Director of AI Research, AI for Oncology Clinical Development

On-site in Barcelona·Full-time·Added 4 days ago

AstraZeneca

40 open roles

Overview

Job details

  • Full-time hours

    Per the ad.

Requirements

  • Have the right to work in Spain

    AstraZeneca doesn't mention sponsorship in the ad.

  • Work in English

    English is required, per the ad.

  • Work on-site in Barcelona

    No relocation package mentioned.

  • Have 4+ years of experience

    Director-level role.

  • Doctorate

    “PhD in a quantitative discipline such as computer science, bioinformatics, computational biology, mathematics, physics, biophysics, computational neuroscience, biostatistics” — per the ad.

Requirements

What we're looking for

  • PhD in a quantitative discipline such as computer science, bioinformatics, computational biology, mathematics, physics, biophysics, computational neuroscience, biostatistics
  • 4-8 years' work experience outside of PhD with measurable impact (e.g. models delivered, patents, SaMD filings, first-author publications, open-source projects, standards-body participation)
  • Exceptional software development and coding skills, leveraging frontier coding agent frameworks; knowledge of computing hardware a plus
  • Deep experience, knowledge, and understanding of one or more fields of biology
  • Deep understanding of machine learning fundamentals, with domain expertise in one or more of the following
  • Training and tuning foundation models
  • Bayesian inference
  • Temporal modeling
  • Multimodal integration and modeling
  • Model calibration and domain adaptation
  • Data-centric AI: acquiring, creating, and curating datasets for model training / post-training / benchmarking / evals
  • Model and data evaluations and benchmarking
  • Model interpretability
  • Model post-training and alignment

Nice to have

  • Deep expertise in cancer biology
  • Experience working with biological data such as molecular (e.g. DNA, RNA, protein), imaging (radiology, microscopy), or clinical text (e.g. EHR, clinical notes)
  • Experience in drug development including but not limited to clinical trial design, biomarker discovery, companion diagnostics, dosing, safety, endpoints, and regulatory
  • Experience in a matrixed global organization spanning multiple sites and therapy areas

The role

We're building a connected, end-to-end Enterprise AI engine - uniting data foundations, AI technology, process reinvention, and business-facing AI to accelerate results across the whole value chain. Success depends on being exceptional connectors: you'll actively leverage existing capabilities, celebrate and promote reuse, export breakthrough ideas across geographies and functions, and obsess over scaling impact rather than building in isolation. If you thrive in high-collaboration environments where your role is to turn complex, cross-functional problems into reusable, enterprise-wide capabilities - and where the measure of success is adoption and scale, not just innovation - you'll have the platform (and sponsorship) to make it real.

AI Science & Innovation (AISI) sits at the centre of AstraZeneca's R&D AI transformation. Our remit is to build, buy and deliver the AI models and agents that change pipeline outcomes, across discovery, translational science, biomarkers and clinical development.

Drug discovery has benefitted enormously in the current AI era, yet comprises only a portion of the journey to bring new treatments to those in need. The final step - clinical drug development - is oft overlooked, despite requiring a significant proportion of time and investment. In the AI for Clinical Development team at AstraZeneca, we're reimagining the process of clinical development. Our vision is to bring safe, efficacious treatments to patients in a way that quantifiably improves our chance to do this faster, more cost-effectively, and with reduced patient burden.

In this role, you will be a senior technical and strategic lead to help us leverage the power of AI to the fullest, alongside our other computational, statistical, and machine learning tools. You will work across the enterprise to define and deliver on AstraZeneca's most pressing clinical development questions. You will proactively collaborate in cross-functional teams spanning AstraZeneca's key Oncology foci of hematology, cell therapy, antibody-drug conjugates, small molecules, and biologics. This is an unprecedented, high visibility opportunity to invent new ways to leverage data, models, and learnings across the spectrum of cancer biology and drug modalities - and importantly, you and the team will apply these new methods to measurably advance the late-stage drug pipeline and our group's ambition.

What you'll do

  • Define and drive the AI strategy and roadmap for Oncology early and late phase clinical development, and align AI/ML priorities with clinical and business objectives
  • Lead, by matrix influence and scientific authority, delivery of complex, high-stakes AI projects
  • Evaluate, develop, and champion cutting-edge AI methods, end-to-end, including problem definition, data considerations, governance, algorithm development, validation, and adoption
  • Build cross-functional relationships with clinical development, biometrics, regulatory, and study teams to embed AI strategy and validated solutions into clinical study design, execution, strategy, and decision-making
  • Establish and maintain external collaborations with academic institutions, technology partners, and industry consortia to access novel capabilities and advance the AI roadmap
  • Represent AstraZeneca at scientific conferences, standards bodies, and peer-reviewed venues; contribute first- or last-author publications in leading ML and clinical AI journals
  • Establish best practices; help shape and promote team culture
  • Mentor and support more junior level scientists within the team

How you'll work

This role can be based at AstraZeneca hubs in Barcelona, Spain or Cambridge, US

Soft skills

  • Strong proficiency in augmenting but not supplanting daily knowledge work with agentic tools
  • Team-oriented mindset
  • Ability to proactively and independently deliver high-quality contributions at pace
  • Up-to-date with the latest AI research and tools, proactively trying out those of interest, and ability to discern hype from true added value
  • Comfort with ambiguity and a mindset to learn in public, prototype early, and fail forward
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills

    #EAI

Dates

29-sep.-2026

17-okt.-2026

Hiring process

2 steps1 interviewa task to do
  1. Application

  2. Recruiter contact · With a recruiter

  3. Assessment

    Not every role

    Some roles, especially graduate roles, add a game-based assessment, a video or telephone interview, or an assessment day.

  4. Interview

    A two-way conversation about your skills and suitability for the role, and a chance for you to find out if AstraZeneca is right for you.

  5. Pre-employment screening

  6. Offer

  • Candidates who reach interview stage or beyond usually get feedback within 14 days of the role's closing date.
  • Interview travel expenses are reimbursed for journeys over 100km.
  • Alcohol and drug testing is carried out for new hires where required by local country legislation.

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, and commercializes prescription medicines in therapeutic areas including oncology, cardiovascular, renal and metabolism, and respiratory and immunology. With a workforce of over 80,000 employees worldwide, the company is headquartered in Cambridge, UK, and operates across more than 100 countries, focusing on innovative medicines and advanced technologies like AI and data science to transform patient care.

In Spain, AstraZeneca has a significant presence with offices in Madrid and Barcelona, contributing to clinical development, regulatory affairs, and commercial operations. The company is known for its collaborative and inclusive culture, offering international professionals opportunities to work on global projects, particularly in areas like cell therapy, AI-driven health solutions (Evinova), and patient safety. With a strong commitment to diversity and innovation, AstraZeneca Spain is an attractive destination for talent seeking to make a global impact while living in Spain.

Industry
Pharma
Founded
1999
Employees
10,000+
Headquarters
Cambridge, UK
In Spain
Madrid, Barcelona

Good to know if you are moving

  • AstraZeneca offers a global, multicultural work environment with opportunities to collaborate with colleagues across the world.
  • The company has a strong commitment to employee development and offers various career growth programs.
  • Spain offices are located in major cities like Madrid and Barcelona, offering a high quality of life and vibrant culture.
  • AstraZeneca is a leader in innovative therapies, providing employees with the chance to work on cutting-edge medical advancements.
  • The company supports flexible working arrangements and promotes a healthy work-life balance.

In their own words

Additional information

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 authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements.

All open roles at AstraZeneca

Location

AstraZeneca · Barcelona

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