Discovery Safety Specialist - Associate Director, Oncology Safety

Position: Discovery Safety Specialist - Associate Director, Oncology Safety

Location: Cambridge, UK

Competitive Salary & Excellent Company Benefits

At AstraZeneca we turn ideas into life changing medicines. Working here means being entrepreneurial, thinking big and working together to make the impossible a reality.  Here, we see the impact of our collective ideas and expertise, and the power of science to deliver them.

Become a key player in the discoveryof innovative oncology medicines.

One of the major challenges in the discovery of innovative medicines is to ensure they are safe enough to assess therapeutic benefit in clinical trials to provide novel treatment for patients. Drug safety is assessed throughout the process of drug development, but it is during early drug discovery that we can actively design safety attributes into the future candidate drug.

As a Discovery Safety Specialist, you will design and execute project-specific investigational and mechanistic safety experiments and strategies to predict, assess and mitigate target- and chemistry-related safety risks.

We are seeking a highly motivated and skilled mechanistic toxicologist with a strong background in molecular and cell biology to join the Oncology Safety Science team at our Cambridge, UK research campus. We work collaboratively and develop and apply cutting edge technologies such as ACMs including 3D organoids, micro-physiological systems, and employ deep phenotyping tools such as multi-omics and state-of-the-art imaging, to ultimately push the boundaries of predictive safety science with our mission in mind: to discover safe innovative medicines for the patients that need them.

Job responsibilities include:

• Be an integral member of Oncology drug discovery project teams, and accountable for the delivery of high-quality mechanistic safety data to support project decision making.
• Design project-specific investigational and mechanistic safety experiments and strategies (both in vitro and in vivo) to predict, assess and mitigate target- and chemistry-related safety risks using internal and external experimental capabilities.
• Engage with cross-functional experts to develop, refine and implement experimental strategies to ensure that teams make the right decisions regarding safety risks associated with the project.
• Develop innovative solutions and research proposals to develop the field of predictive discovery safety and pursue cutting edge science and technologies such as advanced cell models (ACMs) and multi-omics to optimize and influence safety assessment of novel drug targets. 
• Make a significant contribution to Discovery Safety scientific leadership within and outside AstraZeneca including external meeting attendance and regular publication in high quality, peer-reviewed journals.
• Provide mentorship and training to more junior team members and contribute to building an inclusive, collaborative team environment.

Essential Requirements:

• PhD in toxicology, pharmacology, cell biology or systems biology, with considerable post-doctoral experience in industry.
• Solid understanding of discovery safety together with an appreciation of disciplines within and outside drug safety and toxicology.
• Project-facing experience supporting the discovery and development of small molecule inhibitors from target conception to candidate delivery (experience in biologic modalities considered an advantage).
• Experience of the application of ACMs such as organoids within the discovery safety setting to predict clinical therapeutic index and investigate molecular mechanisms of toxicity.  
• Experience with the design of in vivo experiments to determine the effects of therapeutics on biological systems, with a line of sight to human safety risk understanding.
• A strong scientific track record evidenced through high quality publications and recognition as an expert within a discipline.
• Excellent communication, presentation, interpersonal and influencing skills across levels/subject areas, and an ability to coordinate tasks across multiple projects.
• Highly motivated, creative, reliable scientist with a collaborative, team-oriented mindset, who solves problems in a goal-focused fashion and contributes to an open, positive, collaborative working environment.

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 are driven by our desire to understand and reveal new insights. We are free from fear of failure, free to ask the right questions, make bold decisions, and dig deep into the biology of complex diseases. We are harnessing digital, data science & AI to help us achieve the next wave of breakthroughs. We are always seeking quick solutions and responding to the rapid pace of change in healthcare. We draw on our partnerships with academia, biotechs and the industry to pioneer new collaborative approaches.

Interested? Apply Now!

Closing Date for Applications: COB 12 August 2025

Date Posted

30-Jul-2025

Closing Date

12-Aug-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.

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 authorisation and employment eligibility verification requirements.