Associate Principal Scientist, Oncology Chemistry Group

AstraZeneca is a global biopharmaceutical company driven by what science can do. Our mission is to deliver a meaningful difference to human health through extraordinary medicines that benefit patients in need and add value to society. We discover, develop, manufacture and market prescription medicines for areas of healthcare, which include some of the world’s most serious illnesses: cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory, inflammation, and autoimmune diseases. We are driven to make a positive difference in the lives of patients.

Oncology R&D is a core therapeutic area and growth platform at AstraZeneca. Our vision is to be at the forefront of developing the next generation of cancer therapies. We work together across global boundaries to achieve a positive impact in the world by solving challenging scientific problems. Our team is growing and there is an opportunity for an Experienced Medicinal Chemist in the Oncology Chemistry group in Waltham, MA.

In addition to our passion for the discovery of innovative new medicines, we understand the importance of flexibility in our work-life environment, and we offer a wide variety of benefits, services and programs that provide our employees the resources they need to pursue not only their work goals but also their life goals. We are dedicated to building strong research teams that embrace the diversity of talents of team members and allow the larger group to grow and learn together to accomplish our collective goal to improve human health.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

We are seeking to recruit a medicinal chemist who will be joining our fast-paced multidisciplinary oncology team. This role will provide scientific leadership to the medicinal chemistry team and to serving as a mentor and leader to less experienced scientific contributors. You will be accountable for ensuring the timely delivery of high-quality scientific achievements from department programs and therapeutic area objectives, driving the strategic direction of the department in alignment with the therapy area priorities and vision, and long-term talent development within the department. The latter will include staff development in science and line roles within and across the functions through identification of training needs, improvement of cross-functional expertise, and the opportunity for rotation/secondments.

In this role, you will function as a chemistry leader/technical expert, strategize tasks outside your area of expertise with various drug discovery partner lines and communicate with senior leadership. You may also share leadership responsibilities and lead external collaborations.

Essential Requirements:

• Ph.D. in Chemistry with 5-10 years of research experience or Master’s in Chemistry with 8+ years within the pharmaceutical industry and clear demonstration of solving challenging problems in drug discovery.

• Strong expertise in Medicinal Chemistry prosecuting projects from early phase up to candidate nomination.

• Experience in taking a leading role in establishing best practice in that area of specialization.

• Cross-functional competency/proficiency in drug discovery subject areas of biology, PK, pharmacology, and toxicology.

• Clearly demonstrate organizational, communication, interpersonal and managerial skills with the flexibility to accommodate programmatic changes and/or scientific directions.

• Proven engagement with the scientific community through recent peer-reviewed publications, patents, and/or external presentations.

• Successful examples of leading, motivating, developing and coordinating individuals or teams.

• Detailed understanding how safety/health/environment personnel policies and procedures impact department work.

Desirable Experience:

• Experience as a project leader involving management of internal and external multi-disciplinary resources.

• Experience in working across multiple drug modalities including both small (MW < 600) and medium-sized (MW 600-1500) molecules.

• Contributor to strategic scientific and/or business initiatives within or outside of the biotech/pharma industry.

About The Site

The Waltham R&D site is home to our small-molecule oncology research in North America, and is situated within a biopharma cluster of academic research institutions, medical centers, pharmaceutical companies and biotech startups. The Boston region is consistently ranked #1 globally for biotech research, investment, talent recruitment and lab space.

The campus, also known as the Boston BioHub, is one of the largest and most dynamic life-science research hubs in the region. It is home to more than 800 scientists and experts working in nine different pharmaceutical and biotech companies. The site is also home to the AstraZeneca Incubator, a program that helps emerging companies advance novel and innovative healthcare solutions to meet the needs of patients. Plenty of free parking, with charging stations now available for electric vehicles, and shuttle service to local transportation hubs.

Next Steps – Apply today!

To be considered for this exciting opportunity, please complete the full application on our website at your earliest convenience – it is the only way that our Recruiter and Hiring Manager can know that you feel well qualified for this opportunity.  If you know someone who would be a great fit, please share this posting with them.

Date Posted

Closing Date

AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity.  We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills.  We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.  We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics.  We comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements.