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- Tasks: Lead AI-driven drug development projects and collaborate across scientific teams.
- Company: AstraZeneca, a global leader in biopharmaceuticals transforming medicine.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, excellent benefits, and opportunities for impactful work.
- Why this job: Join us to revolutionise drug development and improve lives worldwide.
- Qualifications: PhD in natural sciences and experience in AI applications in drug design.
- Other info: Dynamic work environment with a focus on innovation and collaboration.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 ÂŁ per year.
Do you have the expertise and passion to harness Artificial Intelligence (AI) for drug development in the pharmaceutical industry? Join AstraZeneca and use your expertise to implement ground-breaking methodologies, accelerate digital innovation, and help deliver life-changing medicines to patients worldwide. This isn’t just a role, it’s your opportunity to transform the future of medicine and improve millions of lives.
AstraZeneca is a global, science-driven Biopharmaceutical business and our innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. Ultimately, our aim is to work towards a cure for some of the world’s most complex diseases. Whether that’s by shaping the patient ecosystem and focusing on outcomes, or by progressing potential medicines and accelerating their launch.
Pharmaceutical Sciences at AstraZeneca delivers the therapies of the future through scientific leadership in drug delivery, design of synthetic routes, and manufacturing of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients and drug products. In essence, we are working “from molecule to medicine” to develop medicines for our patients today and tomorrow.
The Predictive Science, Digital, and Automation (PSDA) department leads the digital transformation of Pharmaceutical Sciences to drive innovation, optimize drug development, and enable data- and predict-first driven decisions. We develop and apply computational chemistry, machine learning (ML), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) methodologies - coupled with user centric informatics for seamless data capture, integration, insight, and prediction. This is coupled with strong leadership and expertise to advance lab and process automation all to accelerate projects.
We are now seeking a Principal AI Scientist to join our team in Cambridge or Macclesfield, UK. This role will be at the heart of driving agentic AI and cross-departmental digital transformation within Pharmaceutical Sciences.
We are looking for a candidate who is experienced in deploying graph-based deep learning and/or agentic AI systems in chemistry, drug delivery and formulation science and is skilled at harnessing and connecting scientific knowledge from complex data. The ideal candidate will have demonstrated success embedding AI solutions within scientific teams, working collaboratively across departments, and navigating a landscape rich in existing and evolving digital platforms.
You’ll leverage your expertise to develop and lead our efforts in implementing agentic AI solutions into predict-first driven drug development workflows, bridge experimental and data science, and work with automation specialists to implement self-learning lab concepts. You will help shape our approach to leveraging AI models, designing orchestration and prompt engineering strategies, and collaborate to ensure we are at the forefront of fundamental AI developments.
Your core responsibilities will include:
- Lead the design and implementation of agentic AI systems to facilitate scientific discovery and drive productivity.
- Deliver agentic AI and generative AI based solutions for drug development tasks.
- Embed within and collaborate across scientific, digitisation, and IT teams to ensure that AI-driven solutions are both impactful and well-integrated into current workflows.
- Represent the group internally and externally, sharing insights on how best to deploy agentic AI to unlock data-driven value within R&D.
- Foster a scientific culture that connects lab innovation with advanced computational methods leading to a predict-first mindset in early drug development.
- Collaborate internally and externally to pursue the development of foundation models for Chemistry, Manufacturing and Control (CMC).
Essential requirements for the role:
- PhD in natural sciences
- Several years of industrial experience in the field of drug design, pharmaceutical chemistry, or drug development
- Expert knowledge in using generative AI applied to drug design and development (e.g. Graph ML and representation learning; agentic AI and orchestration; scientific data integration)
- Domain knowledge in computational chemistry, chemical informatics, and/or laboratory and data workflows preferred
- Excellent communication skills, written and spoken; self-motivated team player
- Experience in project leadership
- Demonstrated system-level design and platform thinking
- Demonstrated external reputation (e.g. via internationally recognised publication track record)
At AstraZeneca, we turn ideas into life changing medicines and strive to continuously meet the unmet needs of patients worldwide. Working here means being entrepreneurial, thinking big, and working together to make the impossible a reality.
Ultimately, it’s more than a job. We know that our work impacts people with serious conditions, many of whom have no other alternatives. That’s what drives us – the potential to impact over one billion patients worldwide.
Location: Cambridge or Macclesfield UK
Salary: Competitive + Excellent Benefits
So, what’s next? Are you already imagining yourself joining us? Good, because we can’t wait to hear from you! Welcome with your application; CV and cover letter, no later than 15 February 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.
Experienced Principal AI Scientist in Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences in Macclesfield employer: AstraZeneca
Contact Detail:
AstraZeneca Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Experienced Principal AI Scientist in Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences in Macclesfield
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, attend events, and connect with AstraZeneca employees on LinkedIn. Building relationships can open doors that applications alone can't.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills in interviews! Prepare to discuss your experience with AI in drug development and be ready to share specific examples of how you've made an impact in previous roles.
✨Tip Number 3
Research AstraZeneca's projects and values. Tailor your conversations to show how your expertise aligns with their mission to transform medicine and improve patient outcomes.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining the team!
We think you need these skills to ace Experienced Principal AI Scientist in Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences in Macclesfield
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the role of Principal AI Scientist. Highlight your experience in AI, drug development, and any relevant projects that showcase your skills. We want to see how your background aligns with our mission!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about using AI in pharmaceuticals and how you can contribute to our team. Be genuine and let your enthusiasm for the role come through.
Showcase Your Achievements: Don’t just list your responsibilities; highlight your achievements! Use specific examples of how you've successfully implemented AI solutions or led projects in your previous roles. We love seeing results and impact!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets to the right people. Plus, you’ll find all the details you need to make your application stand out!
How to prepare for a job interview at AstraZeneca
✨Know Your AI Stuff
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of generative AI, graph-based deep learning, and agentic AI systems. Be ready to discuss how you've applied these methodologies in drug development or pharmaceutical sciences. Specific examples will show that you not only understand the theory but can also implement it effectively.
✨Showcase Collaboration Skills
AstraZeneca values teamwork, so be prepared to share experiences where you've successfully collaborated across departments. Highlight any projects where you worked with scientific, digitisation, or IT teams to integrate AI solutions into workflows. This will demonstrate your ability to foster a scientific culture and connect lab innovation with computational methods.
✨Prepare for Technical Questions
Expect technical questions related to computational chemistry and data workflows. Review your past projects and be ready to explain your thought process and decision-making. This is your chance to showcase your system-level design thinking and how you approach complex problems in drug development.
✨Communicate Clearly
Excellent communication skills are essential for this role. Practice articulating your ideas clearly and concisely, both in writing and verbally. Prepare to discuss your publication track record and how it relates to the role. Being able to convey complex concepts in an understandable way will set you apart from other candidates.
