Director, Next-Generation Sequencing for Biologics Engineering

About the Role:

We are seeking a visionary and experienced Director to lead and transform our Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) capabilities within the Biologics Engineering department at AstraZeneca. This key leadership position will drive the implementation of cutting-edge NGS technologies, automation processes, and data analysis workflows specifically tailored for antibody discovery and engineering as well as support Therapeutics Areas in R&D across our global organization.

The ideal candidate will possess a strong understanding of both NGS technologies and the needs of teams focusing on Artificial Intelligence (AI). A critical aspect of this role is ensuring that the data generated from NGS processes are optimized to feed into AI pipelines, fostering a synergistic relationship between NGS and AI-driven drug discovery and development.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership and Vision:

• Develop and execute a comprehensive strategy for specialized NGS applications in antibody discovery, focusing on overcoming the unique challenges posed by high sequence similarity in antibody repertoires.

• Drive the holistic strategy for NGS utilization in support of Biologics Engineering activities and Therapeutic Areas with focus on design and optimization of custom NGS workflows for antibody repertoire sequencing and AI-driven research initiatives.

• Lead the integration of NGS into discovery workflows (in-vivo and in-vitro), emphasizing data generation for machine learning applications.

Team Leadership and Development:

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of scientists, fostering a culture of innovation that bridges the gap between traditional NGS approaches and emerging AI technologies in the field of biologics engineering.

• Attract and retain top talent in the fields of NGS and bioinformatics.

Technological Innovation:

• Spearhead the evaluation, adoption, and optimization of emerging sequencing technologies to enhance AstraZeneca's research capabilities in support of Antibody and TCR discovery within the Biologics Engineering unit.

• Collaborate closely with AI teams to understand their data requirements and ensure that NGS outputs are structured and formatted to seamlessly integrate with AI algorithms and machine learning models.

• Develop and implement advanced bioinformatics pipelines specifically designed for antibody sequence analysis, including tools for repertoire analysis, lineage tracing, and affinity maturation studies.

• Drive the integration of automation in sample preparation, library construction, and NGS workflows to increase efficiency, reproducibility, and throughput.

Data Strategy and Bioinformatics:

• Develop and implement robust data analysis pipelines and bioinformatics workflows to support various NGS applications in biologics R&D.

• Collaborate with computational scientists to integrate NGS data with other omics approaches and drive data-driven decision making in biologics discovery.

Cross-functional Collaboration:

• Align NGS strategies and capabilities with the Biologics Engineering team in Cambridge, UK, and support operations at the Waltham site.

• Foster strong partnerships with Therapeutic Areas in R&D and NGS teams in oncology and translational medicine.

• Manage relationships with key stakeholders across the organization to ensure alignment of NGS capabilities with Biologics Engineering and organizational needs.

Global Leadership:

• Establish and maintain AstraZeneca's position as a world leader in NGS applications for biologics discovery and development.

• Represent AstraZeneca at international conferences and collaborate with academic institutions and industry partners to stay at the forefront of NGS technologies and applications.

Resource Management: 

• Oversee budget management, resource allocation, and strategic planning for the NGS Team within the Biologics Engineering department.

• Manage external collaborations and partnerships to expand technical expertise and access resources.

Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, Genetics, Bioinformatics, or a related field with 10+ years of relevant experience in NGS technologies and applications within the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry.

• Demonstrated success in leading and managing scientific teams, with a track record of fostering innovation and driving strategic initiatives.

• Extensive hands-on experience with various NGS platforms (e.g. Illumina, PacBio, ONT) and their applications in biologics research, including emerging technologies.

• Strong background in laboratory automation and high-throughput genomics workflows.

• Expertise in bioinformatics and data analysis, including:

• Proficiency in Python and R programming languages

• Experience with Nextflow for building scalable and reproducible scientific workflows

• Understanding of cloud computing services for bioinformatics applications

• Strong grasp of core bioinformatics concepts and their application to NGS data analysis

• Integrating NGS data with structural biology and antibody engineering platforms

• Experience working with high-performance computing (HPC) environments and managing computational resources for large-scale data analysis.

• Proven ability to integrate NGS data with other omics approaches and drive data-driven decision making in biologics discovery.

• Experience in implementing and managing large-scale genomics projects in support of drug discovery and development.

• Strong understanding of antibody discovery processes and biologics development.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate effectively across all levels of the organization.

• Demonstrated strategic thinking and ability to contribute to business development and organizational strategy within the context of Biologics Engineering.

•  Familiarity with Genedata Biologics platform for biologics R&D data management and analysis.