Associate Director, Translational Data Science, Hematology R&D

Introduction to role:

Are you ready to turn multimodal clinical and molecular data into decisions that change how patients with blood cancers are treated? Based in Cambridge, MA, this role sits at the heart of our translational engine, where your analyses, tools, and judgement will directly shape study design, biomarker strategy, and the pace at which promising medicines reach patients.

You will lead high-impact translational data initiatives across programs, applying AI and statistical learning to single-cell and multiomic datasets while building intuitive interfaces that give scientists, clinicians, and non-experts rapid insight. Working shoulder-to-shoulder with translational science, biomarker, and data engineering partners, you will raise the quality and accessibility of our datasets and mentor colleagues to build analytics muscle across the portfolio. Can you envision a platform where single-cell insights and MRD readouts are delivered in minutes to trial teams to inform the next decision?

Accountabilities:

• Translational Insight Generation: Apply AI and statistical learning to clinical biomarkers, molecular genetic data, and single-cell RNA-seq to generate insights that advance hematology programs and inform patient stratification.

• Decision-Enabling Tools: Build interfaces, dashboards, and analytical tools that provide fast, reliable access to complex translational and clinical data for scientists, clinicians, and non-experts.

• Workflow Leadership: Design, implement, and validate analytical workflows from quality control and integration through annotation, differential analysis, and results reporting, ensuring scientific rigor and reproducibility.

• Reproducible Data Assets: Develop and maintain robust data transformation pipelines and quality-controlled datasets that support cross-functional decision making at scale.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with biomarker science, biostatistics, and data engineering to embed analytics into program strategies and to unlock decision support across studies.

• Strategic Interpretation and Communication: Translate complex data outputs into clear narratives that guide program direction and contribute to scientific communications and governance materials.

• Capability Building: Mentor junior data scientists and analysts; provide technical guidance and champion best practices to elevate translational analytics across the team.

• Subject Matter Expertise: Serve as a go-to expert in hematology translational data analytics, able to clearly communicate findings to scientific and clinical audiences and influence strategy.

Essential Skills/Experience:

• Minimum 5 years of experience

• Masters Degree

• Expertise applying AI/ML and statistical learning to high-dimensional biological and clinical data, with emphasis on MRD and single-cell analysis.

• Expertise in bulk and single-cell DNA-seq and RNA-seq workflows, from quality control, genotyping, and integration through cell-type annotation and differential expression.

• Experience building interfaces, dashboards, or applications that enable scientists, clinicians, and non-experts to gain rapid insight from complex data.

• Strong programming skills in languages/tools such as R and Python and experience with scalable data workflows.

• Strong software-engineering practices for reproducible analysis, including version control (Git) and standardized documentation in Python and R/RStudio.

• Experience mentoring data scientists and enabling team-wide growth in analytics capabilities.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a track record of effectively conveying complex scientific analyses to diverse audiences.

• Prior hands-on experience with large or complex datasets from hematologic malignancies, including the ability to interpret MRD and disease-specific biomarkers.

Desirable Skills/Experience:

• Experience building interactive scientific applications (e.g., Shiny, Dash, Streamlit) and data visualization for non-expert users.

• Proficiency with scalable and cloud-based analytics (e.g., AWS, GCP, or Azure), workflow orchestration (e.g., Nextflow, Snakemake, Airflow), and containerization (Docker).

• Familiarity with data engineering best practices, including data modeling, metadata management, and FAIR principles for translational datasets.

• Exposure to clinical trial data structures and translational biomarker strategy, including integration of clinical endpoints with molecular readouts.

• Strong knowledge of hematologic disease biology and cancer immunology to aid interpretation of MRD and biomarker signals.

• Experience operationalizing reproducible research through package development, automated testing, CI/CD, and documentation standards.

When we put unexpected teams in the same room, we unleash bold thinking with the power to inspire life-changing medicines. In-person working gives us the platform we need to connect, work at pace and challenge perceptions. That's why we work, on average, a minimum of three days per week from the office. But that doesn't mean we're not flexible. We balance the expectation of being in the office while respecting individual flexibility. Join us in our unique and ambitious world.

The annual base pay for this position ranges from 138,392.80 - 207,589.20 USD Annual [80% - 120% ]. 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.

Why AstraZeneca:

Here, science leads and speed matters. You will be empowered to make bold, evidence-based decisions and to move quickly from idea to action, joining forces with colleagues across disciplines and with external partners to solve the hardest problems in cancer. We pair cutting-edge technologies with a deep bench of scientific expertise, bringing diverse minds together to unlock insights faster and turn data into patient impact. We value kindness alongside ambition, encourage constructive challenge, and back our people to take smart risks-so your work doesn’t just advance a project, it shapes the future of our pipeline and helps transform outcomes for people living with blood cancers.

Call to Action:

If you are ready to lead translational data science that converts complexity into clarity-and clarity into better treatments for patients-send us your application and help accelerate the next breakthrough!

As AstraZeneca continues to put patients at the forefront of our mission, we are excited for our move to Kendall Square/Cambridge in 2026. Find out more information here: Kendall Square Press Release

Date Posted

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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.