Senior Scientist, Diagnostic Science

Title: Senior Scientist, Diagnostic Science 

Location: Cambridge, UK 

Salary: Competitive + Excellent Benefits

Are you an experienced Senior Scientist with a passion to apply your skills and bring technical expertise and scientific innovation to develop diagnostics for use in a clinical setting? If so, this could be the role for you!  

AstraZeneca delivers companion and complementary diagnostic assays that match medicines to those patients who are most likely to benefit from them. This approach, known as Precision Medicine, is based on those individual characteristics that make some patients respond to treatment better than others. We use this knowledge to develop diagnostic tests that doctors can use to help prescribe the best treatment for each patient. 

As a Senior Scientist, you will use your knowledge of oncology diagnostic technologies and approaches including for eg. Immunohistochemistry (IHC), multiplex IHC and proteomics, digital pathology to provide scientific and technical expertise to deliver innovative diagnostic approaches to AstraZeneca’s clinical portfolio, through strategic partnerships with leading diagnostic companies and laboratory-based science delivery. 

Accountabilities:

• Being responsible for the delivery of laboratory- based diagnostic science and innovation projects with a particular focus on IHC and proteomic technologies, through close collaboration with the cross-functional teams

• Lead the delivery of diagnostic testing to clinical studiesincludingdiagnostic test establishment in partner laboratories, monitor diagnostic test data for quality control, provide scientific troubleshooting when necessary and preparation of study reports

• Building and maintaining a knowledge of current and new technologies in diagnostics for the AZ oncology portfolio, and seeing opportunities for innovation and internal/external collaborations 

• Developing innovative diagnostic science proposals across core therapeutic areas  

• Evaluating the performance of novel diagnostics through delivery of diagnostic feasibility studies and laboratory-based science to timelines and budget

• Providing scientific and strategic feedback into precision medicine approaches for diagnostic and drug product teams 

• Ensuring that all activities are delivered demonstrating behaviours and values aligned to AstraZeneca Code of Conduct and supporting policies, standards and procedures, including compliant management of Budget, Safety, Health and Environment 

Education, Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

Essential:

• Masters / PhD or equivalent experience in a relevant subject 

• Record of delivery in a scientific capability, including peer-reviewed publications 

• Expertise with IHC and one or more of the following technologies (for example, but not limited to: digital pathology, multiplex proteomics, NGS, PCR & imaging)

• Excellent knowledge of current technology trends in oncology diagnostics and precision medicine

• Experience of working with external partners or collaborators (ideally academic investigators and diagnostic companies)

• Ability to communicate with cross-functional stakeholders for project updates through oral presentations and progress reports

Desirable:

• Experience developing tissue-based diagnostic assays in a regulated environment e.g. under In Vitro Diagnostics development standards or within a CAP/CLIA laboratory 

• Experience of leading projects within a diagnostic or drug development organisation 

• An understanding of drug and companion diagnostic assay co-development and commercialisation and experience working in early and/or late phase projects 

• Demonstrable experience of analytical diagnostic assay validation, use in a clinical testing setting and / or delivery of regulatory submission

• Good computational and data analysis skills enabling automated/semi-automated analysis of large datasets (e.g. using software and programming languages such as R, Python, knime or equivalent) 

• Knowledge of requirements related to handling of Human Biological Samples

So, what’s next?

• Are you already imagining yourself joining our team? Good, because we can’t wait to hear from you.

• Are you ready to bring new insights and fresh thinking to the table? Brilliant! We have one seat available, and we hope it’s yours.

Where can I find out more?

Our Social Media, Follow AstraZeneca on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/1603/

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