Research Scientist

Target Science Team

Hays Life Sciences is now looking to recruit a Research Scientist to join the Target Science Team for a 6-month contract assignment at AstraZeneca.

Are you an enthusiastic lab-based scientist looking for a position where your technical expertise can make a difference to patients through experimental evaluation of potential new drug targets? If you are also familiar with immunology or respiratory biology, all the better! Come and join the team that passionately follows the science and puts the patients first.

We have an exciting opportunity for an engaged and passionate scientist to play an important part as a Research Scientist in our Target Science team within Early Respiratory and Immunology (R&I). The position will be placed at AstraZeneca in Gothenburg (Swe). In Target Science we focus on the identification and validation of novel targets and mechanisms addressing key biological disease drivers to enable a precision medicine approach to treating respiratory and immune-driven diseases. We are committed to selecting the right targets for the right patients.

In this role you'll be part of our broader Translational Science and Experimental Medicine (TSEM) organisation. Within TSEM, we are working in an open environment with a strong science focus and our work bridges basic science with clinical development. Our mission is to understand disease mechanisms at the molecular level closing the gap between bench science and bedside clinical practice.

What you will do:
You will join a team of dedicated Target Scientists and have a key role in successfully validating therapeutic target ideas enabling important milestone investment decisions (Target Selection Investment Decision (TSID)). In the everyday work you will:

* Experimentally evaluate new candidate targets resulting from unbiased approaches to target identification including genomics, phenotypic screening, and the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning.
* Validate potential new drug targets by generating high quality experimental data.
* Use and develop disease-relevant experimental model systems to enable experimental validation of new targets.
* Analyse your data and present your conclusions to the team.

Essential in the role:
To take on this role, you need to have good networking and communication skills, with the ability to work efficiently in a team environment where you and your team support each other to deliver. You should also have:

* Academic qualifications at least at postgraduate level or equivalent with a strong experimental drive and background in basic science related to immunology or respiratory research.
* A PhD or otherwise relevant scientific research training and experience is an advantage.
* Industry experience and a good understanding of the drug development process is an advantage.
* Basic understanding of immunology and/or respiratory disease biology, including cell types, molecular pathways, and mechanisms.
* Broad understanding of and the ability to apply state-of-the-art target validation technologies and methodologies along with excellent laboratory skills and the ability to experimentally address key scientific questions.

This is a laboratory-based role, requiring technical expertise and strong organisational skills. Your data will enable effective decision-making and ensure timely prosecution of pre-TSID projects. In this highly collaborative role, you need to have proven track record of scientific and experimental excellence and robust delivery of results.