Director, Translational Science

Cambridge, UK (3 days on site per week)

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. At AstraZeneca, we are pioneering new frontiers by identifying and treating patients earlier, working towards the aim of eliminating cancer as a cause of death.

Come and join our AZ team where you will play a pivotal role in this exciting period of development!!

The Scientific Director will be accountable for the scientific quality, prioritisation, and delivery of the Translational Pathology portfolio and for the effective scientific development of the team. The role will combine strategic portfolio oversight, line management, scientific project leadership, hands-on contribution, and cross-functional collaboration. The postholder will be expected to operate with a high degree of autonomy, make recommendations based on incomplete or evolving information, and ensure that pathology activities provide meaningful, timely, and decision-enabling insight across the research and development portfolio. They will provide appropriate oversight of GCP and laboratory quality risks across the Translational Pathology portfolio while partnering with Quality Assurance and relevant functions to maintain compliance, inspection readiness, and reliable scientific delivery.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide scientific leadership across the Translational Pathology portfolio, ensuring studies are fit for purpose and generate interpretable data to inform programme decisions.
• Act as an expert in histopathology, tissue-based biomarkers, immunohistochemistry, digital pathology, image analysis, tissue quality, staining interpretation, and data review.
• Develop and challenge experimental plans, work packages, assay strategies, controls, endpoints, sample requirements, analytical approaches, timelines, and success criteria.
• Maintain an integrated view of project scope, milestones, dependencies, risks, decisions, resource needs, and delivery across active and planned work.
• Lead assigned scientific projects or workstreams, contributing to experimental design, pathology review, data interpretation, scientific discussions, and delivery of high-quality outputs.
• Ensure pathology activities align with applicable GCP requirements, approved protocols, controlled procedures, company policies, and quality standards.
• Coordinate the preparation, quality review, interpretation, documentation, and handover of complete pathology data packages and supporting metadata.
• Plan and prioritise team capacity across pathology review, immunohistochemistry, image analysis, and other specialist capabilities, balancing scientific value, urgency, risk, feasibility, and business priorities.
• Lead, support, mentor, and develop scientists, promoting scientific excellence, accountability, collaboration, effective prioritisation, and continuous professional growth.
• Partner with discovery, biology, pharmacology, toxicology, biomarker, genomics, bioinformatics, clinical, regulatory, and programme teams to integrate pathology into development strategies.
• Present portfolio updates, scientific recommendations, resource proposals, risks, and decisions to project teams, governance forums, and functional leaders, providing clear and actionable progress reports.
• Contribute to Translational Pathology strategy, technology and operating-model development, implement improvements in ways of working, and apply relevant advances in pathology, biomarker science, and therapeutic research.

Requirements:

• Significant relevant postdoctoral or equivalent professional experience, typically within significant post-PhD range, gained in an academic, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, contract research, or related research environment.
• Substantial practical and scientific experience in histopathology, preferably within a research, translational, drug discovery, or pharmaceutical environment.
• Demonstrable expertise in immunohistochemistry, including assay development or optimisation, antibody and control selection, staining assessment, interpretation of tissue-based findings, and understanding of assay limitations.
• Experience working to GCLP, GLP, ISO 15189, ISO 17025, or comparable laboratory quality standards, including participation in audits, inspections, quality reviews, or inspection-readiness activities.
• Experience leading multiple concurrent projects, contending priorities, resource allocation, risks, dependencies, and delivery milestones.
• Ability to critically evaluate experimental data, identify limitations, assess whether conclusions are supported by the evidence, and recommend appropriate next steps.
• Direct line management experience
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex scientific information clearly to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.
• Demonstrable experience working effectively across multidisciplinary and cross-functional teams, including with stakeholders outside the immediate scientific subject area.

In Office Requirement:

When we put unexpected teams in the same room, we unleash bold thinking with the power to inspire life-changing medicines. In-person working gives us the platform we need to connect, work at pace and challenge perceptions. That's why we work, on average, a minimum of three days per week from the office. But that doesn't mean we're not flexible. We balance the expectation of being in the office while respecting individual flexibility. Join us in our unique and ambitious world.

Competitive salary and benefits package on offer!

The successful candidate will have access to a flexible employee benefits fund, including holiday purchase and flexible time off, pension contributions, Share Save Plans, A performance recognition scheme and a competitive, generous remuneration package.

Date Posted

Closing Date