Sr. Scientist, Translational Proteomics, Biomarker Science and Technologies

Do you have expertise in, and passion for, Mass Spectrometry and Clinical Proteomics? Would you like to apply your expertise to impact the clinical development of oncology drugs with innovative biomarkers in a company that follows the science and turns ideas into life changing medicines? Then AstraZeneca might be the one for you!

ABOUT ASTRAZENECA

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led, patient-focused biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines for some of the world’s most serious diseases. But we’re more than one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies. A place built on courage, curiosity and collaboration – we make bold decisions driven by patient outcomes. Empowered to lead at every level, free to ask questions and take smart risks that write the next chapter for our pipeline and Oncology team. Make a meaningful impact that brings real benefits to society. By applying your knowledge of data, you will help to redefine our industry and ultimately save lives. Work with experts who share a common goal: to accelerate the potential of medicines and the science of tomorrow.

SITE DESCRIPTION

Our Gaithersburg, Maryland facility creates life-changing medicines for people around the world. This campus employs more than 3,500 experts in our field and is only a short drive from Washington, DC. This modern and vibrant scientific campus is the home of R&D and Oncology in the US. Here, we play host to some of the most cutting-edge technology and lab spaces, all designed to inspire collaboration and cross-functional science. We believe employees benefit from being challenged and inspired at work. We are dedicated to creating a culture of inclusion and collaboration.

The Gaithersburg site offers a variety of amenities to help boost productivity and help keep our employees happy and healthy. This includes a fitness center, employee healthcare clinic, electric vehicle charging stations, dry cleaning, full-service cafeteria and copy center. This is where you’ll find newly-designed, activity-based work spaces to suit a variety of working styles while increasing collaboration between teams.

BUSINESS AREA

Biomarker Science and Technologies supports programs in all phases of development and focuses on making measurements on human samples to understand why, and identify which, patients benefit from particular treatments, what doses and schedules of treatments to use and the mechanisms underlying the development of resistance to treatment. By integrating patient samples, imaging, and multimodal biological data, BST generates and synthesizes biological evidence from diverse platforms to discover and develop biomarkers that inform clinical decisions, accelerate the development of new therapies, and shape translational medicine and clinical strategy.

In oncology studies Biomarker Science and Technologies are responsible for biomarker discovery and development which includes all exploratory analyses of global clinical trial samples and prospective testing for trial recruitment where required. Leveraging multimodais approaches — spanning proteomics, genomics, imaging, and beyond — Biomarker Science and Technologies generates and integrates biological data to inform translational medicine and clinical strategy across all stages of oncology drug development.

Join the team dedicated to Oncology, with an ambition to eliminate cancer as a cause of death. It’s our big vision that unites and inspires us. With multiple indications and high-quality molecules at all stages of our innovative pipeline, we keep pushing forward. We are empowered to be bold, take calculated risks and use our intelligence and courage to always follow the science. We are focused on identifying and treating patients earlier, where there is greater curative potential. With the greatest number of early stage cancer trials in the industry, we are getting closer to finding cures every day.

What you’ll do

AstraZeneca is seeking a scientist to support Biomarker Science and Technologies’ efforts in Oncology as a member of the Translational Proteomics team located in Gaithersburg, MD. The scientist should have experience in mass spectrometry-based proteomics and will carry out translational studies involving proteomic characterization of biological specimens (e.g., tissues, cell culture models) to accelerate clinical development of AZ’s oncology drugs.

This position requires an individual with outstanding technical skills and scientific experience as well as excellent communication and collaborative skills. The individual must be able to work in a fast-paced clinical and product development organization to translate fundamental insights using proteomics into targeted therapeutics and biomarker hypotheses that can be tested in clinical trials. The successful candidate is expected to drive the publication of proteomics data in top-tier scientific journals.

• Develop, validate and implement MS-based proteomics technologies for clinical biomarker studies.
• Process clinical samples (e.g., FFPE tissue, frozen tissue, plasma) for translational and clinical studies according to SOPs.
• Be responsible for generating and maintaining high-quality PRM and DIA data for clinical studies, and collaborate with bioinformatics teams to demonstrate clinical utilities of protein biomarkers.
• Operate state-of-the-art LC-MS instruments, and ensure high-quality data generation by applying strict QC and routine maintenance. Stay current with the latest technologies to improve the protocols.
• Analyze data, summarize results, and present key results at functional reviews and project reviews.

Essential for the role

• Ph.D. in bioanalytical chemistry or related field with 0-5 years post-doctoral experience in mass spectrometry-based proteomics.
• In-depth understanding of various quantitation technologies including PRM and DIA, and their clinical applications.
• Strong theoretical understanding of protein biochemistry and practical knowledge of bottom-up proteomics.
• Experience in processing human tissue samples for proteomics analysis.
• Solid understanding of separation chemistry for proteins/peptides analysis with an experience of nano-flow UPLC.
• Extensive experience in instrumentation, trouble shooting, QC, standardization for proteomics workflow and pipeline development.
• Experience in high-throughput proteomic characterization and data processing for the development of oncology therapeutic targets.
• Coding skills (R, Python) for data analysis, and ability to use/evaluate open-source software packages for processing mass spectrometry data.
• Experience with large-scale “omic” data analysis and integration of multi-omic and/or multi-modal assay readouts.
• Experience in working independently and collaboratively in a matrixed environment with some experience in project management.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.

The annual base pay for this position ranges from $116,284.00 - $174,426.00. Our positions offer eligibility for various incentives—an opportunity to receive short-term incentive bonuses, equity-based awards for salaried roles and commissions for sales roles. Benefits offered include qualified retirement programs, paid time off (i.e., vacation, holiday, and leaves), as well as health, dental, and vision coverage in accordance with the terms of the applicable plans.

Date Posted

Closing Date

Our mission is to build an inclusive environment where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and employees. In furtherance of that mission, we welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of their protected characteristics. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please complete the corresponding section in the application form.