Senior Director, Discovery Strategy & Transformation

AstraZeneca • Gaithersburg, MD

3d • $231,989 - $347,983 • Hybrid

About The Position

AstraZeneca’s Oncology ambition is to eliminate cancer as a cause of death. Underpinning that ambition is a growing pipeline across small molecules, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), and radio-conjugates — and the relentless drive to discover and advance new medicines faster than ever before. This role sits at the center of that effort. You will shape how AstraZeneca’s Oncology Discovery organization thinks about its future — what to pursue, how to prioritize, and how to move faster — working alongside discovery scientists, platform leads, and senior leadership to translate bold ambitions into concrete strategy and measurable change. The Senior Director, Discovery Strategy & Transformation owns two interconnected mandates: defining where Oncology Discovery is going, and accelerating how it gets there. On strategy, you will develop and steward the 5- and 10-year Oncology Discovery portfolio strategy — integrating scientific, clinical, and commercial perspectives across small molecules, ADCs, and radio-conjugates to set clear priorities for the senior leadership team. On transformation, you will drive meaningful cycle time acceleration across the discovery engine — deploying AI and automation, redesigning processes, and building the cultural shifts needed to move faster from target to candidate. You bring the structured, strategic thinking, and the scientific depth to earn credibility with world-class researchers. You are comfortable operating with ambiguity, influencing without authority, and translating complexity into clarity for executive audiences.

Requirements

• M.D. and/or Ph.D. in a life science discipline (oncology, cancer biology, chemistry, biochemistry, or related field) — scientific credibility with discovery researchers is essential
• 4+ years of strategy consulting experience at McKinsey, BCG, Bain, or equivalent top-tier firm
• Demonstrated track record of structuring complex problems and delivering clear, evidence-based recommendations to senior stakeholders
• Experience working across cross-functional teams in biopharma, biotech, or adjacent life science environments preferred
• Oncology domain expertise: familiarity with small molecule drug discovery, ADC biology, or radio-conjugate platforms
• Experience with AI/ML applications in drug discovery or scientific R&D settings
• Prior exposure to portfolio management, clinical development strategy, or business development in biopharma
• Experience supporting or presenting to C-suite or senior R&D leadership
• Deep scientific fluency: able to engage substantively with discovery scientists on target biology, modality selection, and portfolio tradeoffs
• Exceptional structured thinking: hypothesis-driven analysis, issue trees, and synthesis of complex information into executive-ready narratives
• Strategic judgment: comfortable translating ambiguous scientific and commercial inputs into clear priorities and investment recommendations
• Transformation mindset: experience driving organizational or process change, with an understanding of how AI and automation can accelerate scientific workflows
• Stakeholder management: able to influence and align experienced scientists and senior leaders without formal authority
• Energized by the mission: genuine commitment to accelerating cancer drug discovery and belief that strategy and transformation can make a measurable difference
• Comfortable at the interface of science and strategy — as credible in a whiteboard session with discovery scientists as in an executive review
• Low ego, high standards: willing to do the analytical work and build the coalitions needed to move things forward
• Comfortable with ambiguity: the strategy will evolve, and priorities will shift as science and the competitive environment develop

Responsibilities

• Develop and own the 5- and 10-year Oncology Discovery portfolio strategy across small molecules, ADCs, and radio-conjugates — integrating scientific & clinical insights to shape investment priorities
• Partner with discovery scientists, platform leads, BD, and global strategy teams to build cohesive long-term strategies that reflect the latest science and competitive landscape
• Translate portfolio strategy into clear recommendations for senior leadership: options, tradeoffs, and priorities grounded in rigorous analysis
• Support internal & external innovation decisions across modalities and platforms, bringing analytical structure to high-stakes choices
• Lead the design and execution of initiatives to accelerate discovery cycle times — spanning AI and automation adoption, process redesign, and organizational change
• Identify and prioritize the highest-leverage transformation opportunities across the discovery pipeline, from target identification through candidate nomination
• Work with AI, data, and platform teams to define where technology can meaningfully compress timelines, and drive adoption of new capabilities with discovery teams
• Build the case for change with scientific and leadership stakeholders; sustain momentum through cultural shifts and performance tracking
• Synthesize strategy and transformation progress into leadership-ready materials for senior executive and global R&D audiences
• Build credibility and influence with senior scientists and cross-functional leaders through rigorous analysis, clear communication, and follow-through
• Ensure strategic priorities are clearly understood and consistently reflected across discovery functions and partner teams

Benefits

• qualified retirement program [401(k) plan]
• paid vacation and holidays
• paid leaves
• health benefits including medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage
• short-term incentive bonus opportunity
• equity-based long-term incentive program (salaried roles)
• retirement contribution (hourly roles)
• commission payment eligibility (sales roles)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree