Associate Principal/Senior Scientist, Pharmacology and Toxicology(NHP)

SUMMARY OF THE ROLE 

You will lead in vivo study strategy, study leadership, and vendor/CRO governance to enable data-driven progression of programs from discovery toward translation, with priority focus on (1) cell therapy, followed by (2) immuno-oncology and (3) immunology. This role is primarily accountable for high-quality externalized study delivery (including NHP where appropriate), while maintaining hands-on capability for flow cytometry-based immune monitoring and critical sample processing/interpretation to ensure scientific rigor, data integrity, and rapid troubleshooting. 

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES 

In vivo strategy and decision science (priority: cell therapy): Define fit-for-purpose in vivo plans to characterize cell therapy activity, expansion/engraftment, persistence, trafficking/biodistribution, and pharmacodynamics, translating program hypotheses into clear endpoints, sampling schedules, and pre-defined decision criteria. Ensure study designs connect to translational questions (dose/exposure rationale, biomarker strategy, and patient relevance) and support candidate selection and optimization. 

In vivo pharmacology (immuno-oncology) and mechanistic depth: Lead in vivo efficacy and mechanism-of-action strategies for immuno-oncology programs, ensuring models and readouts capture immune activation and tumor microenvironment changes (e.g., immune infiltration/phenotype shifts, cytokine modulation, and combination rationale). Drive scientific interpretation that is crisp, defensible, and directly actionable for next-step program choices. 

In vivo immunology (third priority) support: Contribute to in vivo plans in immune-mediated disease areas by selecting translationally relevant endpoints and immune monitoring approaches, ensuring studies remain decision-enabling and aligned with program stage and timelines. 

NHP study leadership and governance (core accountability): Lead end-to-end NHP study planning and delivery through internal teams and external partners, including protocol development/review, endpoint and sampling strategy, operational feasibility, timeline and risk management, vendor selection/oversight, and real-time issue resolution. Apply immunology/medicine expertise to guide species/model relevance, dose route/regimen logic, and translational biomarker alignment, and translate complex outputs (clinical observations, clinical pathology, immune biomarker data, tissue/pathology summaries) into clear program recommendations. 

Vendor/CRO management and quality: Set expectations for scientific conduct and data quality with CROs, including clear scopes of work, study governance cadence, data review checkpoints, and documentation standards. Ensure data traceability from sample collection through analysis and reporting, and escalate risks early with mitigation plans that protect program decisions and timelines. 

Immune monitoring with limited hands-on contribution (flow-based): Maintain practical capability to perform or directly oversee critical flow cytometry-based immune phenotyping and key sample handling steps (e.g., PBMC isolation/processing, staining strategy, gating review/interpretation), primarily to enable rapid troubleshooting, method comparability, and confident interpretation across vendors and internal stakeholders. Partner with bioanalytical and translational colleagues to align assay feasibility, processing windows, and acceptance criteria with study objectives. 

Data, analytics, and communication: Apply rigorous experimental design principles (controls, randomization/blinding where feasible, and pre-specified analysis plans) and deliver clear visualizations and concise narratives that support governance decisions. Document work to high standards in ELN and related systems, present results and recommendations in cross-functional forums, and mentor colleagues through best practices in in vivo study design and immune monitoring interpretation. 

REQUIREMENTS 

Education: PhD (or equivalent) in Immunology, Medicine, Pharmacology, Translational Science, or related field; or MD with substantial translational/in vivo research experience. 

In vivo leadership: Demonstrated ability to lead in vivo programs through study strategy, protocol rigor, and decision-making, with strong judgment on fit-for-purpose design and in vivo-to-translation linkage. 

NHP experience: Proven experience planning and governing NHP studies, including protocol development, ethical/regulatory expectations, operational delivery with CROs/internal teams, and integrated interpretation of multi-modal readouts. Strong commitment to animal welfare and 3Rs. 

Vendor governance capability: Track record managing external partners to deliver high-quality studies, including clear scientific direction, milestone control, rapid troubleshooting, and consistent documentation/data integrity expectations. 

Flow cytometry competence (hands-on or near-bench): Ability to design/review panels and gating strategies and to perform limited hands-on work when needed for troubleshooting, comparability assessments, and data interpretation (especially for endpoints relevant to cell therapy and immuno-oncology). 

Data & tools: Proficiency with ELN and analysis/visualization tools (e.g., GraphPad; FlowJo where relevant), comfort working with complex datasets, and understanding of basic statistics and acceptance criteria. 

Compliance: Strong biosafety and animal ethics awareness (IACUC/ethics committee; AAALAC-aligned practices where applicable), research GxP awareness where relevant, and high standards for data integrity. 

Strong English communication: Demonstrated ability to communicate scientific and operational information clearly in written and spoken English, including presenting study plans and results, facilitating technical discussions, aligning stakeholders on next steps, and summarizing risks/assumptions and trade-offs in concise updates for cross-functional and senior audiences. 

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE 

Experience advancing cell therapy programs with in vivo strategies that address persistence/trafficking and translational immune monitoring, plus experience leading immuno-oncology in vivo packages that interrogate tumor microenvironment biology and combination logic. Experience aligning immune monitoring across internal and CRO labs (method comparability, troubleshooting, acceptance criteria) and partnering closely with pathology/toxicology for integrated interpretation is beneficial. 

AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics. We comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorisation and employment eligibility verification requirements.