Senior Principle, Innovation Scout

Job Description Summary The Innovation Scout drives early identification and translation of emerging technologies, scientific opportunities, and external innovations into actionable insights and experiments that inform product, platform, and portfolio direction. Acting as a bridge between the external innovation landscape and internal strategic priorities, the role focuses on separating meaningful signals from noise, rapidly testing high-potential ideas through lightweight prototyping, and accelerating the path from insight to validated opportunity. By enabling faster, evidence-based decision-making, the Innovation Scout helps shape future-facing capabilities and ensures the organization remains ahead of key technology and scientific inflection points.   Job Description Job Description LI#hybrid Senior Principal Innovation Scout This hybrid role is based in Hyderabad, India Novartis is unable to offer relocation support for this role: please only apply if these locations are accessible for you. Innovation Discovery & Evaluation Continuously identify and prioritize emerging technologies across Software & Workflows that enable future outcomes and strengthen Portfolio, Data and AI strategies. Assess innovation opportunities using structured criteria including value, feasibility, maturity, risk, and strategic fit. Contribute to vendor assessments, RFI/RFP processes, and external partner evaluations Identify early trends and directional signals that could influence software, platform, or portfolio strategy. Experimentation & Rapid Validation Translate high-potential opportunities to testable hypotheses and structured experiments Conduct rapid prototyping to validate assumptions and generate evidence for decision making that can inform scaled implementation initiatives. Define success criteria and learning objectives to ensure experiments produce actionable results. Strategic Translation & Integration Translate external innovation signals into improvements for existing Software and Workflow capabilities and into new strategic opportunities Partner with Software and Workflow leaders to drive experiments, pilots, and scalable initiatives Insight Communication & Influence Deliver clear, concise and compelling narratives tailored to executive, delivery and technical stakeholders Influence prioritization and investment decisions through evidence-based recommendations Establish credibility as a trusted advisor on emerging technologies and innovation opportunities Innovation Culture & Ways of Working Operate with urgency by focusing on rapid learning cycles and actionable outputs Collaborate effectively across organizational boundaries to accelerate innovation adoption Foster a culture of experimentation, curiosity, and continuous learning across teams Skills Required Minimum 5+ years’ experience in the life sciences / pharmaceutical industry Advanced degree in a relevant field (e.g., Life Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, Engineering, Computer Science, or related discipline) Strong understanding of scientific domains (e.g., biomedical research, data-driven science) to effectively evaluate technologies and vendor offerings in context Strong understanding of digital, software, data, and AI technology landscapes, including emerging patterns and capabilities. Ability to distinguish meaningful signals from noise and assess relevance in complex, evolving environments Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills to evaluate opportunities and prioritize based on value, feasibility, risk, and strategic alignment Experience shaping hypotheses and defining structured approaches to early-stage opportunity evaluation. Ability to connect technology trends to real user, scientific, and business problems. Excellent communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to convey complex ideas to executive, product, and technical audience Ability to synthesize complex concepts into clear insights and compelling, actionable recommendations.   Skills Desired Algorithms, Computer Programming, Computer Science, Computer Vision, Data Science, People Management, R&D (Research And Development), Waterfall Model