Senior Director, Discovery Strategy & Transformation

Job Title: Senior Director, Discovery Strategy & Transformation  Location: Gaithersburg, MD or Boston, MA 

Hybrid Role: In the office minimum 3 days/week

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. 

Key Accountabilities

Discovery Portfolio Strategy

• 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 

Discovery Transformation 

• 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 

Stakeholder Alignment & Communication 

• 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 

Essential 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 

Skills & Competencies

• 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 

The annual base pay ranges from231,988.80 - 347,983.20 Hourly and salaried non-exempt employees will also be paid overtime pay when working qualifying overtime hours. Base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.  In addition, our positions offer a short-term incentive bonus opportunity; eligibility to participate in our equity-based long-term incentive program (salaried roles), to receive a retirement contribution (hourly roles), and commission payment eligibility (sales roles). Benefits offered included a qualified retirement program [401(k) plan]; paid vacation and holidays; paid leaves; and, health benefits including medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans. Additional details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment. If hired, employee will be in an “at-will position” and the Company reserves the right to modify base pay (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, Company or individual department/team performance, and market factors. 

Date Posted

15-May-2026

Closing Date

28-May-2026

Our mission is to build an inclusive environment where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and employees. In furtherance of that mission, we welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of their protected characteristics. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please complete the corresponding 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.