This position is no longer open for applications

Respiratory is one of AstraZeneca’s main therapy areas. Our aim is to transform asthma and COPD treatment through inhaled combinations at the core of care, biologics for the unmet needs of specific patient populations, and scientific advancements in disease modification.

The RIA Target & Translational Science (TTS) department is an agile environment, with a science and patient-focused culture. Our mission is to understand disease mechanisms at the molecular level, identify the most effective target and the right patient population and close the gap between bench science and bedside clinical practice.

Do you want to have a leading part in shaping our future? Are you ready to join a dynamic and vibrant company?

Main Duties and Responsibilities

In the role as Head of TTS, you are responsible for developing the strategy for target and translational science and ensuring delivery from the five teams: Target Science, Precision Medicine Discovery, Biomarker Discovery, Clinical Disease Knowledge and Data Science.

Your role includes both strategic and tactical leadership with a significant input to the R&D strategy for RIA. Youraccountablites include: The delivery of a respiratory drug target strategy to ensure a broad portfolio of targets covering all four disease areas, balanced for both risk and between small molecule and New Modalities, ensuring demonstration of target engagement at First Time in Man through deployment of biomarkers in AZ clinical studies, and a robust Precision Medicine strategy for all molecules to ensure they are targeted to the patients most likely to benefit.

Furthermore, you are expected to build and maintain a work environment in which scientific challenge and innovation is central.

To give you the right conditions and tools to fulfill your role, you will be surrounded by excellent scientists in an environment where absolutely everyone can thrive.

Accountabilities and Responsibilities

• Build and develop a contemporary Target & Translational Science organisation, providing a roadmap from target modulation to disease pathology and patient selection
• Accountable for strategic planning and long-term development of the TTS department
• Ensure excellent delivery of human target validation & target line of sight to clinic, building mechanistic understanding of target and disease
• Ensure excellent delivery of target engagement and decision, providing biomarkers to projects
• Accountable for delivery of Precision Medicine strategy and biomarkers for projects, ensuring collaborations to build diagnostic strategies at CDID and development of biomarkers to required regulatory standards and into clinically deployable tests
• Build and deliver biomarker identification platform to identify and discover novel respiratory target engagement and precision medicine biomarkers
• Enable collaborations with other parts of the organisation to apply new technologies and methods
• Deliver experimental medicine studies to enable back translation for clinical studies
• Ensure that bioinformatic support is delivered to all studies, applying state of the art AI and machine learning technology
• Tracking of the TTS portfolio, communications and budget as well as resource management to ensure project demands are met
• Coach, mentor, motivate and inspire your team towards supporting projects with Target & Translational Science expertise
• Accountable for recruitment of new colleagues as well as training and development of your existing team members
• Drives innovation and scientific perfection through internal scientific development and external collaborations
• Work collaboratively with other teams within and outside of the IMED
• Ensure external visibility by publishing papers and reviews in internationally recognized journals as well as presenting at internationally recognized conferences

Minimum Requirements

We expect you to have a strong scientific background with proven experience from cross matrix leadership. To be successful, you need to build positive relationships to each TTS unit leader and create a collaborative and inclusive department environment. This require you to have excellent people management and communication skills, with a proven track record of leading people towards scientific excellence and robust project delivery.

• PhD/post-doc within relevant area, alternatively MD with significant research background
• Demonstrable delivery in Target & Translational Science with application to drug discovery and development
• 10 years of work experience in pharmaceutical R&D
• Proven track record of strategical influencing and tactful persuasiveness to obtain desired outcomes while maintaining effective, positive organisational relationships
• Significant experience in functional strategy in a multinational environment
• Strong leadership skills
• A solid understanding of the drug development process, from lead identification through clinical development
• Excellent communicational and interpersonal skills
• Documented experience of career development of reporting scientists
• Experience in the Respiratory therapy area
• Experience and understanding of biology, pharmacology, translational medicine, precision medicine and clinical sciences, with pre-eminence in at least one of these areas

If you are interested, apply now!

For more information about the position please contact Maria Belvisi,

Welcome with your application no later than January 1st, 2019.