Why choose AstraZeneca Spain?
AstraZeneca Spain is a rising force in our global business. With headquarters in Madrid and our global hub in Barcelona, we’ve become an important international centre of excellence in the fight against critical disease. Boasting vibrant universities and business schools, the Barcelona ecosystem is a place where scientists can thrive. We attract a diverse workforce from across the globe, shining a beacon for innovation in a country that’s committed to clinical development.
We invite you to bring your talents to Barcelona where our respiratory medicine R&D and Global Marketing centre offers opportunities in R&D, IT, Commercial and HR. Or join us in Madrid and shape our growth in our BUs (Respiratory, Oncology & CVRM ), and a range of Corporate functions. Additionally, you can find sales roles throughout the country. Together, we’re contributing to a world-leading pipeline of therapeutics and delivering life-changing medicines to patients.
Who do we look for?
Calling all tech innovators, ownership takers, challenge seekers and proactive collaborators. At AstraZeneca Spain, breakthroughs born in the lab become transformative medicine for the world's most complex diseases. Alongside technical expertise, colleagues have the resilience, energy and collaborative mindset to change lanes, work with different teams and start projects from scratch.
Here, diverse minds and bold disruptors can meaningfully impact the future of healthcare using cutting-edge technology. Whether you join us in Madrid or Barcelona, you can make a tangible impact within a global biopharmaceutical company that invests in your future. Join a talented global team that's powering AstraZeneca to better serve patients every day.
Success Profile
Ready to make an impact in your career? If you're passionate, growth-orientated and a true team player, we'll help you succeed. Here are some of the skills and capabilities we look for.
Diverse collaborators
This is a speak-up culture that values collaboration. You’ll proactively bring your unique perspectives, experiences and skills to the table and seek the same from others. With our international team composition and the need for fast-paced collaboration, you’ll always be building new connections with colleagues.
Cutting-edge innovators
When you join us, you’ll be part of a team that embraces digital technology and data to transform the way we work and the work we do. Every day, you’ll help make history, empowered to ignite your creativity and build something enduring.
Resilient trailblazers
Here, the answers aren’t always available. So, you’ll need to bring a fearless, self-starter mindset to navigate uncharted territories. You’ll harness your ceaseless energy to discover and make the necessary connections with colleagues to shape the future and achieve maximum impact.
Agile movers
Seize ownership and excel with autonomy to enjoy the constant rush of ground-breaking discovery. Your ability to anticipate sudden shifts and adapt swiftly will prove critical as you make your mark in an environment that rewards initiative and resilience.
Responsibilities
Software Engineering Lead
Introduction to role
We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Computer Science Engineer to join our Knowledge Graph Team in the Enterprise Data Office. This role is critical for the delivery of the AstraZeneca corporate strategy, where Data, AI, and Digital are foundational value drivers for Innovative Science. As a Software Engineering Lead, you will play a pivotal role in guiding and mentoring a team of dedicated engineers, overseeing the technical design, implementation, testing, and delivery of projects focused on knowledge graphs and graph databases. Your leadership will be instrumental in ensuring the highest standards of software development are maintained throughout the project lifecycle.
Accountabilities
Technical Leadership & Solution Design
• Drive the technical design and architecture of complex projects, with a strong emphasis on knowledge graphs, graph databases, and scalable data solutions.
• Provide technical feedback on system design, architecture, integration, and ongoing support to ensure high availability, performance, scalability, and maintainability.
• Collaborate with solution architects to refine blueprints, ensuring alignment with technical requirements and long-term business objectives.
• Ensure alignment to software engineering standard methodologies, including code reviews, testing protocols, documentation standards, and secure coding practices.
• Stay current with industry trends and emerging technologies, evaluating their relevance and potential impact on our solutions.
Service & Operational Excellence
• Oversee the end-to-end service lifecycle, ensuring the long-term stability, performance, and sustainability of delivered solutions.
• Provide recommendations for enhancements, proactive monitoring, and performance optimization to maintain service excellence.
• Fix and resolve technical issues to ensure the reliability of our applications.
• Deliver regular service performance metrics and maturity assessments to the Service Lead, ensuring continuous improvement in operations.
Agile Delivery & Program Execution
• Follow agile methodologies, contributing to backlog prioritization, sprint planning, and PI planning to ensure smooth and efficient delivery.
• Work closely with product owners, operational leads, and engineering teams to translate business needs into well-defined technical solutions.
• Manage project timelines, ensuring deliverables are completed on schedule and within budget while maintaining technical integrity.
Team Development & People Management
• Build and support a high-performing engineering team through hiring, coaching, mentoring, career development, and line management.
• Foster a culture of innovation, ownership, and continuous improvement within the team.
• Encourage knowledge sharing and multi-functional collaboration to enhance team effectiveness and professional growth.
Customer Engagement & Collaboration
• Establish strong working relationships with internal and external partners, including engineering teams, third-party vendors, product managers, and data scientists.
• Communicate technical solutions clearly and effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Act as a trusted advisor, influencing key decisions related to technology, architecture, and operational strategy.
Essential Skills/Experience
• Bachelor's or Master's degree or equivalent experience in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• Proven experience as a software engineering lead or similar leadership role.
• Strong expertise in knowledge graphs, graph databases, and related technologies (e.g., Neo4j, Cypher, SPARQL).
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Java, Python, or C++.
• Solid understanding of software development methodologies (e.g., Agile and Scrum).
• Demonstrated experience with technical design, architecture, and implementation of sophisticated software projects.
• Solid understanding of software testing principles and practices, including unit testing, integration testing, and automated testing frameworks.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to solve complex technical issues.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with diverse teams.
• High standards for software development quality, including code maintainability, performance, and security.
Desirable Skills/Experience
• Experience with machine learning, natural language processing, or data mining.
• Familiarity with AWS and containerisation technologies (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Contributions to open-source projects or publications in relevant fields.
• Understanding of data integration and ETL processes.
• Experience with Microservices architecture and RESTful APIs.
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.
At AstraZeneca, we connect across the whole business to power each function to better influence patient outcomes and improve their lives. We play an increasingly crucial role in driving pioneering transformation on our journey to becoming a digital and data-led enterprise. Here we bring the brightest minds together with access to innovative techniques and novel solutions. Our inclusive team thrives on diverse experiences and collaboration. We are dedicated to combining science with our knowledge to deliver greater value for patients every day.
Ready to make a significant impact? Apply now!
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.
Reasons to Join
Thomas Mathisen
There are many things I enjoy when working at AstraZeneca, mainly the Speak up culture, the great colleagues that are in my teams, the great products that AstraZeneca provides to our patients and the challenging conversations I have around our medicines.
Christine Recchio
Working at AstraZeneca has impacted my life in such a positive way. I now have an improved work-life balance through creating my own schedule and time management, I feel a balance that I didn’t have before.
Stephanie Ling
There are a lot of reasons why I enjoy working in AstraZeneca, my colleagues being one of them. My team members and the managers have provided a great deal of guidance in helping me to be more confident in my daily work.
What we offer
We're driven by our shared values of serving people, society and the planet. Our people make this possible, which is why we prioritise diversity, inclusivity, balance and sustainability. Discover what a career at AstraZeneca could mean for you.
An award-winning company
We're passionate about being a great place to work, and 84% of our employees would recommend us as an employer. We've been recognised as a Top Employer in Spain, an EFR Family Responsible Business, and we achieved third place in Forbes Spain's Top 50 Best Places to Work list.
Inclusive environment
Diversity and inclusion are embedded in everything we do, and our different views, experiences and strengths enrich our culture. There's no salary gap at AstraZeneca, and the number of female employees has increased by four per cent over the last three years. We've also made all positions fully accessible.
Work-life balance
Your wellbeing means a lot to us, and we're here to support you through all of life's ups and downs. That's why we offer an unpaid leave policy, annual leave, reduced-hours timetables and a host of benefits, including a retirement plan, long service award, and health and travel insurance.
Sustainability initiatives
We're committed to harnessing the power of science to become a more sustainable business. We've reduced our carbon footprint by over 9,000 kg of CO2 over the last two years, and we lead the European GoGreen Project, which aims to introduce environmentally friendly options in our fleet of corporate vehicles.
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