Associate Principle Scientist – Product Discovery and Development

Do you have a passion for Science? Would you like to apply your expertise to impact a company that follows the science and turns ideas into life changing medicines? Then AstraZeneca might be the one for you! At AstraZeneca, we put patients first and strive to meet their unmet needs worldwide. Working here means being entrepreneurial, thinking big and working together to make the impossible a reality.

If you are swift to action, confident to lead, willing to collaborate, and curious about what science can do, then you’re our kind of person.

AstraZeneca’s Pharmaceutical Sciences department is a part of the Biopharmaceuticals R&D organization with a mission to transform molecules into investigational medicines that address unmet needs. The Product Discovery and Development group works across therapeutic areas on small‑molecule projects, including PROTAC‑ and RIPTAC‑based therapeutics, translating innovative modalities into high‑quality investigational medicines.

• Developing analytical methods, formulations, and drug delivery systems with a focus on small molecules
• Serving as a function representative and providing pharmaceutical expertise to global project teams
• Planning and conducting experiments with minimum supervision; generating, evaluating, and reporting data clearly and efficiently; providing data interpretation and making recommendations to project teams and other partners
• Being actively involved with novel formulation development and innovative technology evaluation
• Working as a member of cross‑functional pharmaceutical science and CMC project teams, in close collaboration with other formulators, analytical chemists, chemists and biologists at Astra Zeneca
• Presenting data at internal AstraZeneca meetings and occasionally at external meetings

• PhD degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Analytical Chemistry, Material Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering or related scientific fields with a minimum 3‑year, preferably 5+ year, post‑graduation experience in pharmaceutical and/or biotechnology environment
• Or MS degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Analytical Chemistry, Material Sciences, Biomedical Engineering or related scientific fields with a minimum 7‑year, preferably 10+ year, experience in pharmaceutical and/or biotechnology environment

• Knowledge and hands‑on experience with analytical instruments for the characterization of formulation and drug products, particularly in separation and chromatography (e.g., HPLC/UPLC, LC/MS, DLS, DSC, TGA, DVS, PXRD, dissolution)
• Validated ability to design, craft and optimize formulations of poorly soluble compounds for preclinical studies, including PROTACs & RIPTACs
• Knowledge and hands‑on experience of enabling formulation technologies including but not limited to amorphous validated dispersion, lipid‑based formulation and nanoparticles
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving skills
• Track record of scientific excellence in terms of scientific publications, patents, and/or conference presentations
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Ability to effectively lead scientific/project activities
• Committed to guidelines through a process‑oriented approach and growth mindset

• Willingness to acquire new skills or technologies
• Work independently and collaboratively in team settings
• Modeling and simulation predictions for human oral absorption of drug products
• Broad knowledge and in‑depth understanding of drug discovery and drug development
• Understanding of principles and applications of GLS/GLP/GMP

The annual base pay for this position ranges from $147,507 to $221,261. Hourly and salaried non‑exempt employees will also be paid overtime pay when working qualifying overtime hours. Base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience. In addition, our positions offer a short‑term incentive bonus opportunity; eligibility to participate in our equity‑based long‑term incentive program (salaried roles), to receive a retirement contribution (hourly roles), and commission payment…