Senior Group Director Scientist

Senior Group Director Scientist

Location:Gaithersburg, MD (may consider other locations including Cambridge, MA, New York, NY, South San Francisco, CA)

The Senior Group Director Scientist is a senior leader within Hematology R&D, with responsibility for line management, development, and mentoring of clinical scientists. The role also serves on the departmental leadership team, contributing to resource planning, ways of working, and continuous improvement initiatives.

The role also includes senior clinical science leadership across Hematology programs, working collaboratively with program- and study-level physicians or clinical leads to provide expert input on the medical and scientific aspects of compound development. Accountabilities may include development and implementation of early- and late-phase clinical strategy, regulatory interactions and document authoring, interpretation of study results, and providing or supporting recommendations to senior management. 

The role also provides strategic input to non-assigned programs, contributes to process improvement initiatives, supports development of clinical scientists within Hematology, and contributes to the broader global clinical scientist community. 

As a key leadership member of the Global Project Team, this position demands strong collaborative communication skills, including the ability to engage with and influence a diverse range of stakeholders both within and external to AstraZeneca. 

Key Responsibilities

• People leadership: Line manages Clinical Scientists, including project allocation, resource management, recruitment, development, and performance management.

• Skills leadership: May serve as Skills Lead for the Clinical Science group, ensuring appropriate procedures, training, development approaches, and best practices are in place.

• Department leadership: Contributes to the Departmental Leadership Team by improving ways of working, identifying and resolving issues, setting departmental objectives, and supporting departmental resource planning and tracking.

• Continuous improvement: Leads or contributes to continuous improvement initiatives.

• Clinical leadership: As required, acts as Clinical Lead for a program or study, or provides senior support to the Clinical Lead.

• Scientific integration: Leads or co-leads, with Translational and Bioscience Leads, the science-to-man sub-team (TSST) to integrate biological, translational, and clinical science into program strategy.

• Study support: Provides scientific and medical guidance to study teams, including CRO partners.

• Translational collaboration: Leads collaboration with research and translational scientists to provide clinical input into data generation and review supporting pre-CDID compounds.

• External insight: Monitors relevant medical and scientific literature, sharing key developments and implications for program strategy with project teams and other stakeholders.

• Publications: Leads development and review of publication content and quality, and contributes to publication strategy.

• Competitive intelligence: Where required, leads project-specific competitor landscape reviews to inform program strategy.

• Development planning: Guides the Clinical Development Plan and study protocols, ensuring alignment to the approved development strategy and target product profile.

• Study start-up: Attends site initiation visits as needed to present study design and key protocol elements.

• Data interpretation: Leads or supports clinical data review and interpretation at study and program level, with input from the study or program Physician/Clinical Lead.

• Governance support: Leads compilation and interpretation of data for dose-escalation and safety review committees, in collaboration with the program physician.

• Documentation: Leads or oversees the authoring of protocols, amendments, Investigator Brochures, DSURs, and other key strategic documents, and acts as lead clinical reviewer for Clinical Study Reports.

• Site and investigator engagement: Builds investigator and site relationships to support site selection and study start-up activities.

• Business development support: Supports due diligence for potential in-licensing and collaborative opportunities, and provides recommendations to senior management.

• External representation: Represents AstraZeneca in external meetings, including advisory boards, as needed.

• Compliance: Operates in compliance with GCP and relevant regulatory guidelines. 

Minimum Qualifications

• Advanced degree: Master’s degree required; PhD or equivalent preferred, in a scientific, medical, or health-related discipline.

• Experience: 7+ years of relevant experience. 

Desired

• Industry experience: Experience in clinical development and the broader biopharmaceutical industry. 

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. 

Why AstraZeneca

Here, you will help transform how cancer is treated by linking deep science with decisive clinical execution, powered by a pipeline that spans novel mechanisms and bold trial designs. You will learn alongside diverse experts from academia and industry, tapping unparalleled data and translational insight to shape smarter studies and earlier interventions for patients. We bring unexpected teams into the same room to move fast, challenge assumptions, and build collective wisdom—valuing kindness alongside ambition so you can take smart risks, grow others, and grow yourself while making real impact. 

Step into this leadership role to shape hematology development and grow the next generation of clinical scientists—apply and help deliver better options to patients sooner. 

The annual base pay (or hourly rate of compensation) for this position ranges from $233,586.40 - $350,379.60 USD Annual. Our positions offer eligibility for various incentives—an opportunity to receive short-term incentive bonuses, equity-based awards for salaried roles and commissions for sales roles. Benefits offered include qualified retirement programs, paid time off (i.e., vacation, holiday, and leaves), as well as health, dental, and vision coverage in accordance with the terms of the applicable plans.

Date Posted

13-Jul-2026

Closing Date

31-Jul-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.