AI for Drug Target Discovery Lead

AstraZeneca; Kendall Square (MA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

AstraZeneca in Cambridge, MA, is seeking an Associate Director for AI in Discovery to lead AI-enabled target discovery. You will apply agentic AI and predictive biology models to identify and validate new drug targets across Oncology and BioPharmaceuticals, collaborating with cross-functional teams and external collaborators.

You will guide development of AI pipelines, publish findings, and help shape the scientific strategy for translating AI advances into therapies.

Qualifications

• PhD in computational biology, bioinformatics, AI/ML, systems biology with 5+ years post-doctoral/industry experience.
• Demonstrated expertise in agentic AI, LLM-based reasoning systems, or multi-agent architectures applied to scientific problems.
• Experience with predictive AI modeling for biology—foundation models, graph neural networks, perturbation models, or virtual cell approaches.
• Deep understanding of drug discovery biology: target identification, target validation, mechanism of action, translational science.
• Strong Python proficiency; production-quality code and pipelines for scientific applications.
• Hands-on experience with deep learning frameworks (PyTorch, JAX, or equivalent).
• Ability to influence cross-functional teams as a technical expert and strategic contributor.
• Strong scientific communication with publications or collaborations.

Responsibilities

• Identify high-impact use cases with cross-functional scientists for AI-driven target discovery.
• Deploy multi-agent AI systems into biology workflows and translate AI capabilities into insights.
• Advise on AI-driven target prioritization and investment decisions.
• Develop and benchmark predictive models for in silico biology (perturbation, virtual cells, etc.).
• Contribute to scientific strategy and roadmap with senior leadership.
• Increase external visibility through publications and conferences.
• Operate autonomously as a technical subject matter expert across teams.

Skills

Python

Deep learning

Agentic AI

Multi-agent systems

Scientific communication

Education

PhD in computational biology, bioinformatics, AI/ML, systems biology

Tools

PyTorch

JAX

Job description

AstraZeneca in Cambridge, MA, is seeking an Associate Director for AI in Discovery to lead AI-enabled target discovery. You will apply agentic AI and predictive biology models to identify and validate new drug targets across Oncology and BioPharmaceuticals, collaborating with cross-functional teams and external collaborators.

You will guide development of AI pipelines, publish findings, and help shape the scientific strategy for translating AI advances into therapies.