Associate Principal Material Scientist - TOSI

AstraZeneca; Macclesfield; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

AstraZeneca in Macclesfield, UK, is seeking an Associate Principal Material Scientist to provide scientific leadership in material science across the product lifecycle. You will connect material attributes to robust control strategies, enabling faster decisions and value protection for patients.

The role requires deep scientific expertise, hands-on experience in pharma, and a digital-first, proactive mindset to streamline processes, ensure compliance and drive continuous improvement across

Qualifications

• Deep understanding of material science in the pharmaceutical industry, applied to raw materials, intermediates and drug products, including excipient functionality and its relationship to physicochemical properties.
• Experience with material characterisation and trace analysis of raw material, intermediate and final products (e.g. mechanical testing, PSD, imaging, DVS, TGA, particle flow tests).
• Significant hands-on experience in the pharmaceutical industry with professional credibility within the business and/or industry.
• Understanding of the drug development and commercialisation process from development, launch and through lifecycle management.
• Possess an innovative and proactive outlook with a digital-first approach to streamline processes, enhance compliance, and champion efficiency.
• Thorough understanding of SHE and cGMP principles.
• Experience in Operations and/or R&D with track record of successful project leadership in a matrix organisation.
• Strong business acumen, organisational skills and lean deployment.
• Experience in stakeholder management and capability to lead and collaborate across organisations.

Responsibilities

• Lead material science knowledge across the product lifecycle to enable innovative manufacturing platforms and digitalisation.
• Enhance Product Digital Intelligence by connecting material knowledge with control strategy lifecycle management and process intelligence.
• Apply material science to identify risks earlier, improve issue-resolution speed and strengthen product robustness across sites and products.
• Build future-ready material science capability through teamwork, mentoring, and upskilling.
• Provide external insight on material-related regulations and trends.
• Maintain a technical support model with outstanding customer service for AZ manufacturing sites and external partners.
• Build networks across Global Operations and collaborate with Quality and GES to resolve issues in AZ's best interest.
• Develop solutions to complex problems requiring high-level judgement and strategic thinking.
• Drive continuous improvement in competence, scientific excellence and innovation.
• Operate in line with Code of Conduct and supporting Policies and Standards.

Skills

Material science

Stakeholder management

Digital mindset

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher in Science/Engineering

Tools

Characterisation techniques

Job description

Associate Principal Material Scientist - TOSI

Location: Macclesfield, UK (3 days on site per week)

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led, patient-focused biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines for some of the world's most serious diseases. But we're more than one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies. At AstraZeneca, we are pioneering new frontiers by identifying and treating patients earlier, working towards the aim of eliminating cancer as a cause of death.

Come and join our AZ team where you will play a pivotal role in this exciting period of development!!

Technical Operations, Science & Innovation (TOSI) brings together scientific, technical, digital and lean expertise to ensure medicines are introduced successfully and remain robust throughout their lifecycle. Through technical excellence, continuous improvement, innovation and agile cross-functional partnerships, we strengthen product and process understanding, improve performance and enable a reliable, sustainable supply of medicines to patients.

The Associate Principal Material Scientist will provide scientific leadership in material science to strengthen product and process understanding across the commercial lifecycle. The role will translate material attributes into robust control strategies, faster decisions and practical improvements that protect quality, supply and value for patients. The role will connect material characterisation, manufacturing science, and data-driven insight. It will support new product introduction, technology transfer, lifecycle management, regulatory submissions, complex investigations and continuous improvement across internal and external manufacturing networks.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead material science product knowledge across the product lifecycle to enable innovative manufacturing platforms, including continuous direct compression, process analytical technology, advanced process control, modelling and digital twins.
• Enhance Product Digital Intelligence by connecting material knowledge with control strategy lifecycle management, product performance monitoring and process intelligence.
• Apply material science to identify risks earlier, improve issue-resolution speed and strengthen product robustness across sites and products.
• Build future‑ready material science capability through teamwork, mentoring and role‑based digital upskilling.
• Provides external insight and awareness where relevant to material‑related regulations and trends.
• Maintain a technical support model with outstanding customer service for all AZ manufacturing sites and external manufacturing/testing partners that align to the Operations vision.
• Build effective networks across the Global Operations organisation AZ operation sites, Quality, and GES. Create an effective partnership, lead expectations and resolve issues positively and in the best interest of AZ.
• Develop solutions to a diverse range of problems requiring complex judgements based on highly developed levels of conceptual thought, strategic vision and analysis.
• Continuously improve in competence, scientific excellence and innovation.
• Conduct activities and interactions consistent with our values and in compliance with the Code of Conduct and supporting Policies and Standards relevant to your role.

Requirements

• Bachelors degree or higher in a Science/Engineering field.
• Deep understanding of material science in the pharmaceutical industry, applied to raw materials, intermediates and drug products, including excipient functionality and its relationship to physicochemical properties.
• Be able to demonstrate an understanding of a range of material characterisation and trace analysis of raw material, intermediate and final products (e.g. mechanical testing, PSD, imaging, DVS, TGA, particle flow tests, etc).
• Significant hands‑on experience in the pharmaceutical industry with professional credibility within the business and/or industry.
• Have a good understanding of the overall drug development and commercialisation process from development, launch and through life cycle management.
• Possess an innovative and proactive outlook that demonstrates a digital‑first approach to streamline processes, enhance compliance, and champion efficiency.
• Have a thorough understanding of principles, applications and management of SHE and cGMP.
• Experience in Operations and/or R&D with a track record of successful project leadership and delivery within a matrix organization.
• Good intuition for business, excellent organisational skills, and proficiency in business case development and lean deployment.
• Experienced in stakeholder management, capable of leading and collaborating effectively across organisations.
• A problem‑solving attitude that delivers in a complex environment to deliver business value.

In Office Requirement: When we put unexpected teams in the same room, we unleash bold thinking w