Frontier AI Research Principal
AstraZeneca2 days ago
Cambridge, United KingdomStaff+
Responsibilities
- Set the vision, adoption strategy, and roadmap for advanced AI capabilities across AstraZeneca.
- Lead, mentor, and develop AI engineers and scientists across complex, cross-functional programs.
- Define, build, optimize, and deploy scalable AI/ML and computational modeling solutions using structured and unstructured data.
- Translate scientific and business challenges into analytical plans and prioritize work from rapid experiments through production impact.
- Champion engineering excellence through reproducibility, automation, observability, evaluation, and cloud/HPC deployment.
- Partner with senior leaders, domain experts, technology partners, academia, and vendors to align priorities and accelerate delivery.
- Guide large-scale data engineering, feature generation, model evaluation, governance, risk management, and regulated workflows.
- Provide expert consulting and training while communicating AI outcomes, limitations, and opportunities transparently.
- Publish, present, and collaborate externally to advance AI research and represent AstraZeneca’s AI capabilities.
Requirements
- Master’s degree or equivalent experience in computer science, mathematics, engineering, statistics, physics, or another quantitative discipline.
- Significant experience in AI, machine learning, statistical modeling, and/or advanced data science.
- Demonstrated leadership managing and delivering cross-functional AI or data science projects and teams.
- Track record of scientific and/or technical publications in AI or related fields.
- Advanced understanding of AI engineering or computation, including model optimization, infrastructure, automation, and AI science.
- Proficiency handling large, complex, and high-dimensional datasets.
- Excellent written and verbal communication, project management, and stakeholder management skills.
- Preferred qualifications include a PhD, life sciences or healthcare experience, pharmaceutical R&D experience, novel method development, model interpretation, indication or target discovery, global matrixed organization experience, external academic or vendor partnerships, budget management, and pharma expertise.
Benefits
- Work at a science-led company where AI supports the development of life-changing medicines.
- Collaborate with modern platforms, real-world datasets at scale, strong partnerships, and multidisciplinary teams.
- Inclusive and equitable environment with psychological safety to experiment, learn, and iterate.
- Reasonable adjustments and accommodations are available throughout the recruitment process.
- The posting is dated 10 November 2026 and has a closing date of 24 November 2026.
Tech Stack
Categories
AI ResearchML Engineering
About AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca is a global biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, manufactures, and commercializes prescription medicines for patients and healthcare systems. Its portfolio spans oncology, cardiovascular, renal and metabolism, respiratory and immunology, and rare diseases (expanded by the 2021 acquisition of Alexion). Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Cambridge, UK, it is a public company listed on the London Stock Exchange and Nasdaq, generating revenue primarily from drug sales and partnerships.