Principal AI Engineer - Evinova

Principal AI Engineer - Evinova

Location: London, UK

It currently takes over 10 years and $1.3B to develop a drug. More than 70% of that investment goes into clinical trials, yet only ~10% of candidates make it from Phase I to approval.

Evinova - a new health-tech business within the AstraZeneca Group—is here to change the math. We use advanced algorithms and GenAI to aim high: boosting clinical trial success by 20%, cutting development time by 3 years, and halving study costs.

We are looking for a highly skilled Principal AI Engineer who combines strong coding expertise with curiosity and business acumen. In this role, you will not only build advanced algorithms and agentic AI but also ensure your technical work directly supports company targets, working on both internal initiatives and client/ consulting-style engagements. You will bring a value-driven mindset, using critical analysis to ensure outcomes align with business goals.

 WHAT THE ROLE INVOLVES

• AI DEVELOPMENT & ARCHITECTURE – You will build sophisticated GenAI, Machine Learning and Optimization solutions tailored to the life sciences, taking them from initial PoC through to full industrialization.

• ENGINEERING & DEPLOYMENT – Deliver high-quality and production-ready code, supporting deployment on the cloud (AWS). You will support the development of robust data pipelines, focusing on flexibility to ensure smooth integration with various client data ecosystems.

• BUSINESS ENGAGEMENT - You will present the progress of AI initiatives, gather feedback, and translate complex technical outcomes into clear business value for senior leadership and stakeholders.

• CROSS-FUNCTIONAL INNOVATION - Thrive in a dynamic ecosystem where AI, Product, Strategy, and UX intersect. You will act as a key translator, connecting cutting-edge AI capabilities with real-world Pharmaceutical requirements to deliver meaningful digital transformation.

SKILLS AND CAPABILITIES NEEDED

What You Bring:

• EXPERIENCE - 5+ years designing novel algorithms and applied AI/ML solutions that drove measurable business impact.

• GENERATIVE AI EXPERTISE - Experience building GenAI solutions for real-world use cases, with a solid grasp of agentic AI frameworks (LangChain, Google GenAI SDK, LlamaIndex, etc.).

• MODERN TECH STACK - Expert knowledge of Python and standard data frameworks (pandas, scipy, etc.). Expertise in leveraging GenAI coding assistants (GitHub Copilot, Cursor, etc.) to accelerate development cycles.

• ENGINEERING RIGOR - A proven track record of shipping production-level code using software engineering best practices.

• COMMUNICATION - Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with experience presenting technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders with clarity.

Nice to Have:

• INFRASTRUCTURE - Familiarity with AWS services, AWS CDK, Containerization, and CI/CD pipelines.

• PHARMA INDUSTRY KNOWLEDGE: Previous experience in Life Sciences is desirable, but not mandatory.

• CONSULTING - Experience interacting with high-level business stakeholders or working in a consultancy environment.

Why Evinova (AstraZeneca)?

Evinova draws on AstraZeneca’s deep experience developing novel therapeutics, informed by insights from thousands of patients and clinical researchers. Together, we can accelerate the delivery of life-changing medicines, improve the design and delivery of clinical trials for better patient experiences and outcomes, and think more holistically about patient care before, during, and after treatment.  We know that regulators, healthcare professionals, and care teams at clinical trial sites do not want a fragmented approach. They do not want a future where every pharmaceutical company provides its own, different digital solutions. They want solutions that work across the sector, simplify their workload, and benefit patients broadly. By bringing our solutions to the wider healthcare community, we can help build more unified approaches to how we all develop and deploy digital technologies, better serving our teams, physicians, and ultimately patients.  Evinova represents a unique opportunity to deliver meaningful outcomes with digital and AI to serve the wider healthcare community and create new standards for the sector.  Join us on our journey of building a new kind of health tech business to reset expectations of what a bio-pharmaceutical company can be. This means we’re opening new ways to work, pioneering cutting-edge methods, and bringing unexpected teams together. Interested? Come and join our journey.

So, what’s next?

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

Where can I find out more?

Our Social Media, Follow Evinova on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/evinova/

Learn more about Evinova www.evinova.com

Date Posted

01-Dec-2025

Closing Date

21-Dec-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.