Associate Director, Digital Diagnostics & AI

AstraZeneca; Dublin; On-site; EUR 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

AstraZeneca in Dublin, Ireland, seeks an Associate Director to lead Digital Diagnostics & AI, combining AI, diagnostic science, and patient-centric care to advance precision medicine. You will guide a team of data scientists and engineers, shaping AI-driven diagnostics in collaboration with AZ partners and external collaborators.

Lead end-to-end AI lifecycle, from data acquisition and labeling to deployment, monitoring, and retraining, while communicating complex concepts to diverse audiences

Qualifications

• Advanced degree (M.S./Ph.D.) in Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Data Science, or a related field.
• 3–5 years proven industry experience delivering data science and ML/AI solutions in production at scale.
• Proficiency in statistics, machine learning, deep learning, with multi-modal data in a variety of applications.
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Leadership experience to motivate a team of data scientists to success.
• Experience in AI healthcare: digital pathology, medical imaging, genomics, or diagnostics.

Responsibilities

• Develop the next generation of AI-driven digital diagnostic technologies to support AstraZeneca’s 2030 ambition and increase access to our medicines.
• Optimize the quality and depth of insight from clinical biomarker data, supporting faster data-driven decisions and empowering future strategy and planning for AZ’s assets.
• Unlock the full potential of both internal and real‑world biomarker data sources by developing or leveraging existing tools and analytics for deep exploration.

Skills

Analytical skills

Critical thinking

Project management

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Education

Advanced degree in CS/Statistics/Data Science

Tools

Git

Python

PyTorch

Docker

MLFlow

Sagemaker

CI/CD/MLOps

AWS / GCP / Azure

Job description

Associate Director, Digital Diagnostics & AI

Location: Dublin, Ireland

Competitive Salary And Benefits

Are you eager to drive innovation at the intersection of artificial intelligence, diagnostic science, digital health, and patient-centric care? Join AstraZeneca’s Precision Medicine team in Ireland, where we focus on delivering the right medicine to the right patient at the right time through cutting-edge diagnostic solutions. We are seeking a highly motivated data leader with expertise in AI, machine learning, and data science to push the boundaries of digital diagnostic technologies. Play a leading role part in establishing our state-of-the‑art digital diagnostics laboratory and help shape the future of AI-driven healthcare with real impact for patients!

Accountabilities

As one of the first hires for the team in Ireland, you will play a key role in building digital diagnostic capabilities while collaborating with colleagues across AstraZeneca and with external partners. You will join an agile team of data scientists and data engineers who combine scientific, technical, and machine learning expertise to:

• Develop the next generation of AI-driven digital diagnostic technologies to support AstraZeneca’s 2030 ambition and increase access to our medicines.
• Optimize the quality and depth of insight from clinical biomarker data, supporting faster data-driven decisions and empowering future strategy and planning for AZ’s assets.
• Unlock the full potential of both internal and real‑world biomarker data sources by developing or leveraging existing tools and analytics for deep exploration.

Essential Skills/Experience

• Advanced degree (M.S./Ph.D.) in Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Data Science, or a related field.
• At least 3-5 years proven industry experience delivering data science and ML/AI solutions in production at scale.
• Proficiency in statistics, machine learning, deep learning, with multi-modal data in a variety of applications.
• Fluent in AI tech full stack: Git, Python, Pytorch, Docker, experiment tracking (e.g., MLFlow, Amazon Sagemaker, etc.), and CI/CD-driven MLOps.
• Proven ownership of the full AI lifecycle from data acquisition and labeling through model development, validation, deployment, post-deployment monitoring, and continual retraining.
• Hands-on with experimental design, statistical analysis, and rapid prototyping.
• Track record of close collaboration with software-engineering, DevOps, product, and domain-expert teams to translate AI research into reliable, maintainable production code.
• Knowledge of cloud platforms such as AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure, and on-prem and on-the-edge.
• Strong analytical, critical-thinking, project management, and organizational skills.
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts to technical and non-technical audiences.

Desirable Skills/Experience

• Leadership experience to motivate a team of data scientists to success.
• Experience in AI healthcare: digital pathology, medical imaging, genomics, or diagnostics.
• Working knowledge of SaMD/IVD regulations and quality standards (ISO 13485, IEC 62304, GCP, ICH).
• Peer-reviewed publications in leading AI / data-science conferences and journals (e.g., NeurIPS, CVPR, MICCAI, Nature Medicine) demonstrating methodological or clinical impact.
• Established professional networks in data science, software engineering, academic or diagnostics communities.
• Understanding of the potential business impacts of deploying AI-solutions in healthcare.

AstraZeneca is a place where your work is truly meaningful. We are on a journey to bring life-saving medicines to patients worldwide. Our commitment to improving patient outcomes drives us forward every day. Here you will find a dynamic environment that encourages innovation and experimentation. We value diverse backgrounds and experiences that contribute to our success. Join us as we shape the future of healthcare by making a real difference in patients' lives.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

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.