Director, Next-Generation Sequencing - Biologics Engineering

Job Title: Director Next-Generation Sequencing - Biologics Engineering
Location: Gaithersburg, MD

Recognizing the importance of individualized flexibility, our ways of working allow employees to balance personal and work commitments while ensuring we continue to create a strong culture of collaboration and teamwork by engaging face-to-face in our offices 3 days a week. Our head office is purposely designed with collaboration in mind, providing space where teams can come together to strategize, brainstorm and connect on key projects. 

Introduction to Role

You will lead the transformation of NGS capabilities within AstraZeneca's Biologics Engineering department, positioning our organization as the global leader in AI-driven antibody discovery and engineering. This is a high-visibility, strategic role where you will build a world-class NGS platform that seamlessly integrates with our cutting-edge AI/ML initiatives, directly enabling breakthrough therapeutics in oncology and beyond.

In this role, you'll architect the future of data generation for drug discovery. You'll oversee the implementation of advanced sequencing technologies, design custom bioinformatics workflows optimized for antibody discovery, and lead a high-performing team of scientists and bioinformaticians. Your strategic vision will directly impact how AstraZeneca discovers and engineers the next generation of therapeutic antibodies.

What You'll Accomplish in Your First Year

First 30 Days

• Establish relationships with key stakeholders across Biologics Engineering, Bioinformatics, AI teams, Cambridge UK, and Therapeutic Areas in R&D
• Assess current NGS capabilities, infrastructure, team composition, pain points and bottlenecks
• Align with your team on strategic priorities and quick-win opportunities
• Understand data processing, requirements and integration challenges with AI pipelines

First 90 Days

• Develop a comprehensive NGS strategy that aligns with AI/ML requirements for antibody discovery workflows
• Evaluate emerging NGS platforms (long-read sequencing, advanced single-cell technologies) and recommend adoption roadmap
• Establish governance and data standards to ensure NGS outputs seamlessly integrate with AI algorithms
• Launch one high-impact project demonstrating improved NGS-to-AI data pipeline efficiency

First 180 Days

• Deploy advanced bioinformatics pipelines for antibody repertoire analysis, lineage tracing, and affinity maturation studies
• Implement automation improvements in sample preparation and library construction, increasing throughput by 30%+
• Establish AstraZeneca as a thought leader, publish or present at major conferences on NGS-AI integration for antibody discovery
• Define the global NGS strategy in collaboration with Cambridge and establish governance for technology standardization across sites

Your Key Responsibilities

Strategic Vision & Leadership You will develop and execute the comprehensive NGS strategy for Biologics Engineering, with specific focus on antibody discovery, antibody engineering, and supporting Therapeutic Areas across our global R&D organization. You will drive the integration of NGS data generation into AI/ML pipelines, ensuring that sequencing workflows are optimized for machine learning applications. You will establish AstraZeneca as the world leader in NGS applications for biologics discovery.

Team Leadership & Development You will lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of 4 scientists, fostering a culture of scientific innovation that bridges traditional NGS approaches with emerging AI technologies. You will build strong internal partnerships, and create an environment where team members grow into future leaders.

Technology & Innovation You will spearhead evaluation and adoption of emerging sequencing technologies—including long-read platforms, advanced single-cell approaches, and spatial genomics—to enhance AstraZeneca's research capabilities. You will collaborate closely with Discovery and AI teams to understand experimental and data requirements and ensure NGS data processing and outputs are structured and formatted to seamlessly integrate with clustering, down selection and machine learning models. You will develop advanced bioinformatics pipelines specifically designed for antibody sequence analysis, including repertoire analysis, lineage tracing, and affinity maturation studies. You will drive automation in sample preparation, library construction, and NGS workflows to increase efficiency, reproducibility, and throughput.

Data Strategy & Bioinformatics You will design and implement robust, scalable bioinformatics workflows that support NGS applications across biologics discovery and development. You will work with computational scientists to integrate NGS data with structural, developability and assay data and drive data-driven decision-making. You will establish data governance standards, quality metrics, and reproducibility frameworks that ensure data integrity and enable seamless AI integration.

Global Collaboration & Stakeholder Management You will align NGS strategies with the Biologics Engineering team in Cambridge, UK, and support operations at the Waltham site, ensuring consistent capabilities and best practices across the organization. You will foster strong partnerships with Therapeutic Areas in R&D, oncology, and translational medicine teams. You will manage key external relationships with sequencing platform vendors, academic collaborators, and industry partners.

External Leadership & Thought Leadership You will represent AstraZeneca at major international conferences (AGBT, antibody engineering meetings, bioinformatics symposia) and publish peer-reviewed research demonstrating our innovations in NGS-AI integration for antibody discovery. You will establish AstraZeneca's reputation as a leader in this space through speaking engagements, publications, and strategic partnerships with academic institutions.

Resource Management & Budget Oversight You will oversee resource allocation, and strategic planning for the NGS Team within Biologics Engineering. You will make evidence-based recommendations on capital equipment investments, staffing, and external partnerships to maximize impact and ROI.

Essential Education & Experience

• Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, Genetics, Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Biochemistry or related field
• 7+ years of progressive experience in NGS technologies and applications within pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry
• Demonstrated success leading and managing scientific teams (3+ direct reports) with track record of fostering innovation and driving strategic initiatives to completion
• Extensive hands-on experience with multiple NGS platforms (Illumina, PacBio, Oxford Nanopore, or similar) and emerging sequencing technologies
• Strong background in laboratory automation and high-throughput genomics workflows
• Deep expertise in antibody discovery processes and biologics development

Technical Skills

• Proficiency in Python and/or R for bioinformatics pipeline development
• Experience designing and implementing scalable, reproducible scientific workflows
• Familiarity with cloud computing environments (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) for bioinformatics applications
• Understanding of machine learning fundamentals and ability to communicate data requirements with AI/ML teams
• Knowledge of relevant tools: NGS quality assessment, variant calling, sequence alignment, phylogenetic analysis
• Experience with version control, containerization (Docker), and reproducible research practices

Leadership & Communication Skills

• Proven ability to influence and collaborate effectively across organizational levels—from individual contributors to senior leadership
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to translate complex technical concepts for diverse audiences
• Strategic thinking combined with execution excellence—comfortable setting vision while rolling up sleeves on technical challenges
• Experience building high-performing teams and creating cultures of innovation
• Track record of successfully managing multiple stakeholders with competing priorities

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience integrating NGS data into machine learning pipelines
• Hands-on expertise with antibody repertoire sequencing and analysis
• Publications or presentations at peer-reviewed conferences in NGS or genomics
• Experience with single-cell sequencing technologies (10x Genomics)
• International experience or familiarity with multi-site coordination in global organizations
• Background in project management or program leadership within R&D environment

Why You'll Succeed Here

• Strategic Opportunity This role sits at the intersection of two transformative technologies: advanced NGS and discovery. You'll have the autonomy, resources, and executive support to build something genuinely innovative that directly accelerates antibody discovery and patient impact.
• Your Team & Resources You'll lead a talented team of scientists with access to state-of-the-art sequencing infrastructure, cloud computing resources, and partnerships with AI teams.
• Global Platform You'll work across AstraZeneca's Biologics Engineering organization—collaborating with Cambridge UK, Waltham MA, and Gaithersburg MD—and supporting therapeutic areas including oncology and translational medicine. This is truly global, high-impact science.

Total Rewards:

The annual base pay (or hourly rate of compensation) for this position ranges from $172,672.00 - $259,008.00. 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.

AstraZeneca is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion and providing a workplace that is free from discrimination. AstraZeneca is committed to accommodating persons with disabilities. Such accommodation is available on request in respect of all aspects of the recruitment, assessment and selection process and may be requested by emailing AZCHumanResources@astrazeneca.com.

#LI-Hybrid

Date Posted

14-Nov-2025

Closing Date

11-Dec-2025

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.

AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics. We comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorisation and employment eligibility verification requirements.