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 or Principal Scientist to join our Immunology Cell Therapy Discovery team. This role will provide scientific and technical leadership across discovery initiatives with a dual emphasis on immune mediated diseases and computational innovation, with particular focus on bioinformatics, data science, and AI architecture to accelerate cell therapy discovery.

The successful candidate will operate at the interface of immunology, computational biology, and AI‑enabled research, partnering across multidisciplinary teams to advance target identification, patient stratification, translational insights, and platform capabilities that support AstraZeneca’s discovery portfolio.

Lead and apply advanced bioinformatics approaches to support research in immune mediated diseases. Design and implement robust analytical workflows for bulk and single‑cell RNA sequencing, immune repertoire analysis, multi‑omics integration, target and pathway identification, and biomarker or endotype discovery. Emphasize reproducibility, data quality, statistical rigor, and actionable biological insights that inform experimental strategy and portfolio decisions.

Drive data science strategies that integrate complex biological datasets to improve understanding of disease heterogeneity, preclinical readout, and mechanism of action. Develop and apply statistical models, machine learning approaches, and advanced data integration methods to support hypothesis generation, patient segmentation, and evidence‑based decision‑making. Build scalable, interpretable analytical frameworks that connect computational findings with experimental validation.

Serve as an AI Architect within the discovery organization, designing, developing, and maintaining reusable codebases that improve productivity, scalability, and scientific innovation. Lead innovation by integrating AI into core workflows, build AI‑powered applications, and advance AI‑driven discovery, including automation, knowledge extraction, and sustainable coding practices.

• Bioinformatics and Computational Discovery:
  Design, implement, and continuously improve analytical workflows for bulk and single‑cell transcriptomics, immune repertoire analyses, multi‑omics integration, and biomarker/endotype discovery, ensuring reproducibility, quality control, and scientific rigor.
• Data Science Innovation:
  Apply advanced data science and machine learning methods to derive insights from high‑dimensional biological and translational datasets, supporting target selection, patient stratification, mechanism‑of‑action studies, and portfolio prioritization.
• AI Architecture and Enablement:
  Design, develop, and maintain reusable AI‑enabled codebases and computational frameworks; integrate AI into core discovery workflows; contribute to or build AI‑powered applications; and advance the use of AI to improve scientific decision‑making and discovery efficiency.
• Stakeholder Engagement:
  Build strong partnerships with key stakeholders internally and externally to align scientific, computational, and AI strategies with broader R&D priorities; communicate complex findings clearly to both technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Governance and Compliance:
  Ensure compliance with relevant laws, regulations, and company policies related to the development and delivery of medicines, including expectations for data governance, privacy, and responsible use of human‑derived datasets.

• Education and Industry
  
  Experience:
  
  PhD with 5+ years of relevant biotech or biopharma industry experience in Immunology, Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Bioengineering, Data Science, or a related discipline.
• Bioinformatics Expertise:
  Demonstrated expertise in bulk RNA‑seq, single‑cell RNA‑seq, immune repertoire analytics, integrative multi‑omics, and biomarker/endotype discovery, with a strong…