Oncology Translational Medicine Lead Director

AstraZeneca•Gaithersburg, MD

2d•$183,769 - $275,653•Hybrid

About The Position

As Oncology Translational Medicine Lead Director, you will set the biomarker vision for an innovation-rich ADC portfolio and convert it into clinical impact—informing indication selection, dose and schedule, rational combinations, and patient selection that change outcomes. You will partner closely with discovery scientists, early and late clinical teams, diagnostics experts, and quantitative specialists to bring the right tests to the right studies at the right time. Your leadership will ensure robust, reproducible biomarkers are designed, validated, and executed to establish mechanism of action, predict and monitor response, and understand resistance so our trials move faster and smarter. This is a hands-on, outcome-focused role where your scientific judgment and ability to collaborate at pace will shape the trajectory of multiple assets. You will influence standards across the portfolio while mentoring and inspiring teams to do their best translational work with a direct line of sight to patients.

Requirements

PhD and/or MD with experience in oncology drug development.
A minimum of 5 years’ of relevant experience
In-depth knowledge of oncology disease area biology (solid tumors) and translational science.
Ability to drive, manage, execute and deliver results for complex multi-functional projects.
Highly developed problem solving and risk management skills, and attention to detail.
Highly developed collaborative working skills.
Ability to act as an external ambassador and to influence external organisations to enhance the image and reputation of AstraZeneca.
Proven ability to motivate and develop others.

Nice To Haves

Expertise in antibody drug conjugates.

Responsibilities

Define and deliver end-to-end biomarker strategies for ADC assets from Phase 1 to Phase 3, aligning assays and analyses to decision points to de-risk development and enable swift progression.
Generate and synthesize disease linkage data to prioritize indications and patient segments with the highest probability of benefit.
Design, validate, and implement assays to quantify target engagement and pharmacodynamic biomarkers, providing evidence to guide dose and schedule selection.
Interpret pathway interactions, feedback loops, and tumor microenvironment features in clinical samples to propose and support rational combination strategies.
Lead analyses of relapse biopsies and longitudinal samples to define mechanisms of resistance and inform next-line strategies and new biomarker hypotheses.
Partner with clinical operations and study teams to specify biospecimen plans, lab manuals, and protocols; ensure high-quality centralized analytics and timely readouts.
Drive data reviews; author and review clinical study reports; present to governance; contribute to publications that shape internal decisions and external reputation.
Shape translational approaches across programs, contributing to platforms, policies, and best practices that raise the bar portfolio-wide.
Initiate and manage internal and external collaborations in clinical technologies and translational research, bringing cutting-edge methods into our studies.