Translational Medicine Lead, Associate Director (Oncology)

About this role

Job Title: Translational Medicine Lead, Associate Director, Oncology Location: Cambridge, MA

Introduction to role: Are you ready to turn cutting-edge biomarker science into confident clinical decisions that change patient outcomes? As Translational Medicine Lead at Associate Director level, you will set the biomarker vision for novel targeted therapies and translate it into clear actions that guide indication strategy, dose and schedule, rational combinations, and patient selection. Your work will directly influence how quickly and precisely we bring transformative oncology medicines to patients.

You will operate at the intersection of discovery, clinical development, diagnostics, data science, statistics, and external partnerships. How would you connect disease biology with clinical samples and biomarker data to shape first-in-human studies and sustain evidence through late development? In this hands-on, collaborative role you will lead across a global matrix, converting complex data into practical recommendations that drive study design, execution, and governance decisions.

Accountabilities: • Translational strategy ownership: Define and deliver an integrated translational and biomarker strategy for early development programs, aligning scientific goals, sample collection plans, assays, analyses, and decision points to accelerate learning and de-risk development.

• Early clinical leadership: Serve as Translational Medicine Lead for first-in-human studies, providing scientific leadership for protocol content, exploratory objectives, biospecimen plans, assay strategy, data review, and interpretation so study teams act on timely insights.

• Late-stage development support: Partner with late development teams to sustain biomarker hypotheses and evidence, ensuring continuity from early signals through registrational studies and beyond.

• Predictive biomarker strategy: Lead cross-program evaluation of circulating tumor DNA as a predictive biomarker, integrating clinical, molecular, and quantitative evidence into fit-for-purpose analyses and recommendations that sharpen program focus.

• Disease biology and patient selection: Generate and synthesize human biology evidence and mutation profiles linked to activity, guiding indication selection, segmentation, and biomarker hypotheses that increase the probability of success.

• Pharmacodynamic and response biomarkers: Develop approaches to measure target engagement, pathway modulation, biological activity, and response, enabling disciplined dose, schedule, and combination decisions.

• Resistance and longitudinal sampling: Use tumor tissue and blood-based biomarkers, including longitudinal clinical samples, to understand response and resistance and seed new translational hypotheses.

• Clinical biomarker execution: Partner with study teams, clinical operations, diagnostics, and labs to deliver robust sample collection, assay validation, vendor oversight, data quality, and timely biomarker readouts.

• Data integration and communication: Lead integrated biomarker data reviews, communicate conclusions and uncertainties with clarity, and provide well-founded recommendations to project teams, senior stakeholders, and governance bodies.

• Cross-functional and cross-site collaboration: Build strong partnerships across functions and geographies; align stakeholders on priority questions, risks, dependencies, and delivery plans to maintain momentum.

• External collaboration and scientific leadership: Establish and manage collaborations with academic, technology, and diagnostic partners; contribute to publications and presentations that amplify scientific impact.

• Standards and capability building: Advance translational medicine standards, best practices, and portfolio approaches; mentor colleagues to elevate scientific quality and consistency.

• Quality and compliance: Ensure all work meets applicable quality, regulatory, ethical, safety, and AstraZeneca requirements.

Essential Skills/Experience: • MD, PhD or equivalent advanced degree in cancer biology, molecular biology, translational medicine or a related scientific discipline.

• 7+ yrs in oncology translational science and drug development, including leadership/ development of biomarker strategies in early oncology clinical studies.

• Strong background in tumor biology and precision oncology, with experience in receptor tyrosine kinase biology; knowledge of EGFR biology is highly relevant.

• Experience with circulating tumor DNA, genomics or other molecular biomarkers, including interpretation of longitudinal clinical data.

• Ability to lead complex, multi-functional projects and deliver through teams in a global matrix environment.

• Demonstrated ability to collaborate across early and late development, functions, sites and external partners.

Desirable Skills/Experience: • Experience as a Translational Medicine Lead for first-in-human or early-phase oncology studies.

• Experience with ctDNA technologies including ultra-sensitive tumor-informed ctDNA assays

• Depth in EGFR-driven cancer biology, mechanisms of response and resistance, or development of targeted therapies.

When we put unexpected teams in the same room, we unleash bold thinking with the power to inspire life-changing medicines. In-person working gives us the platform we need to connect, work at pace and challenge perceptions. That's why we work, on average, a minimum of three days per week from the office. But that doesn't mean we're not flexible. We balance the expectation of being in the office while respecting individual flexibility. Join us in our unique and ambitious world.

Why AstraZeneca: Here, scientists and clinicians work side by side to push the boundaries of oncology, harnessing deep datasets, novel biomarkers, AI-enabled analytics, and innovative trial designs to transform how cancer is treated. You will be empowered to follow the science with pace, take smart risks, and learn fast, supported by diverse

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