Science Communication and Engagement Lead/Director

Do you have a background in Science and are you an experienced Communication specialist? Are you passionate about Engagement and Science Communication and can you envision applying your expertise to positively impact the development of new medicines? Join us to push the boundaries of science!

What we do

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 is a CMC organisation working in the Early Portfolio and accountable for the design and development of synthetic routes, preclinical and phase I/II formulations, encompassing both small molecules and new modalities such as mRNA and oligonucleotides, across the whole range of AstraZeneca´s therapeutic areas.

We are now looking for a dedicated and highly motivated colleague to lead our scientific communications and engagement. You can be based in one of our dynamic R&D sites in Gothenburg - Sweden or Cambridge - UK.

What you'll do
In this role, you'll get the opportunity to lead the development and implementation of the communication strategy for Pharmaceutical Sciences, a global multi-site function of over 350 people and growing.
To do this, we'll rely on you to identify and drive innovative ways of bringing the Pharmaceutical Sciences voice to the relevant partners, audiences and agendas.

You will work closely with the Pharmaceutical Sciences Leadership Team and people across the function to shape and deliver an internal communication strategy - continually identifying and delivering on opportunities for improvement. You will also partner with Corporate Affairs and Talent Aquisition to shape science communications to enhance the external brand awareness of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and build our talent attraction story.

* Act as communications advisor to the Vice President of Pharmaceutical Sciences
* Lead the planning, communication asset creation and implementation to support key strategic needs for our functional scientific and great place to work strategy. This includes video scripting, filming and editing, scientific copy writing, event planning and delivery, commissioning of scientific imagery and design work and other specialist services
* Lead the strategy for enhancing engagement of Pharmaceutical Sciences leaders internally and externally, including provision of coaching and training programmes
* Overall accountable for the delivery of high quality and engaging events and broadcasts (e.g. Town Halls) to bring the Pharmaceutical Sciences story to life
* Lead initiatives to enhance Pharmaceutical Sciences culture
* Accountable for delivery of key business reports
* Build and execute an engaging internal editorial calendar to raise the visibility of Pharmaceutical Sciences achievements across AstraZeneca (e.g. contribution to portfolio milestones, scientific publications and technology innovation) and to communicate our scorecard using a range of platforms including internal social media
* Support the IT strategy for use of specific collaboration mechanisms, such as Microsoft Teams and SharePoint Online

Essential for the role
We believe that you have a PhD or MSc in Life science, complemented by significant experience in science communication with a proven track record of clearly and creatively articulate science fit for the audience. Furthermore, you possess a strong ability to engage, influence and collaborate across boundaries, always with a delivery focus and a problem-solving approach.

* Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English
* Scientific in-depth knowledge in the CMC field or related scientific areas
* Broad knowledge of the pharmaceutical drug discovery and development process
* Strong influencing, networking and team working skills
* A proven track record of delivering tasks in a timely manner
* Experience in social media management, video editing and graphic design tools is desirable

Why AstraZeneca
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.

We offer competitive salaries and excellent benefits, such as extra paid Holiday, Private Medical Benefit and much, much more.

So, what's next!
If your passion is science and you want to be part of a team that makes a bigger impact on patients' lives, then there's no better place to be.

We look forward to find out more about you so welcome with your application; CV and cover letter, no later than 2nd of February, 2022
For more information please contact Angela Salden, Head of Business Planning and Operations, at angela.salden@astrazeneca.com