Real World Science Director, Real World Science

Gaithersburg, US | Wilmington, US

Cambridge, UK | Gothenburg, SE

Do you have expertise in, and passion for Data science?  Would you like to apply your expertise to impact the  way patients access innovative medicines.  in a company that follows the science and turns ideas into life changing medicines? Then AstraZeneca might be the one for you!

ABOUT ASTRAZENECA

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led, patient-focused biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines for some of the world’s most serious diseases. But we’re more than one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies.

BUSINESS AREA

A critical part of AstraZeneca’s success, we provide medical leadership across the whole product lifecycle – from advising on Research & Development investment decisions, to leading pre-launch scientific efforts and accelerating evidence based healthcare changes in the real world.  

At AstraZeneca we turn ideas into life changing medicines. Working here means being entrepreneurial, thinking big and working together to make the impossible a reality.
We’re focused on the potential of science to address the unmet needs of patients around the world. We commit to those areas where we think we can really change the course of medicine and bring big new ideas to life.

We’re focused on the potential of science to address the unmet needs of patients around the world. We commit to those areas where we think we can really change the course of medicine and bring big new ideas to life.

The Role

The Real World Science & Digital team is a growing group within AstraZeneca’s global Evidence function which is driving the scientific use of Real World Data to accelerate the way patients access innovative medicines. The Real World Science and Digital team comprises of a core quantitative group, Digital Platform leads and Data Strategy experts providing AstraZeneca with an enterprise hub for Real World Science. AstraZeneca has a rich history in Real World Evidence, having developed a coherent strategy to develop and internalize data assets the group is now amplifying those investments through a dedicated Real World Data Science capability. Real World Data Scientists who are successful in this role will work on challenging problems, using innovative approaches to accelerate the delivery of Real World Insights and Evidence for key internal and external stakeholders.

The ideal candidate for this role will bring a proven track record of delivering value through the leverage of routinely collected data from healthcare settings or observational studies to provide health analytics and insights in a range of contexts including Public Health, Pharmaceutical Research and Development and Commercial/ Payer.

They will , collaborate with colleagues in Epidemiology, Statistics and Payer to shape the Real World data Science contribution to planning and delivery of Medical and Payer Evidence studies. They will provide methods expertise, mentor junior data scientists and deliver a range of analyses of real world data to support the business and give expert scientific and technical guidance on study design, RW data selection and best practice in RW data utilization.

In addition, they will assist in advancing and shaping AZ’s Real World Science data strategy through supporting  due diligence on new data providers/vendors, informatics support for data acquisitions for their Therapeutic Areas.

Typical Accountabilities

• Deliver/Implement advanced secondary analyses of data from EMR, claims and primary observational data required by Therapeutic Area (TA) RWE strategies.
• Provide expert scientific guidance on the application of Real World Evidence and observational research data to address issues related to their TA across the Biopharmaceuticals business units
• Provide expert technical input, options and directions to strategic decisions made by AZ observational study teams on study design, data partner selection and best practices in RWE data utilization
• Mentor/coach and support the education and technical training of Real World Data Scientists
• Provide support for strategic decisions on AZ Medical Evidence and Observational Research external collaborations in the US and other markets
• Collaborate with Real World Strategy Director to evaluate and assess strengths and weaknesses of external RW data sources, and potential partners for advancing the data strategy for specific therapeutic areas
• Maintain a strong insight into the capabilities of potential external partners in RWE, especially for US and emerging markets.
• Promote best practice in Real World Data Science across multiple domains, and/or stakeholder groups.

Education, Qualifications, Skills and Experience

Essential

• PhD or MS in statistics, mathematics, data science or other advanced degree in life sciences
• This is a hands on role – so be excited to code!
• Enthusiastic about building on and learning new methods and ways to use real world data to change the practice of medicine
• Experience in real-world evidence and familiarity with health economics/epidemiology, and quantitative science such as health outcome modelling
• Hands-on experience with EMR/Health IT, disease registries, and/or insurance claims databases
• Experience with in clinical data standards, medical terminologies and controlled vocabularies used in healthcare data and ontologies (ICD9/10/SNOMED)
• Experience in supporting pharmacoepidemiology studies with proven track record of advancing approaches with statistics/machine learning/data science
• Ability to lead & manage multi-disciplinary data science projects
• Familiarity in Statistical Analysis Plan (SAP) generation and execution for observational studies
• Proficient in SQL
• Proficient in atleast one of R, Python or SAS

Desirable

• Demonstrated ability to build long-term relationships with stakeholders , understand relevant scientific/business challenges at a deep level and translate into a programme of data science activities to deliver value to the business
• Experience in advanced visualisation and visual analytics of routinely collected healthcare data
• Experience working in a global organization and delivering global solutions

Why AstraZeneca?

At AstraZeneca we’re dedicated to being a Great Place to Work. Where you are empowered to push the boundaries of science and unleash your entrepreneurial spirit. There’s no better place to make a difference to medicine, patients and society. An inclusive culture that champions diversity and collaboration, and always committed to lifelong learning, growth and development. We’re on an exciting journey to pioneer the future of healthcare.

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.