Director in Oncology Translational Medicine Strategy

Gaithersburg, MD/ Waltham, MA/ Cambridge, UK

Do you have expertise and a passion for translating basic research into patient treatments? Would you like to apply your expertise to improve cancer immunotherapies in a company that follows the science and turns ideas into life changing medicines? Can you work with multiple groups in a matrix environment to develop the next generation of cancer immunotherapies? Then AstraZeneca might be the place for you! Work with leaders in Immuno-Oncology and Cancer biology with a track record of making immunotherapies happen and improved patient outcomes a reality.

We are seeking a Director in Oncology Translational Medicine Strategy to join a world class center for discovery and development of innovative cancer medicines.  Based in Gaithersburg MD, Waltham, MA or Cambridge, UK you will be a link between bioscience and clinical sciences. You will drive the integration of target biology into disease-specific strategies for development, and enable novel clinical trial designs that could impact AstraZeneca’s broad and expanding portfolio for targeted agents in Immuno-oncology. You will have the opportunity to impact an industry-leading portfolio of oncology programs from inception through to life cycle management for marketed drugs.

Role Description:

• Directs and develops scientific rationale, technology evaluations, and  internal/external alliances to refine patient selection strategies and clinical biomarkers across programs
• Access AstraZeneca’s extensive bioinformatic pipeline and patient databases and work with our Bioinformatics and IA teams to guide and improve trial design.   
• Lead collaborations to assess technologies and enable biomarker driven trials with broad impact across the oncology portfolio aligned to oncology TA strategic goals.
• Build and maintain ways of working and relationships at interfaces with clinical functions, Oncology strategy, and external providers.

Typical Accountabilities:

• Understand key cancer pathway interactions and feedback mechanisms in clinical samples to guide rational drug combinations.
• Define novel mechanisms of resistance targeted therapies by studying tumors at relapse.
• Collaborate with Oncology Research and product development teams to facilitate appropriate incorporation of Translational Medicine strategies for molecules in early phases of development in Oncology.
• Collaborate with clinical operations teams to implement exploratory sample collection and analyses in clinical studies related to oncology.
• Manage internal and external research collaborations in areas of clinical technologies and oncology translational research.
• Ensure complex clinical assays developed and validated internally or externally are fit for purpose.
• Contribute to and ensure the quality of Translational Medicine clinical study reports, data reviews and interpretations, presentations, scientific publications and recommendations to development teams and management.
• Present strategy and findings to senior leadership to guide AstraZeneca investment decisions.

Essential Requirements:

• MD or PhD degree in a relevant scientific discipline plus 3+ years of experience in academia, diagnostics, or pharma
• Significant understanding of the overall drug development and commercialization process
• Significant understanding of the use of biomarkers in the overall drug development and commercialization process and perspectives of interfacing functions such as clinical, diagnostic and regulatory functions
• Knowledge and enthusiasm for current and emerging biomarker science and technology
• Proven communication and influencing skills
• Highly developed collaborative working skills
• Strong work ethic and proven ability to pivot with evolving project goals and priorities

Desired Requirements:

• Experience of clinical development in the pharmaceutical industry
• Experience of leading clinical translational medicine studies
• Experience of bringing new biomarkers into clinic
• Demonstrated leadership roles and capabilities

Why AstraZeneca?

At AstraZeneca when we see an opportunity for change, we seize it and make it happen, because any opportunity no matter how small, can be the start of something big. Delivering life-changing medicines is about being entrepreneurial - finding those moments and recognizing their potential. Join us on our journey of building a new kind of organization to reset expectations of what a bio-pharmaceutical company can be. This means we’re opening new ways to work, groundbreaking cutting edge methods and bringing unexpected teams together. Interested? Come and join our journey.

Preferred site description

Our Gaithersburg, Maryland facility creates life-changing medicines for people around the world. This campus employs more than 3,500 experts in our field and is only a short drive from Washington, DC. This modern and vibrant scientific campus is the home of R&D and Oncology in the US. Here, we play host to some of the most cutting-edge technology and lab spaces, all designed to inspire collaboration and cross-functional science. We believe employees benefit from being challenged and inspired at work. We are dedicated to creating a culture of inclusion and collaboration.

The Gaithersburg site offers a variety of amenities to help boost productivity and help keep our employees happy and healthy. This includes a fitness center, employee healthcare clinic, daycare, electric vehicle charging stations, dry cleaning, full-service cafeteria and copy center. This is where you’ll find newly-designed, activity-based work spaces to suit a variety of working styles while increasing collaboration between teams.

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.