Translational Science Lead

AstraZeneca; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

AstraZeneca in Cambridge is seeking a Translational Science Lead to steer translational strategy from target validation to early clinical development for respiratory programs. You will align mechanistic insight with patient impact, delivering proof-of-mechanism, target engagement, and precision medicine strategies that guide development decisions.

You will design integrated plans, build collaborations and patient cohorts, and champion the scientific narrative through governance, ensuring assay

Qualifications

• PhD with a strong experimental drive in Respiratory field.
• Post-doc or relevant scientific research experience.
• 3+ years in Biomedical/Pharmaceutical role.
• Strong publication record.
• Translational readouts & human target validation experience.
• Knowledge of COPD, Asthma, NCFBE and IPF biology.
• Experience with PoM and patient biomarkers.
• Ability to design experiments to address key questions.
• Demonstrated leadership and self-starter mindset.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead translational strategy from target selection through early clinical development.
• Define human validation plans leveraging biobanks and data.
• Design experiments to deepen understanding of disease pathways and drug mechanisms.
• Establish collaborations and patient cohorts for biomarker discovery.
• Integrate clinical, biomarker and multi-omics data, apply AI/ML insights.
• Identify PoM biomarkers and assays for First-Time-in-Human studies.
• Plan for molecular biomarker assay development for patient selection.
• Develop biomarker sampling strategies and transfer to trials.

Skills

Publication record

Leadership

Self-starter

Excellent communication

Hypothesis generation

Experiment design

Biomarker understanding

Translational readouts

Education

PhD in Respiratory related field

Job description

Introduction To Role

Are you ready to convert human biology into decisive clinical evidence that transforms how we treat respiratory disease? Can you see yourself shaping biomarker strategies that define who benefits most from our medicines?

Job Title: Translational Science Lead

Location: Cambridge

Salary: Competitive

Introduction To Role

Are you ready to convert human biology into decisive clinical evidence that transforms how we treat respiratory disease? Can you see yourself shaping biomarker strategies that define who benefits most from our medicines?

Based in Cambridge and reporting to the Senior Group Director, Translational Science, you will lead translational strategy from target selection through early clinical development for respiratory programs. You will connect mechanistic insight to patient impact, delivering clear proof-of-mechanism, target engagement, and precision medicine strategies that guide development decisions and position assets for differentiation and lifecycle opportunities.

Working at the intersection of discovery, clinical development and data science, you will design integrated plans, build external collaborations and patient cohorts, and champion the scientific narrative through governance. Your leadership will ensure biomarker assays are fit-for-purpose in the clinic, translational readouts are robust, and the right patients are identified sooner—accelerating the path from mechanism to medicine.

Accountabilities

• Translational Strategy Leadership: Own and integrate end-to-end translational strategies for respiratory projects and clinical studies, spanning human target validation, target engagement and precision medicine, to drive program decision-making.
• Human Target Validation: Define human validation plans at target selection, leveraging public and proprietary biobanks to understand biology, responding subpopulations and biomarkers.
• Mechanistic Insight and Experimental Design: Design and lead innovative experimental approaches and technologies to deepen understanding of disease pathways and drug mechanisms.
• External Cohorts and Collaborations: Establish and drive collaborations and patient cohorts to enhance disease understanding and identify clinically relevant biomarkers.
• Data Integration and AI/ML Partnership: Integrate clinical, biomarker and multi-omics data; partner with data science to apply AI/ML for mechanism discovery, biomarker identification and patient phenotyping.
• Proof-of-Mechanism and Target Engagement: Identify and enable PoM biomarkers and target engagement assays for First-Time-in-Human studies to generate early clinical confidence.
• Precision Medicine and Patient Stratification: Deliver precision strategies, including early planning for molecular biomarker assay development when clinical features alone are insufficient for patient selection.
• Clinical Trial Enablement: Develop and execute biomarker sampling strategies; facilitate assay transfer and execution within clinical trials to generate high-quality translational readouts.
• Governance and Investment Influence: Represent translational strategy in governance and investment forums; enable cross-functional communication for accurate execution.
• Clinical Document Integration: Embed translational strategy into key clinical documents, including protocols, consent forms, sample lifecycle plans, case report forms, regulatory applications and study reports.
• Regulatory and Health Authority Interactions: Contribute to responses and author submission sections on mode of action, PK/PD and precision medicine.
• Scientific Communications: Prepare and review scientific publications to support the scientific and marketing narrative for assets.

Essential Skills/Experience

• PhD with a strong experimental drive and background in Respiratory field
• Post-doc experience or otherwise relevant scientific research experience
• 3+ years of experience in a Biomedical or Pharmaceutical role
• Strong publication record
• Proven ability to deliver translational readouts and human target validation and their application to drug discovery.
• Understanding of the Respiratory therapy area including but not limited to COPD, Asthma, NCFBE and IPF, and disease biology, including related molecular pathways and mechanisms.
• Experience and knowledge of the biological basis for target engagement biomarkers and familiar with PoM and patient selectin biomarkers
• Broad understanding of relevant technologies and methodologies along with excellent scientific skills and ability to design experiments to address key scientific questions.
• Excellent skills in hypothesis forming and testing and able to draw conclusions and suggest next steps based on the experimental data.
• Understanding of pharmacology, translational medicine and clinical sciences as well as clinical development with pre-eminence in at least one of these areas.
• Demonstrated leadership skills, ability to be a self-starter.
• Strong team working skills with a proven track record of working collaboratively to ensure scientific excellence and robust delivery to projects.
• Excellent written, oral, presentation and interpersonal skills.

Desirable Skills/Experience

• prior experience in a Scientific role within the Biomedical or Pharmaceutical Industry
• Experience from clinical trials

Why AstraZeneca

Here, you are empowered to follow the science with curiosity and courage, digging deep into the biology of complex disease while harnessing digital, data science and AI to uncover new insights. Unexpected teams often find themselves in the same room, unleashing bold thinking that advances the next generation of therapeutics and improves the odds of clinical success. You will be trusted to explore, supported with the tools and pipeline of a leading R&D organization, and surrounded by collaborators across academia, biotechs and industry—all united by a shared purpose to move faster for patients. We value kindness alongside ambition, balancing big goals with the openness and resilience needed to navigate uncertainty and create meaningful impact.

Date Posted

14-Aug-2026

Closing Date

28-Aug-2026

Our mission is to build an inclusive and equitable environment. We want people to feel they belong at AstraZeneca and Alexion, starting with our recruitment process. We welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of characteristics. We offer reasonable adjustments/accommodations to help all candidates to perform at their best. If you have a need for any adjustments/accommodations, please complete the section in the application form.