Director, Immunology Cell Therapy Discovery

Job Title: Director, Immunology Cell Therapy Discovery 
Location: Waltham, MA 

Hybrid Working: 3 days per week in the office
 

About the Position 

AstraZeneca, a global leader in biopharmaceuticals, is committed to discovering and delivering innovative therapies that transform patient outcomes. We are seeking an experienced and visionary Director to join our Immunology Cell Therapy Discovery team. The role focuses on leading both ex vivo and in vivo cell therapy discovery efforts, underpinned by an in-depth understanding of immunological disease biology discovery. 

Key responsibilities 

• Strategic leadership: Develop and execute strategy to advance cell therapy discovery, leveraging state‑of‑the‑art ex vivo and in vivo cell therapy technologies to help build a robust pipeline. 

• Scientific domain expertise: Maintain a comprehensive, up‑to‑date understanding of the immunological disease landscape and emerging trends to inform program direction and target selection. 

• Cross‑functional collaboration: Partner with discovery, translational, preclinical, CMC, and regulatory colleagues to progress programs and expand AstraZeneca’s immunology cell therapy portfolio. 

• Team leadership: Build, mentor, and lead a high‑performing team; foster a culture of innovation, scientific rigor, accountability, and agility. 

• Stakeholder engagement: Align strategies and milestones with internal and external stakeholders and consortia to accelerate delivery against R&D objectives. 

• Compliance and governance: Ensure adherence to all applicable laws, regulations, and company policies related to the research and development of medicines. 

• Assay and process development: Direct the development of in vitro assays and research processes to evaluate, optimize, and validate novel cell therapy modalities and mechanisms. 

Required qualifications 

• Education: PhD (or equivalent) in Immunology, Molecular or Cell Biology, Bioengineering, or a related field. 

• 5-10 years of relevant industry experience.

• Scientific expertise: Demonstrated in‑depth understanding of immunological disease biology, including B and T cell mediated immunological diseases such as multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, allergy & asthma, fibrosis etc. 

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