Industrial PhD Student in agentic AI for drug discovery

Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
Type of employment: Temporary contract (3 years)
Pay: According to local agreement
Working hours: 100%
Start date: February/March 2026, or otherwise agreed

Are you passionate about Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Drug Discovery? Would you like to apply your expertise in an industry-leading pharmaceutical company to help shape the future of AI-assisted drug discovery? We invite applications for an Industrial PhD position at AstraZeneca, in collaboration with École Polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), as part of a Marie Sklodowska-Curie training network.

The successful candidate will be placed within the Molecular AI department of Discovery Sciences, at AstraZeneca in Gothenburg, Sweden. The student will be enrolled as an external PhD student at EPFL. 

About the PhD project
This PhD project is part of the doctoral training network LowDataML that consist of of 17 members across academic and industrial institutions in Europe. The vision of the network is to develop innovative machine learning technologies operating in the low data regime. The network will also apply these technologies in drug discovery for cancer, diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases. The collaboration between AstraZeneca and EPFL is focused on developing agentic AI workflows based on large language models for complex decision making in drug discovery. The PhD project will work on fundamental aspect of such systems but also apply them to projects in AstraZeneca and the other member organizations.

At AstraZeneca, the student will be part of Discovery Sciences that are applying word-leading expertise the support the identifications of targets and drug candidates. The PhD studies will be carried out in the MolecularAI department that are developing AI platfoms to accelerate early drug discovery. The department work on for instance molecular design, property predictions, physics-based modelling, synthesis planning, and agentic AI. Apart from building internal platforms, the department is host to more than ten industrial PhD candidates and postdocs that are having close collaborations with academic partners.

The Laboratory of Artificial Chemical Intelligence (LIAC) at EPFL operates at the intersection of machine learning and the chemical sciences. LIAC is dedicated to developing and applying cutting-edge deep learning and natural language processing models to accelerate scientific discovery. We focus on fundamental challenges in chemistry and materials science, including automated retrosynthesis, reaction outcome prediction, de novo molecular design, and the development of large language models (LLMs) and agents. 

What you’ll do?
The major responsibilities for an industrial PhD student position include conducting doctoral research. The student will be expeted to plan, write, and publish high-quality scientific papers. By the end of the PhD, students will be capable of identifying novel research directions and design appropriate computational experiments to test valuable hypotheses. 

Students are expected to effectively communicate the results of their research and will receive specific training towards building such skills. 

Essential requirements for the role
•    To qualify as a PhD student at EPFL, applicants must have a master’s level degree or equivalent in a relevant subject, and be accepted into the EDCH doctoral school at EPFL
•    Strong background in Python programming and machine learning
•    Sound communication skills in English

Why AstraZeneca? 
At AstraZeneca we’re dedicated to being a Great Place to Work. Where you are empowered to push the boundaries of science and unleash your entrepreneurial spirit. There’s no better place to make a difference to medicine, patients and society. An inclusive culture that champions diversity and collaboration. Always committed to lifelong learning, growth and development.  

How to apply?
The application, written in English, is submitted through the application portal of AstraZeneca and should contain:
-    A cover letter detailing your motivation and relevant experience 
-    A CV with academic achievements and technical skills 
-    Attested copies and transcripts of completed education, grades and other certificates, e.g. TOEFL test results
-    Contact information for two references 

Welcome with your application no later than November 14, 2025.

For further information about the position please contact: 
-    Samuel Genheden, Director within Molecular AI Discovery Sciences, samuel.genheden@astrazeneca.com  
-     Philippe Schwaller, Head of Laboratory of Artificial Chemical Intelligence EPFL, philippe.schwaller@epfl.ch

Where can I find out more? 
Life at AstraZeneca
Gothenburg - AstraZeneca
This is what we're made of
https://schwallergroup.github.io

Date Posted

27-okt.-2025

Closing Date

14-nov.-2025

Our mission is to build an inclusive and equitable environment. We want people to feel they belong at AstraZeneca and Alexion, starting with our recruitment process. We welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of characteristics. We offer reasonable adjustments/accommodations to help all candidates to perform at their best. If you have a need for any adjustments/accommodations, please complete the section in the application form.