leadership potentialExtensive experience in nonclinical safety development strategies and evaluation of drug candidates from diverse modalities (including low molecular weight molecules, biologics, oligonucleotides, gene therapy and radionucleotides)Familiar with R&D disciplines beyond nonclinical safety. Broad knowledge of regulatory guidelines, Quality Management processes and animal welfare requirements relevant for nonclinical safety development programsDemonstrated ability to communicate scientifically sound nonclinical safety conclusions and mitigation strategies to due diligence, PCS management and Novartis leadership teamsResponsible for authoring the nonclinical safety sections of due diligence assessment reports highlighting key risks, issues, gaps together with potential mitigation strategies and conclusionsProvide PCS development strategy and resourcing requirements in the clinical development planProvide input to handover package to specify vendor requirements for transfer of PCS methodologies/data/samples and reports to Novartis after deal signature.Work closely with BRIO to ensure smooth handover to the assigned PCS PTM and project team during integration of assetsMaintain strict adherence to confidentiality and legal requirementsMentor colleagues on drug development strategy and project-related mattersEssential Requiremernts:PhD in pharmacology, toxicology or a related biological science; DVM, PharmD, M.S. or equivalent with appropriate training, a strong biological background or equivalent work experience.    Fluent English       Minimum of 8 years of experience as a full-time nonclinical safety expert in the pharmaceutical industryExcellent oral and written communication abilitiesAble to independently anticipate and analyze issuesDemonstrated ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously

Job details

Seniority
Director
Function
Drug Discovery & Preclinical Research
Therapeutic area
Not listed
Location
Shanghai (Shanghai), China
Employment type
Regular

How this role compares

Computed from every other active Drug Discovery & Preclinical Research role in our database, not just this employer's listings.

We currently track 94 comparable Director Drug Discovery & Preclinical Research roles across 23 biopharma companies.

94Comparable roles tracked
89Currently active
23Companies hiring similar roles
8Countries represented

Salary context

41 of 94 peers report a salary range (USD, annualized)

Peers share this role's job function and a matching or adjacent seniority level -- not necessarily the same therapeutic area or country.

This roleSubject Not listed on this posting
Peer group range $129,125 – $322,650 (median $224,445)

Where these roles are based

Top locations among the 94 comparable roles

United States83
China2
India2
China's Mainland2
United Kingdom2
Spain1

+ 2 more countries

Seniority mix

94 of 94 peers have a known seniority level

Principal57
Director25
Senior Director12

Therapeutic area mix

22 of 94 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden

Oncology11
Immunology4
Cardiovascular / CVRM4
Vaccines & Infectious Disease1
Neuroscience1
Respiratory1

Similar opportunities

The closest matches from our peer group, ranked by how similar they are, not how well you'd qualify for them -- treat this as market context, not a guaranteed shortlist; a weak match is labeled as one below.

50%similar
Sanofi Institute for Biomedical Research Co., Ltd Suzhou (Jiangsu), China Principal
Same function Adjacent seniority Same country
50%similar
Sanofi Institute for Biomedical Research Co., Ltd Suzhou (Jiangsu), China Principal
Same function Adjacent seniority Same country
45%similar
Lilly San Francisco, California, United States of America Director
Same function Same seniority
45%similar
Lilly Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America Director
Same function Same seniority
45%similar
Lilly Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America Director
Same function Same seniority
45%similar
Lilly Louisville, Colorado, United States of America Director
Same function Same seniority

How we calculate "similar"

No black box, no LLM guesswork: a deterministic score built from four normalized attributes. Here's this role's own peer group at different match levels, so you can see the mechanism, not just the result.

Every comparison starts from the same 100-point budget: 25 for working in the same function, 40 for the same therapeutic area, 20 for the same or adjacent seniority, 15 for the same country. A dimension we can't confirm on both sides contributes nothing, never a guess, never a free pass.

50%
R&D - Intrepide-Principal Scientist I, Biologics Discovery & Innovation - SZ
Sanofi Institute for Biomedical Research Co., Ltd · Suzhou (Jiangsu), China · Principal
Function Therapeutic area Adjacent seniority Country
45%
Director - Experienced Discovery Toxicology Project
Lilly · Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America · Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
45%
Director, Nonclinical Safety, Pathology
Gilead Sciences, Inc. · Foster City, United States · Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
45%
Director, Bioprocess / Process Development – Pivotal Drug Substance
Amgen Inc. · Cambridge, United States · Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
Unmatched or unknown dimensions score exactly the same: 0 points, never a partial guess. A role we know almost nothing about beyond its function bottoms out at 25%; it never inflates to 100% just because there's little to compare against. Seniority uses a defined ladder (Associate → Manager → Associate Director → Senior → Principal → Director → Senior Director → Executive/VP) so "Director" and "Senior Director" count as adjacent, but "Director" and "Executive/VP" do not.