Job Purpose

Lead the diagnostics strategy for pipeline indications requiring biomarker-based patient selection, ensuring scientific robustness, diagnostic readiness, and alignment with AstraZeneca's biomarker and precision medicine strategy.

The role provides end-to-end scientific and technical leadership across biomarkers and therapy areas, identifying risks, gaps, and opportunities, engaging key stakeholders, and aligning priorities with Market Shaping, Medical, Access, and Global/Regional teams to maximize patient impact and value.

The position is accountable for the design and execution of diagnostic-related engagement plans for early and pipeline assets, and acts as the Diagnostics representative in relevant local, regional, and global forums as required.

Key Responsibilities

Biomarker & Portfolio Strategy

• Monitor the biomarker pipeline by tracking molecules and indications with biomarker requirements, including ITT studies with potential biomarker restrictions.
• Assess scientific, diagnostic, regulatory, and access implications across therapy areas and biomarkers.
• Align local diagnostics strategy with Regional Precision Medicine Plans.

Diagnostic Readiness & Ecosystem Assessment

• Conduct diagnostic readiness assessments by gathering field insights and identifying barriers, risks, and opportunities by biomarker and disease (e.g. assay standardization, cut-offs, sensitivity/specificity, turnaround time, lab capacity, care pathways, inequities, cost and reimbursement).
• Prioritize actions by disease, biomarker, hospital, and region where relevant.

Stakeholder Engagement & External Collaboration

• Map, segment, and maintain a strategic stakeholder network, including scientific societies, diagnostic networks and reference labs, pathology and molecular teams, KEEs, hospital administrators, payers/HTA bodies, regulators, and patient organizations.
• Lead scientific engagement and ecosystem readiness plans in close collaboration with cross-functional colleagues.
• Coordinate and support above-country activities such as advisory boards, market research, biomarkers workflow design, and content development.

Integration with Market Shaping & Evidence Generation

• Integrate diagnostics strategy into Market Shaping Plans, sharing insights and aligning actions with Brand, Medical, Access, Policy, and Diagnostics teams.
• Define and prioritize evidence gaps per biomarker (e.g. clinical validation, clinical utility, prevalence, predictive value, outcomes).
• Propose and support evidence generation initiatives (IIS/SCS, RWE, registries) in line with internal governance and SOPs.

Scientific Leadership & Internal Enablement

• Maintain peer-to-peer scientific dialogue with key external experts and represent Diagnostics in local and European scientific forums.
• Establish diagnostic readiness KPIs, cross-functional reporting, and executive updates by biomarker and disease.
• Support internal training, disease awareness initiatives, and scientific content related to biomarkers.
• Ensure compliance with all internal policies and applicable external regulations.

Knowledge, Education & Experience

Education

• Required: Bachelor's degree in Life Sciences or equivalent pharmaceutical industry experience.
• Preferred: PhD in Life Sciences with experience in Oncology and Precision Medicine / Diagnostics.

Experience

• Minimum 5 years of experience in Diagnostics and/or Medical Affairs within the pharmaceutical industry.
• Proven experience in biomarker strategy, diagnostics projects, or companion diagnostics (CDx), ideally including launch or pre-launch activities.

Skills & Capabilities

• Strong scientific understanding of oncology, biomarkers, and clinical guidelines.
• Solid knowledge of the diagnostics ecosystem, including regulatory and access frameworks.
• Proven stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Ability to synthesize complex data into clear, actionable insights for senior stakeholders.
• Strong planning, execution, and KPI-driven mindset.
• Advanced English proficiency.