Senior Director, Discovery Strategy & Transformation

Job Title: Senior Director, Discovery Strategy & Transformation  Location: Gaithersburg, MD or Boston, MA 

Hybrid Role: In the office minimum 3 days/week

AstraZeneca’s Oncology ambition is to eliminate cancer as a cause of death. Underpinning that ambition is a growing pipeline across small molecules, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), and radio-conjugates — and the relentless drive to discover and advance new medicines faster than ever before. 

This role sits at the center of that effort. You will shape how AstraZeneca’s Oncology Discovery organization thinks about its future — what to pursue, how to prioritize, and how to move faster — working alongside discovery scientists, platform leads, and senior leadership to translate bold ambitions into concrete strategy and measurable change.

The Senior Director, Discovery Strategy & Transformation owns two interconnected mandates: defining where Oncology Discovery is going, and accelerating how it gets there. 

On strategy, you will develop and steward the 5- and 10-year Oncology Discovery portfolio strategy — integrating scientific, clinical, and commercial perspectives across small molecules, ADCs, and radio-conjugates to set clear priorities for the senior leadership team. 

On transformation, you will drive meaningful cycle time acceleration across the discovery engine — deploying AI and automation, redesigning processes, and building the cultural shifts needed to move faster from target to candidate. 

You bring the structured, strategic thinking, and the scientific depth to earn credibility with world-class researchers. You are comfortable operating with ambiguity, influencing without authority, and translating complexity into clarity for executive audiences. 

Key Accountabilities 

Discovery Portfolio Strategy 

• Develop and own the 5- and 10-year Oncology Discovery portfolio strategy across small molecules, ADCs, and radio-conjugates — integrating scientific & clinical insights to shape investment priorities 

• Partner with discovery scientists, platform leads, BD, and global strategy teams to build cohesive long-term strategies that reflect the latest science and competitive landscape 

• Translate portfolio strategy into clear recommendations for senior leadership: options, tradeoffs, and priorities grounded in rigorous analysis 

• Support internal & external innovation decisions across modalities and platforms, bringing analytical structure to high-stakes choices 

Discovery Transformation  

• Lead the design and execution of initiatives to accelerate discovery cycle times — spanning AI and automation adoption, process redesign, and organizational change 

• Identify and prioritize the highest-leverage transformation opportunities across the discovery pipeline, from target identification through candidate nomination 

• Work with AI, data, and platform teams to define where technology can meaningfully compress timelines, and drive adoption of new capabilities with discovery teams 

• Build the case for change with scientific and leadership stakeholders; sustain momentum through cultural shifts and performance tracking 

Stakeholder Alignment & Communication  

• Synthesize strategy and transformation progress into leadership-ready materials for senior executive and global R&D audiences 

• Build credibility and influence with senior scientists and cross-functional leaders through rigorous analysis, clear communication, and follow-through