Emerging Technology Senior Researcher

Introduction to role

AstraZeneca is seeking a Senior Researcher to join the Emerging Technology Innovation Research team within the Insights and Technology Excellence (IGNITE) organization. This team is dedicated to scouting, identifying, and accelerating the impact of emerging technologies with the potential to reshape the future of pharma and life sciences. We are looking for a professional with a strong background in a STEM-related field and a natural curiosity towards innovative technologies. The successful candidate will play a meaningful role in identifying and assessing relevant new technologies, providing insights on their technical feasibility, business value, and potential impact, guiding AstraZeneca’s IT strategy and long-term investment decision-making.

Accountabilities

Technology Foresight and Strategic Analysis
- Conduct detailed technology scouting and in-depth analysis of emerging technologies with potential impact on AstraZeneca’s R&D, operations, manufacturing, and commercial functions.
- Assess technological feasibility, readiness levels, and industry adoption trends to find opportunities for integration within AstraZeneca.
- Collaborate with business technology groups (BTGs), enterprise architects, and scientific leaders to translate technology insights into actionable roadmaps for senior leadership.

Research and Synthesis
- Lead the development of positioning papers, ecosystem landscaping, and strategic reports summarizing trends on novel technologies and their potential implications across AstraZeneca’s enterprise.
- Assess and synthesize sophisticated technical and scientific concepts into clear, structured insights on the value, potential impact, and strategic fit of these technologies that support strategic decision-making.
- Maintain an internal knowledge repository to curate and disseminate relevant insights on technological trends.

Technology Assessment and Implementation
- Evaluate new and emerging technologies in areas such as AI/ML, advanced computing & infrastructure, R&D, logistics, operations, manufacturing, and human-machine interaction, among others.
- Ensure alignment of innovation initiatives with AstraZeneca’s regulatory, ethical, and operational frameworks.
- Support the development of proof-of-concept and pilot studies to validate the impact of novel technologies within AstraZeneca.

External Engagement and Strategic Partnerships
- Identify and develop strategic partnerships with academic institutions, big tech companies, start-ups, venture capital firms, and industry consortia to improve AstraZeneca’s innovation capabilities and stay ahead of technological advancements.
- Represent AstraZeneca at scientific and technology conferences, positioning AstraZeneca as a tech inspiring leader in the field and influencing industry standards.
- Build and maintain internal communities of practice focused on fostering cross-collaboration, knowledge sharing, and application of new technologies.

Essential Skills/Experience
- Advanced degree in a STEM field (MSc or PhD) or equivalent industry experience.
- Desirable experience in corporate innovation, startups, emerging technologies, or innovation within academia, industry, or consulting.
- Strong analytical capabilities, with the ability to critically evaluate new technologies, interpret scientific and engineering literature, and assess technological maturity and impact.
- Experience with data-driven decision-making, including the ability to extract insights from sophisticated information, and translate findings into actionable strategies for technology evaluation and implementation.
- Proven ability to identify and assess emerging trends and translate them into strategic opportunities by leveraging technical and scientific knowledge, industry insights, and a structured analytical approach.
- Desirable experience applying emerging technologies within an industrial, research, or healthcare setting, with a consistent track record of leading technology-driven initiatives from conceptualization to implementation.
- Comfortable working across interdisciplinary teams to assess, validate, and integrate novel technologies into existing workflows and processes.
- Desirable understanding of the pharmaceutical R&D lifecycle and/or digital health technologies, including knowledge of drug development cycle, clinical development, AI governance in pharma/life sciences, and regulatory considerations for technology adoption in healthcare.
- Ability to communicate technical and scientific concepts effectively to both technical and non-technical team members, ensuring sophisticated ideas are presented in a clear, accessible manner that drives understanding and decision-making.
- Strong writing skills, with experie