Translational Medicine Lead, Associate Director (Oncology)
About The Position
As Translational Medicine Lead at Associate Director level, you will set the biomarker vision for novel targeted therapies and translate it into clear actions that guide indication strategy, dose and schedule, rational combinations, and patient selection. Your work will directly influence how quickly and precisely we bring transformative oncology medicines to patients. You will operate at the intersection of discovery, clinical development, diagnostics, data science, statistics, and external partnerships. How would you connect disease biology with clinical samples and biomarker data to shape first-in-human studies and sustain evidence through late development? In this hands-on, collaborative role you will lead across a global matrix, converting complex data into practical recommendations that drive study design, execution, and governance decisions.
Requirements
- MD, PhD or equivalent advanced degree in cancer biology, molecular biology, translational medicine or a related scientific discipline.
- 7+ yrs in oncology translational science and drug development, including leadership/ development of biomarker strategies in early oncology clinical studies.
- Strong background in tumor biology and precision oncology, with experience in receptor tyrosine kinase biology; knowledge of EGFR biology is highly relevant.
- Experience with circulating tumor DNA, genomics or other molecular biomarkers, including interpretation of longitudinal clinical data.
- Ability to lead complex, multi-functional projects and deliver through teams in a global matrix environment.
- Demonstrated ability to collaborate across early and late development, functions, sites and external partners.
Nice To Haves
- Experience as a Translational Medicine Lead for first-in-human or early-phase oncology studies.
- Experience with ctDNA technologies including ultra-sensitive tumor-informed ctDNA assays
- Depth in EGFR-driven cancer biology, mechanisms of response and resistance, or development of targeted therapies.
Responsibilities
- Define and deliver an integrated translational and biomarker strategy for early development programs, aligning scientific goals, sample collection plans, assays, analyses, and decision points to accelerate learning and de-risk development.
- Serve as Translational Medicine Lead for first-in-human studies, providing scientific leadership for protocol content, exploratory objectives, biospecimen plans, assay strategy, data review, and interpretation so study teams act on timely insights.
- Partner with late development teams to sustain biomarker hypotheses and evidence, ensuring continuity from early signals through registrational studies and beyond.
- Lead cross-program evaluation of circulating tumor DNA as a predictive biomarker, integrating clinical, molecular, and quantitative evidence into fit-for-purpose analyses and recommendations that sharpen program focus.
- Generate and synthesize human biology evidence and mutation profiles linked to activity, guiding indication selection, segmentation, and biomarker hypotheses that increase the probability of success.
- Develop approaches to measure target engagement, pathway modulation, biological activity, and response, enabling disciplined dose, schedule, and combination decisions.
- Use tumor tissue and blood-based biomarkers, including longitudinal clinical samples, to understand response and resistance and seed new translational hypotheses.
- Partner with study teams, clinical operations, diagnostics, and labs to deliver robust sample collection, assay validation, vendor oversight, data quality, and timely biomarker readouts.
- Lead integrated biomarker data reviews, communicate conclusions and uncertainties with clarity, and provide well-founded recommendations to project teams, senior stakeholders, and governance bodies.
- Build strong partnerships across functions and geographies; align stakeholders on priority questions, risks, dependencies, and delivery plans to maintain momentum.
- Establish and manage collaborations with academic, technology, and diagnostic partners; contribute to publications and presentations that amplify scientific impact.
- Advance translational medicine standards, best practices, and portfolio approaches; mentor colleagues to elevate scientific quality and consistency.
- Ensure all work meets applicable quality, regulatory, ethical, safety, and AstraZeneca requirements.
Benefits
- qualified retirement programs
- paid time off (i.e., vacation, holiday, and leaves)
- health, dental, and vision coverage
- short-term incentive bonuses
- equity-based awards
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
Ph.D. or professional degree
