Associate Director, FAIR Data Operations
The Oncology Data Science – Data, Analytics, and AI Platforms (ODSP) team comprises multiple groups across the Cambridge UK, Boston MA, Gaithersburg MD, and Munich DE sites. ODSP develops technology, software, and data infrastructure to advance our Oncology data science. Our vision is to evolve data science into a driver of innovation within Oncology. We do this by creating a strategic culture that values our data as a true business asset, organizing our data so that it’s accessible and easy to find, integrated, and re-usable for Humans & AI, and building the best computational tools to support scientific decision making.
The Oncology Data Science Platforms Team is delivering the FAIR data foundation of clinical, molecular and biosamples data to the Oncology data consumers (scientists, bioinformaticians, data scientists etc.). As the Associate Director, FAIR Data Operations, you will lead the strategy and execution of FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data operations across oncology biomarkers, translational science, clinical development, and real-world evidence. You will own the operating model for end-to-end data flows to deliver scalable, compliant, high-quality data products. Partner with scientific, clinical, engineering, and governance leaders to embed FAIR-by-design and strengthen cross-functional data culture. You will report to the Director, Data Products, Ops & Governance and may be based in Waltham, MA or Gaithersburg, MD.
Key Accountabilities
Strategy and Operating Model: Define the FAIR data roadmap, OKRs, and standards for ingestion, curation, harmonization, and provisioning across multi-omics, imaging, clinical, and RWE; drive enterprise metadata and ontology adoption.
Leadership and People Management: Build and develop a high-performing team; lead cross-functional squads and foster continuous improvement.
Enterprise Data Flow Ownership: Design and oversee primary data flows, monitoring, SLOs, incident/problem management, documentation, lineage, and catalog-driven access.
Standards, Compliance, and Governance: Implement data/metadata standards and controlled vocabularies; embed privacy-by-design and regulatory compliance (e.g., GDPR).
Data Productization and Automation: Partner with data product teams to deliver reusable FAIR assets, accelerate curation, and capture metadata at source.
Stakeholder Management and Change: Translate scientific needs into requirements, run governance cadences, communicate risk/value, and champion agile/DataOps ways of working.
Minimum Qualifications
Master's degree in Data Science, Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Life Sciences; PhD preferred.
5+ years' experience in data management/operations within Life Sciences/Pharma R&D and 2+ years leading teams/programs.
Proven scale-up of FAIR practices across complex R&D data (digital pathology, genomics, -omics, clinical, RWE).
Technical: Unix/Python familiarity, workflow orchestration, standards/ontology implementation, data privacy/compliance, and strong stakeholder communication.
Preferred Skills
Ways of Working/Tools: Agile (Scrum/Kanban), Jira/Confluence; data observability/quality tooling; cloud data platforms, catalogs, lineage.
Ontologies/References: Gene Ontology, NCI Thesaurus, EFO, HPO, MeSH, BAO; NCBO BioPortal, EBI OLS; UniProt, Ensembl, ChEMBL, EntrezGene, ClinicalTrials.gov.
Clinical Standards: CDISC SDTM/ADaM; FHIR/OMOP for RWE integration; Power BI/PowerQuery for operational insights.
Why AstraZeneca?
At AstraZeneca we’re dedicated to being a Great Place to Work. Where you are empowered to push the boundaries of science and unleash your entrepreneurial spirit. There’s no better place to make a difference to medicine, patients and society. An inclusive culture that champions diversity and collaboration, and always committed to lifelong learning, growth and development. We’re on an exciting journey to pioneer the future of healthcare.
So, what’s next?
Are you ready to bring new ideas and fresh thinking to the table? Great! We have one seat available, and we hope it’s yours.
The annual base pay for this position ranges from $128,000 to $192,000. Base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. 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
27-Oct-2025Closing Date
09-Nov-2025Our 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.
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