Associate Principal Scientist, Immunology Cell Therapy Discovery

AstraZeneca, a global leader in biopharmaceuticals, is committed to discovering and delivering innovative therapies that transform patient outcomes. We are seeking a dedicated, hands-on Associate Principal Scientist to join our Immunology Cell Therapy Discovery team. The role centers on delivering scientific expertise for discovery initiatives with a dual focus on autoimmune/allergic disease biology (e.g., MS, IBD, asthma) and computational biology/AI. 

Accountabilities 

• Expert Knowledge: Cultivate and maintain a comprehensive understanding of autoimmune and allergic disease biology, patient heterogeneity, and the clinical landscape; remain abreast of the latest advancements in immunology, bioinformatics, and machine learning relevant to discovery and translation. 

• Collaborative Innovation: Work collaboratively with cross-functional teams to propel discovery efforts focused on immunological diseases, integrating experimental immunology with computational analyses to enhance AstraZeneca’s portfolio. 

• Stakeholder Engagement: Facilitate collaboration with key stakeholders internally and externally to align immunology and computational strategies with broader R&D objectives and goals; effectively communicate complex findings to technical and non-technical audiences. 

• Regulatory Compliance: Ensure adherence to all relevant laws, regulations, and company policies related to the development and delivery of medicines, including data governance and privacy requirements for human datasets. 

• Research Assay and Research Process Development: Lead the development of in vitro assays and cell therapy research processes to assess and validate novel therapeutic strategies and approaches. 

• Computational Discovery and Platform Development: Design and implement bioinformatics and AI/ML workflows for bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing, immune repertoire (TCR/BCR) analyses, multi-omics integration, target and pathway identification, biomarker and endotype discovery; establish reproducible pipelines, robust QC, statistical rigor, and model interpretability to inform decision-making. 

Essential Skills/Experience 

• Advanced Degree: PhD with 5+ years of relevant biotech/biopharma industry experience in Immunology, Computational Biology/Bioinformatics, Molecular or Cell Biology, Bioengineering, or a related field 

• Technical Expertise (Experimental): Demonstrated proficiency in autoimmune and/or   allergic immunology assays, including primary cell isolation/culture, immune functional assays, flow cytometry panel design, cytokine/chemokine profiling, and relevant allergy readouts (e.g., IgE/IgG measurement, degranulation/mediator release). 

• Technical Expertise (Computational): Demonstrated proficiency in bulk/single-cell RNA-seq analysis, immune repertoire (TCR/BCR) analytics, integrative multi-omics, and biomarker/endotype discovery; strong programming skills in R and/or Python with experience in workflow reproducibility, version control, data visualization, and statistical modeling or machine learning. 

• Scientific Expertise: Deep understanding of immunological disease biology and clinical landscape of autoimmune and allergic diseases with a focus on cellular therapies. 

• Collaborative Skills: Excellent collaboration and communication capabilities; adept at working effectively across diverse functional teams and organizational levels to connect computational insights with experimental validation. 

• Regulatory Insight: Working knowledge of regulatory and quality considerations for data use and experimental conduct in discovery and translational research. 

• Negotiation and Influence: Ability to influence decision-making with evidence-based recommendations and clear scientific rationale. 

Desirable Skills/Experience 

• Industry Network: Established connections within immunology, computational biology, and data science communities; experience collaborating with CROs or consortia. 

• Publication Track Record: Strong history of peer-reviewed publications in immunology and/or computational biology. 

• Modality Breadth: Experience across multiple therapeutic modalities (cell therapies, biologics, and/or small molecules) and combination strategies relevant to autoimmune and allergic indications. 

At AstraZeneca, we push the boundaries of science to change the practice of medicine and transform the lives of patients living with cancer. With one of the broadest and deepest Immunology pipelines in the industry, there are many opportunities to work with new and novel drugs. Our collaborative environment empowers us to take smart risks, challenge the norm, and learn from failures. We are united in our vision to eliminate cancer as a cause of death, making bold moves that truly improve patient outcomes. 

Join us in our mission to make a meaningful difference for patients around the world!