Associate Director, Early Data Science and Computational Oncology

AstraZeneca is a global, science-driven biopharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering, developing, and delivering innovative, meaningful medicines and healthcare solutions that enrich the lives of patients. The vision of AstraZeneca Oncology is to redefine cancer, redefine our solutions to cancer, and restore patients' lives. The Early Data Science team collaborates with our oncology drug project teams throughout the research and early development pipeline, from new target discovery to translational medicine and clinical trials. Our global group aligns its activities to AstraZeneca’s primary areas of focus in Oncology: immuno-oncology, DNA damage response, tumour drivers & resistance, epigenetics, cell therapies, and antibody-drug conjugates.

Excitingly, the team is growing to meet the challenges of pre-clinical and clinical big data generation initiatives in AZ Oncology, including DNA sequencing, single-cell and bulk expression, proteomics, and CRISPR. There exists an opportunity for a talented and motivated bioinformatician with strong expertise in cancer genomics to join the group. The post holder will work with our Tumour Drivers and Resistance (TDR), DNA Damage Response (DDR), and epigenetic project teams to deliver multi-omic profiling and support the characterization of preclinical models and patients from our clinical trials. In addition, you will develop cutting-edge transcriptomics and genomics methodologies to expand the biology we can capture from our data.

Accountabilities:

• Leverage multi-omic data from preclinical models and patients to understand the mechanism of action of our compounds in the targeted portfolio area.

• Work as part of our TDR/DDR/Epi project teams to define novel markers of response & resistance from preclinical models and patients on our clinical trials.

• Develop and apply computational approaches with a strong focus on drug portfolio applications.

• Apply innovative computational/statistical algorithms and visualizations to generate actionable biological insight from genomic data.

• Discover and develop new molecular target, mechanism, and biomarker hypotheses. Link multi-omic data sets from patients and in vitro/vivo models.

• Integrate and interpret proprietary and public data spanning multiple platforms.

• Proactively engage in knowledge sharing and peer support, including training our bench science community to build expertise in the tools critical to Oncology bioinformatics.

• Build and steer the development of small prototype tools for bench scientists to access and visualize project data.

• Collaborate with industry and academia, utilizing external resources to find the most effective solutions to our drug discovery problems.

• Publish your work in high-impact journals.

Essential Skills/Experience:

• Relevant PhD (or equivalent) plus at least five years of relevant applied experience combining technical expertise in computational biology, bioinformatics, data science or applied biostatistics.

• Experience and knowledge with data from clinical trials; expertise in either ctDNA/liquid biopsy, single-cell technologies or spatial omics would be essential.

• Proficiency analyzing and interpreting data from multiple 'omic platforms (NGS sequencing, transcriptomic, epigenetic, proteomic etc.).

• Expertise in the analysis of genomic data (WES, targeted panels, WGS) covering QC, handling, processing & interpretation.

• Expertise in querying, mining and interpreting cancer variants and associations with clinical outcomes from real world datasets (TCGA, MSK-IMPACT, Flatiron, Tempus).

• A proven track record of clinical/translational/biomarker research (experience in pharmaceutical industry is strongly desired).

• Highly developed communication skills in conveying concise biological insights from analysis of complex data.

• The ability to successfully lead in a matrix setting, partner with diverse stakeholders, and deliver impacts on tight deadlines.

Desirable Skills/Experience:

• Publication record in either cancer genomics, bulk or single-cell transcriptomic applied to cancer.

• Knowledge of databases of clinical interpretation of cancer variants.

• Biological understanding of cancer signaling pathways.

• Expertise in the development of novel statistical approaches for the analysis of biological data.

• Awareness of machine learning, graph modeling, artificial intelligence, Bayesian analytics or other non-traditional approaches to model biological data.

• A thorough understanding of the contribution of bioinformatics to drug discovery.

• Well networked within external bioinformatics and oncology communities.

• Capability of successfully managing multiple simultaneous projects.

• Working effectively within cross-disciplinary science teams, including with functional leaders.

• Experience contributing to the research community through publication, conferences and code.

When we put unexpected teams in the same room, we unleash bold thinking with the power to inspire life-changing medicines. In-person working gives us the platform we need to connect, work at pace and challenge perceptions. That's why we work, on average, a minimum of three days per week from the office. But that doesn't mean we're not flexible. We balance the expectation of being in the office while respecting individual flexibility. Join us in our unique and ambitious world.

At AstraZeneca, we follow the science with curiosity and courage. Our commitment to oncology is driven by an ambition to eliminate cancer as a cause of death. With multiple indications and high-quality molecules at all stages of our innovative pipeline, we keep pushing forward. We fuse cutting-edge science with the latest technology to achieve breakthroughs. Backed by significant investment, we aim to deliver six new molecular entities by 2025. Our collaborative research environment unites some of the world's foremost medical centers, expediting research in some of the hardest-to-treat cancers. Join us to build a rewarding career as part of a team dedicated to improving the lives of millions with cancer.

Ready to make a difference? Apply now!

Date Posted

Closing Date

AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity.  We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills.  We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.  We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics.  We comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements.