At a Glance
- Tasks: Design and develop AI solutions to tackle complex challenges in the pharmaceutical industry.
- Company: Join AstraZeneca, a leader in life-changing medicines with a collaborative culture.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, excellent benefits, and flexible working arrangements.
- Other info: Dynamic team environment with opportunities for continuous learning and career growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on patients' lives while pushing the boundaries of science.
- Qualifications: Experience in operations research, mathematical optimisation, and software development.
The predicted salary is between 65250 - 79750 £ per year.
Do you have expertise in, and passion for Operations Research and AI? Would you like to apply your modelling expertise in a company that follows the science and turns ideas into life changing medicines? Then AstraZeneca might be the place for you!
At AstraZeneca, we are committed to being a great place to work, where people are empowered to push the boundaries of science and make a meaningful impact on patients, medicine, and society. We foster an inclusive culture built on diversity, collaboration, and continuous learning.
In technology, you will be encouraged to take ownership, challenge the status quo, and drive innovation. By enabling the business to operate faster and more effectively, you will help deliver solutions that ultimately improve lives around the world.
What you’ll do
The ideal candidate will bring proven experience in designing, developing, and supporting end-to-end AI and optimisation solutions across a broad range of business challenges. This role offers the opportunity to work on some of the most complex and high-impact AI and optimisation engineering problems in the pharmaceutical industry. As part of a global team of AI engineers, data scientists, scientists, and software developers, you will help design, build, and support tools that transform how AstraZeneca operates at scale, improving efficiency in our mission to benefit millions of patients worldwide.
You will work closely with engineering and product teams to deliver and support scalable solutions within the AstraZeneca technology landscape, while championing software engineering best practices across the organisation. We are looking for an engineer who can build and maintain robust, accurate, and reliable end-to-end AI solutions used across AstraZeneca. You should be comfortable working with complex systems and applying AI and optimisation at scale to drive productivity and business impact.
Key Accountabilities
- Contribute to design and development of end-to-end AI solutions that include mathematical optimisation, modelling, and simulation approaches.
- Visualise complex datasets and model outputs using the latest front-end technologies.
- Work together with senior optimisation engineers and AI engineers in the team, focused on product delivery and support.
- Liaise with other engineers to enhance our technological stack, to enable the adoption of the latest advances in AI and software engineering.
- Contribute to various solutions and applications that may cover a broad range of business areas, sometimes at once.
- Be self-driven, curious, innovative, deeply technical and learn continuously.
Essential for the role
- Experience and demonstrable technical skills in developing operations research solutions for complex real-world problems.
- Demonstrated experience using mathematical optimisation software such as CPLEX, Gurobi, SCIP, or OR-Tools.
- Experience with heuristic and meta-heuristic algorithms as an alternative to the above software.
- A working knowledge of optimisation, simulation, and statistical concepts.
- A working knowledge of LLM tools.
- Experience in good software development practice, ideally including Python, and deployment practices such as CI/CD, testing, version control.
- A track record of understanding and translating complex business challenges into well-defined engineering problems.
- Creative, collaborative, & product focused.
- MSc or above.
Desirable for the role
- Experience of adjacent topics such as control and robotics.
- Experience in the deployment of AI tools.
- Experience in developing and deploying interactive applications (e.g., full-stack apps, dashboarding).
So, what’s next?
Be part of something where your work directly impacts a big purpose: to develop life-changing medicines. Join Us!
Where can I find out more?
Our Social Media, Follow AstraZeneca on LinkedIn, Follow AstraZeneca on Facebook, Follow AstraZeneca on Instagram. 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.
Date Posted: 05-Nov-2026
Closing Date: 20-Nov-2026
Our mission is to build an inclusive and equitable environment. We want people to feel they belong at AstraZeneca and Alexion, starting with our recruitment process. We welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of characteristics. We offer reasonable adjustments/accommodations to help all candidates to perform at their best. If you have a need for any adjustments/accommodations, please complete the section in the application form.
Summary
Location: UK - Cambridge
Type: Full time
Associate Principal AI Engineer - Mathematical Optimisation in London employer: AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment in Cambridge where innovation meets collaboration. Employees benefit from a culture that values entrepreneurial thinking and scientific excellence, alongside opportunities for professional growth through mentorship and cross-functional projects. With a commitment to diversity and inclusion, AstraZeneca fosters a supportive atmosphere that empowers individuals to make meaningful contributions to life-changing medicines.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Associate Principal AI Engineer - Mathematical Optimisation in London
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at AstraZeneca or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to AstraZeneca.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like AstraZeneca.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like AstraZeneca that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Associate Principal AI Engineer - Mathematical Optimisation in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at AstraZeneca.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at AstraZeneca and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at AstraZeneca
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If AstraZeneca uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
