Director or Senior Director - Antibody-Drug Conjugates, ADPE

Job Description

Director or Senior Director, Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs), Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering (ADPE)

At AstraZeneca we work together across global boundaries to make an impact and find answers to challenges. We do this with the upmost integrity even in the most difficult situations because we are committed to doing the right thing. We continuously forge partnerships that help pursue world-class medicines in new ways, combining our people’s exceptional skills with those of people from all over the globe. As a part of our Antibody Discovery & Protein Engineering (ADPE) Senior Leadership team in Gaithersburg, MD, you’ll play a pivotal role in channeling our scientific capabilities to make a positive impact on changing patients’ lives.

About AstraZeneca in Gaithersburg, MD

Our Gaithersburg, Maryland facility creates life-changing medicines for people around the world. This campus employs more than 3,500 experts in our field and is only a short drive from Washington, DC. This modern and vibrant scientific campus is the home of R&D and Oncology in the US. Here, we play host to some of the most cutting-edge technology and lab spaces, all designed to inspire collaboration and cross-functional science. We believe employees benefit from being challenged and inspired at work. We are dedicated to creating a culture of inclusion and collaboration.

The Gaithersburg site offers a variety of amenities to help boost productivity and help keep our employees happy and healthy. This includes a fitness center, employee healthcare clinic, electric vehicle charging stations, dry cleaning, full-service cafeteria and copy center. This is where you’ll find newly-designed, activity-based work spaces to suit a variety of working styles while increasing collaboration between teams.

Summary of the Group and Role

The Director or Senior Director, Antibody-Drug Conjugates will lead a multidisciplinary team playing a significant role in biologics drug discovery and new technology development in the area of antibody-drug conjugates. The individual will report into the VP, Biologic Therapeutics, ADPE , and will contribute to the overall strategy and direction of ADC research. Major responsibilities include:

• Lead and manage a multidisciplinary team to design and engineer antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs); provide growth, career development and performance management for staff.
• Lead technology development to improve tissue-specific targeting and therapeutic index of ADCs, including site-specific conjugation, linker engineering, novel warhead development, antibody design and optimization, and the utilization of antibody fragments, protein scaffolds, bispecifics and other formats.
• Interact and collaborate with leaders and teams across key therapeutic areas (Oncology, Respiratory/Immunology, Cardiovascular/Metabolic diseases) on pipeline delivery and new technology development, with a focus on Oncology,.
• Work closely with BioPharmaceutical Development (BPD) to ensure new therapeutic molecules are compatible with CMC requirements.
• Partner with Business Development to pursue investments that further the ADC strategy. Establish a network of external partners from academia and industry to strengthen capabilities and capacity in ADC area.
• Develop and manage operating budget.

Education & Skills Requirements:

• PhD in a relevant scientific area, such as antibody or protein engineering, protein biochemistry, biotechnology or similar field, plus a minimum of 10 years of professional experience in biologics research.
• Recognized leader in scientific specialty as evidenced by publications, participation in international conferences, membership on journal editorial boards, etc.
• He/she must be an excellent communicator and highly effective in interacting with key internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to establish high level strategies for new drug technologies, and ability to apply new technologies to drug discovery.
• The candidate must be a team player and builder, possess great coaching skills and have great organizational skills.
• The successful candidate must have a high degree of integrity and professionalism.

Desired Skills:

• Knowledge in chemistry and cancer biology is a plus.

Why AstraZeneca?

At AstraZeneca when we see an opportunity for change, we seize it and make it happen, because any opportunity no matter how small, can be the start of something big. Delivering life-changing medicines is about being entrepreneurial - finding those moments and recognizing their potential. Join us on our journey of building a new kind of organization to reset expectations of what a bio-pharmaceutical company can be. This means we’re opening new ways to work, pioneering cutting edge methods and bringing unexpected teams together. Interested? Come and join our journey.

So, what’s next?

Are you ready to bring new ideas and fresh thinking to the table? Brilliant! We have one seat available and we hope it’s yours.

Where can I find out more?

Our Social Media, Follow AstraZeneca on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/1603/

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