Senior Director, External Science Engagement & Strategy - Cell Therapy

AstraZeneca; Kendall Square (MA); On-site; USD 250,000 - 350,000; Full time

Job summary

AstraZeneca in Kendall Square, MA seeks a Senior Director, External Science Engagement & Strategy for Cell Therapy to lead external scientific engagement, partnerships, and congress strategies across the cell therapy portfolio.

You will build academic collaborations, shape study designs, and drive governance across R&D, Medical Affairs, and Regulatory to accelerate clinical development and improve patient outcomes.

Job description

Introduction to Role

The Cell Therapy Partnerships & Strategy team brings together experts working at the forefront of clinical development to help shape AstraZeneca's next generation of cell therapy innovation. By engaging critical external stakeholders, integrating leading scientific perspectives, and connecting external expertise with our research and development priorities, we accelerate meaningful progress across the portfolio.

As the Senior Director, External Science Engagement & Strategy - Cell Therapy you will lead the development and execution of external scientific engagement, strategic partnership, Externally Sponsored Collaborative Research, and medical congress strategies across AstraZeneca's cell therapy portfolio. You will cultivate academic and scientific collaborations that accelerate clinical trial delivery, generate actionable insights, and strengthen AstraZeneca's leadership within the evolving cell therapy ecosystem.

Operating at the intersection of strategy and execution, you will translate R&D priorities into coordinated, insight-led engagement plans with clear objectives, measurable outcomes, and robust governance. You will collaborate across Clinical Development, Translational Science, Medical Affairs, Regulatory, Clinical Operations, and other enterprise functions to connect external perspectives with decisions that advance our programs and benefit patients.

Why This Role

This is an opportunity to shape how AstraZeneca engages with leading scientists, investigators, academic institutions, professional societies, and cell therapy centers across hematology, autoimmune diseases, rare diseases, and neurology.

You will influence scientific and clinical development strategy through External Scientific Panels, Cell Therapy Science Committees, academic collaborations, Investigator-Initiated Trials, strategic-site partnerships, and priority medical congresses. Your work will help translate emerging science and external insight into stronger study designs, evidence-generation plans, operational improvements, and portfolio decisions.

Accountabilities

External Scientific Expert Panels and Academic Partnerships

• Contribute to an integrated external scientific engagement and partnership strategy aligned with Cell Therapy Enterprise R&D priorities across hematology, autoimmune diseases, rare diseases, and neurology.
• Design and lead External Scientific Panels (ESPs), Cell Therapy Science Committees, advisory engagements, and other scientific forums that address clearly defined program- and portfolio-level questions.
• Identify, cultivate, and manage strategic relationships with Key External Experts, academic institutions, professional societies, investigators, and leading cell therapy centers.
• Partner with Clinical Development and cross‑functional teams to define engagement objectives, identify appropriate experts, and develop scientific agendas, briefing materials, and follow‑up plans.
• Leverage external expertise to inform development strategy, study design, patient populations, clinical endpoints, safety management, evidence generation, and the operational delivery of early‑and late‑stage cell therapy programs.
• Establish a coordinated approach to expert engagement across the portfolio that reduces duplication, strengthens continuity, and maximizes the strategic value of each interaction.
• Serve as the primary AstraZeneca point of contact for select external experts and strategic partners, establishing clear governance, facilitating issue resolution, and supporting effective collaboration.
• Establish measurable objectives for external engagements and partnerships and track their influence on strategic decisions, clinical development plans, and trial delivery.
• Facilitate clear communication and information sharing across Cell Therapy Enterprise programs.

External Science Engagement and Congress Strategy

• Lead the strategic planning, execution, and follow-up of priority medical congresses and external scientific engagements relevant to the Cell Therapy Enterprise portfolio.
• Develop integrated, portfolio-level strategies for Tier 1 and Tier 2 congresses, including ASH, ACR Convergence, ASCO, EHA, ESMO, AANEM, ASTCT, and other strategically important scientific forums.
• Define priority stakeholders, scientific objectives, engagement plans, key activities, governance, and expected outcomes for each congress or external forum.
• Serve as the Cell Therapy Enterprise lead for priority congresses, partnering across R&D, Clinical Development, Medical Affairs, and global functions to deliver a coordinated and impactful AstraZeneca scientific presence.
• Lead cross-functional congress planning forums and oversee congress playbooks, briefing materials, leadership communications, stakeholder meeting plans, and execution resources.
• Coordinate the deployment of AstraZeneca subject-matter experts and scientific capabilities to advance scientific dialogue and capture competitive, clinical, and emerging scientific insi