Senior Director Theranostics and Radiation Science

AstraZeneca; United States; On-site; USD 260,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

AstraZeneca is seeking a Senior Director, Theranostics and Radiation Science in the United States. The role leads as a senior medical physicist, directing Radiation Science team development and cross-functional collaboration across imaging and radioconjugate development, regulatory affairs, and clinical operations.

Responsibilities include dosimetry framework leadership, vendor management, health authority interactions, and pipeline oversight from biodistribution studies to late-phase

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in physics, mathematics, engineering, or another physical science, followed by a Ph.D. in medical physics, physics, or a related scientific discipline (required).
• Completion of a medical physics residency or equivalent postdoctoral training, followed by 10+ years of post-training clinical and/or industry experience in nuclear medicine, molecular imaging, or radiopharmaceutical development, including 3-5 years in industry (required).
• Board certification in medical physics (e.g., ABR, CCPM, or equivalent) preferred but not required.
• Extensive experience with personalized dosimetry for radiopharmaceuticals and proficiency in imaging/dosimetry tools (required).
• Deep understanding of radiation biology/physics, including alpha- and beta-emitting radioconjugates (required).

Responsibilities

• Lead imaging and dosimetry strategy across the Radiation Science portfolio, from early to late-phase development.
• Provide line management, mentorship, and career development for Radiation Science team members.
• Own external imaging and dosimetry vendor relationships, including selection, scope, and budgets.
• Represent Radiation Science in health authority interactions and regulatory submissions content.
• Oversee imaging protocol development, QC parameters, dose determination, and reconstruction processes.
• Ensure imaging execution support at clinical sites and adherence to study protocols.
• Lead regulatory compliance efforts related to radioactive materials and stay current with guidelines.
• Represent the organization in scientific societies, publications, and collaborations.

Skills

Leadership

Dosimetry

Imaging expertise

Regulatory collaboration

Programming (MATLAB/Python)

Nuclear medicine imaging

Education

PhD in medical physics or related

Medical physics residency

Bachelor’s in physics/engineering

Tools

OLINDA

MIM

Python

MATLAB

DICOM/PACS

Job description

Senior Director, Theranostics and Radiation Science

AstraZeneca, Early Oncology Research and Development

Position Summary

Under the direction of the Head of Theranostics and Radiation Science, the Senior Director, Theranostics and Radiation Science will serve as a senior medical physicist and play a key leadership role in the management, mentorship, and development of the Radiation Science team. This individual will lead and develop team members, fostering collaboration, scientific rigor, and professional growth within the team.

In addition to team leadership, the Senior Director will own key processes and lead cross-functional engagement across Imaging and Radioconjugate development, including but not limited to Clinical Operations, Preclinical Teams, Pharmacometrics, DMPK, and Regulatory Affairs. The role will also involve managing external vendors and contractors and holding them accountable for the successful execution of ongoing and upcoming clinical trials.

This position requires a strategic mindset, strong leadership, deep expertise in medical physics and internal dosimetry, and the ability to navigate complex programs while collaborating effectively across internal and external stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead imaging and dosimetry strategy across the Radiation Science portfolio, from Phase 0 biodistribution studies through late-phase development, and shape the team's dosimetry frameworks, standards, and best practices.
• Provide line management, mentorship, and career development for assigned Radiation Science team members, and help set team priorities and resourcing.
• Own external imaging and dosimetry vendor relationships, including vendor selection, scope and budget, performance management, and escalation.
• Serve as the Radiation Science lead in health authority interactions on dosimetry and imaging, and own the dosimetry and imaging content of regulatory submissions (e.g., IND/CTA sections, briefing documents, and responses to health authority questions).
• Oversee optimization and review of nuclear medicine imaging protocols, including quality control (QC) parameters, image acquisition and reconstruction, radiation dose determination, and protocol dose management.
• Oversee requirements and technical support for imaging execution at clinical sites, ensuring proper implementation and adherence to study protocols.
• Oversee quality control protocols and their execution with internal teams and external partners for imaging review and processing.
• Perform, review, and oversee image-based, patient-specific dosimetry calculations (internal dosimetry, not external beam radiation therapy [EBRT]).
• Represent Radiation Science with senior leadership, governance bodies, and cross-functional partners, ensuring alignment with best practices in QC, image acquisition, radiation dose management, and compliance with regulatory standards.
• Lead regulatory compliance efforts related to radioactive materials, staying current with guidelines from regulatory and professional organizations (e.g., AAPM, SNMMI, NRC, and international regulatory bodies).
• Represent the organization externally through scientific societies, publications, and collaborations, and drive research and discovery projects that advance innovation in radiation science and molecular imaging.
• Travel as needed (5-10%).

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in physics, mathematics, engineering, or another physical science, followed by a Ph.D. in medical physics, physics, or a related scientific discipline (required).
• Completion of a medical physics residency or equivalent postdoctoral training, followed by 10 or more years of post-training clinical and/or industry experience in nuclear medicine, molecular imaging, or radiopharmaceutical development, including 3-5 years of direct or indirect industry experience in relevant fields (required).
• Board certification in medical physics (e.g., ABR, CCPM, or equivalent) preferred but not required.
• Extensive experience with personalized dosimetry for radiopharmaceuticals and proficiency in software such as OLINDA, MIM, and other imaging and dosimetry tools (required).
• Extensive experience with radiopharmaceuticals, nuclear medicine, SPECT and PET imaging techniques, image reconstruction, and camera quality control procedures (required).
• Deep understanding of radiation biology and radiation physics, including alpha- and beta-emitting radioconjugates (required).
• Working knowledge of at least one programming language (e.g., MATLAB, R, Python) and of DICOM, PACS, and image processing techniques (required).
• Ability to interpret and apply imaging-related project requirements within clinical study protocols, and to translate dosimetry and biodistribution results into program and portfolio-level decisions.
• Demonstrated people leadership, including line management or formal mentorship of scientific staff, and a track record of leading cross-functional initiatives.
• Experience supporting regulatory submissions and health authority inter