Science & Innovation Director - New Modalities

Join us in this opportunity as our Science & Innovation Director - New Modalities!

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. It’s our knowledge of patients, fused with our forward-looking mindset and innovations, that helps us to spot opportunities, get involved earlier and approach access sustainably.

Pharmaceutical Technology and Development (PT&D) is the organization that turns brilliant science into actual medicines that help millions of people. We work across the entire value chain, designing and delivering active ingredients, formulations and devices for new medicines and providing expert technical support to all AstraZeneca’s commercial drug substances and products to ensure we successfully supply medicines to patients.

AstraZeneca has recognised that New Modalities are a cornerstone of our ambitions to develop lifechanging medicines across different Therapy Areas. PT&D has a really important role in developing these new modalities; especially overcoming the specific challenges they bring to core CMC activities. One of these challenging areas is the development of next generation commercial processes that are well controlled and cost/environmentally efficient.

What you’ll do

As a Science & Innovation Director, you will be responsible for understanding the challenges and opportunities related to synthesis of New Modalities (initially Oligonucleotides and Peptides and combinations of modalities). Through this understanding,you will identify and progressopportunities with potential transformational impact on the synthesis and manufacture of these molecules.You will establish collaborative internal & external networks to support the advancement of the scientific subject area and build a business-focused science and innovation strategy with clear ambitions and deliverables.You will proactively search for new opportunities and collaborate with external and internal partnersto drive these through our Innovation Process. 

Essential Skills/Experience:

• Master or PhD inrelevant degree for example chemistry, biotechnology, engineering with a strong scientific background andextensive experience in the pharmaceutical sector

• Demonstrated extensive experience ofsynthesis and manufacture of pharmaceuticals and both the technical and business considerations of synthetic methodology

• Demonstratedstrong depth of understanding and experience of synthesising New Modalities and the potential opportunities to overcome the main challenges

• Capabilities and experience of investigating non-standard approaches with demonstrated tenacity to progress ambitious proposals and act as a change agent for implementation

• Experience and established achievements in driving innovation and collaboration; influencing internally and externally

• A track record of successful leadership and delivery

Desirable Skills/Experience:

• Ability tothink strategically about longer term opportunities, beyond thenear term, to challenge status quo and seek opportunities for business improvement.

• Experience of assessing external/alternative approaches and developing scientific proposals for further practical evaluation 

• Established external network of Key Opinion Leaders in the area of New Modality synthesis/manufacture

• Excellent team working and networking skills.

• Capable of making effective decisions, acts courageously and communicates with conviction and inspiration at all levels.

• An excellent communicator with experience of interacting effectively across interfaces of discipline, culture, and expertise both internally and externally.