At AstraZeneca we win through science. It’s at the heart of our every success. Science is only possible when we all work together – we will always make sure you are clear about how your role is connected to our wider mission to really show what science can do.

Position Summary:

The Protein Sciences Group in Biologics Engineering (BE) is looking for a dedicated and experienced scientist with extensive knowledge and expertise in biologics analytical characterization. This position will involve establishing and enhancing analytical characterization capabilities within BE, and will play a crucial role in discovering early-stage biologics candidates. The ideal candidate should have a thorough understanding of biologics discovery process and familiarity with industry standards for characterizing monoclonal antibodies, multi-specifics, various antibody scaffolds, antibody drug conjugates, and bio-conjugates. If you are enthusiastic about developing innovative biologics and aspire to grow in a stimulating and fast-paced environment, we encourage you to apply for this position.

Are you motivated by challenging the boundaries of science? Would you like to contribute directly to AZ’s strategy of growth through Innovation? Then please

Business area:

The Protein Science group is at the heart of the Biologics Engineering department. We provide support to all therapeutic areas. We are a science-led expert function of people with curious minds that supports the discovery and engineering of novel biomolecules. We are passionate about collaboration and developing innovative technologies to create the next generation of biotherapeutics to improve patients’ lives.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

This is a hands-on lab-based role for a scientific specialist in the protein analytics area .

This job requires developing and implementing various methods of analytical, biochemical, and biophysical characterization of discovery stage Biologics, including antibodies, multi-specifics, and various protein reagents. The successful candidate will generate critical data to support the characterization, sequence optimization, developability assessment and structure function studies to advance AZ’s biologic pipeline.

We will rely on you to:

• Develop and implement various methods of analytical, biochemical, and biophysical characterization of discovery stage Biologics, including antibodies, multi-specifics, and various protein reagents
• Generate critical data to support protein characterization, sequence optimization, drug candidate selection, developability assessment, and structure-function studies to advance the Biologics pipeline
• Troubleshooting and optimizing assays through data interpretation and identifying novel or orthogonal techniques while driving technology development
• Support automation and computational efforts to enable high-throughput Biologics research workflows
• Build strong collaborative relationships with the project investigators and key partners
• Provide disciplinary scientific leadership and represent the department at interdisciplinary meetings internally as well as externally
• Make a significant contribution to the practical delivery of projects in accordance with Safety Health & Environment requirements and in compliance with all AstraZeneca Corporate responsibility policies
• Develop an overall knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry in the global context and the ability to translate this into new business opportunities.

Requirements/Qualifications:

• The ideal candidate should possess a Ph.D. with 5 years or an M.S. with 8 years of experience in biochemistry, analytical chemistry, or a related field with relevant industry experience in Biologics R&D.
• This experience will cover all relevant aspects from hypothesis generation, through experimental design and execution
• Deep knowledge and hands-on experience with innovative methods of analytical characterization, mass spectrometry of antibodies, multi-specifics, VHH, various protein scaffolds, ADCs, and bio-conjugates, covering screening, lead characterization, and pre-clinical candidate selection
• Hands-on experience with a wide variety of analytical methods for protein characterization, including but not limited to LC-MS, HIC, aSEC, cIEF, IEX, CE-SDS, DLS, DSC, DSF, and CIC
• Direct experience with LC-MS methods and software packages platforms for intact mass deconvolution, peptide mapping analysis, PTMs, charge and disulfide variants (e.g., BioPharma Finder, PEAKS, Protein Metrics Suite).
• Experience with developing miniaturized high-throughput analytical workflows and automated data processes
• Strong understanding of protein chemistry, particularly with respect to developability characteristics (e.g., aggregation, hydrophobicity, charge distribution, polyspecificity, sequence liabilities), and experience conducting developability studies in pharma, biotech, or CRO setting
• Highly motivated with a quality and detail-oriented mindset, able to work in a fast-paced team environment, meet deadlines, and prioritize work from multiple projects
• Excellent written and oral communication skills and the ability to work independently and collaboratively

Desired qualifications

• A history of peer-reviewed high-quality publications and scientific presentations
• Experience with SPR, Biacore 8K, Carterra, and/or Kinexa will be a significant advantage

Join us at our R&D site in Gaithersburg, MD.

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 innovative 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 on-site day care. This is where you’ll find activity-based work spaces to suit a variety of working styles while increasing collaboration between teams.

If you are interested, apply now!

AstraZeneca is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.