Diagnostic Liaison Oncology

Position: Diagnostic Liaison – Oncology; Field based: London and South East Region Competitive Salary & Excellent Company Benefits Applications closing date: 22 October 2026 Role Summary As a Diagnostic Liaison, you will accelerate appropriate testing and timely diagnosis by enabling high-quality, guideline-aligned histopathology, molecular and biomarker testing across solid tumour pathways. You will build strong partnerships across NHS and private laboratories, pathology services and clinical pathways to remove operational barriers, optimise test adoption, and support HCP decision-making aligned to AstraZeneca’s oncology portfolio and patient needs. This is a full-time, permanent position for the London and South East geography, including relevant Genomic Laboratory Hub, pathology network, Cancer Alliance and private provider ecosystems. Key Responsibilities Ecosystem engagement: Identify, map and develop strategic relationships across oncology diagnostic pathways for all relevant tumour types and biomarkers. Stakeholders will include cellular and molecular pathologists, histopathology laboratory managers, laboratory directors, Genomic Laboratory Hubs, pathology networks, digital pathology leads, MDT coordinators, oncologists, surgeons, radiologists, CNS/ANP teams, Cancer Alliances, ICBs, private hospital and laboratory groups, and diagnostic and technology companies. Pathway optimisation: Diagnose bottlenecks across the end-to-end diagnostic pathway, including tissue acquisition, fixation, processing, histopathology assessment, biomarker triage, test ordering, sample referral, analysis, reporting and clinical interpretation. Co-create tailored solutions such as reflex or parallel testing, improved tissue stewardship, digital pathology-enabled workflows, sample logistics, reporting turnaround improvements, interoperability and MDT integration to improve patient identification and time to treatment. Biomarker excellence: Drive awareness, quality and appropriate use of all priority and emerging biomarkers relevant to AstraZeneca’s oncology portfolio across tumour types. Support fit-for-purpose testing strategies spanning protein, DNA, RNA, genomic, immune, circulating and digital biomarkers, aligned with NICE, national guidance and recognised pathology standards. Education: Develop and deliver non-promotional, compliant educational programmes on histopathology and molecular testing standards, tissue and sample quality, assay selection and validation, digital pathology adoption, image analysis, reflex and parallel testing, quality assurance, interpretation and reporting best practice for relevant NHS and private-sector customer groups. Evidence and insights: Gather and synthesise field insights across NHS and private testing pathways, including access, capacity, turnaround times, failure rates, tissue insufficiency, biomarker testing uptake, reflex testing, digital pathology maturity, reporting quality and guideline adherence. Feed actionable insights back to cross-functional teams to inform portfolio, brand and diagnostic strategy. Cross-functional execution: Partner with Brand, Medical, Diagnostics, Market Access, and Key Account teams to design and execute regional tactical plans; monitor KPIs and outcomes (e.g., testing rates, TAT reduction, MDT adoption). Compliance: Adhere to AZ Code of Conduct, Standards, SOPs, ABPI/ABHI and local regulatory requirements for scientific interactions and materials. Internal Contacts Diagnostics Leader and Diagnostics team, Cross‑Functional Brand Teams, Medical Affairs, Market Access, Key Account Management, Real‑World Evidence/HEOR as applicable. External Stakeholders Cellular and molecular pathology experts, histopathology and laboratory leaders, Genomic Laboratory Hubs, NHS pathology networks, Cancer Alliances, digital pathology and image-analysis leads, private hospital and laboratory providers, diagnostic and technology partners, professional societies, commissioners and HCPs across oncology pathways. Essential Criteria Education: Undergraduate degree in a life science or biomedical discipline. Oncology diagnostics experience: considerable direct experience in the diagnostics or clinical testing market with demonstrable impact in solid tumour oncology. Oncology pathway expertise: Broad working knowledge of UK solid tumour diagnostic pathways and the role of predictive, prognostic and monitoring biomarkers across tumour types. Able to interpret and apply relevant NICE, NHS England, RCPath and other national guidance, and to understand regional Cancer Alliance and pathology network priorities. Histopathology and modality fluency: Practical understanding of histopathology workflows, tissue stewardship and morphological assessment, together with IHC, ISH/FISH, PCR, NGS and liquid biopsy in oncology. This includes pre-analytical variables, assay selection, validation principles, quality assurance, interpretation, reporting and turnaround considerations. Stakeholder engagement: Proven ability to engage laboratory leadership and clinical teams, influence pathway change, and facilitate MDT-aligned solutions. Communication: Strong oral and written communication skills; adept at delivering technical data presentations to mixed audiences (lab, clinical, managerial). Collaboration and execution: Demonstrated cross‑functional teamwork with evidence of planning, executing, and measuring regional projects or initiatives. Travel: Ability to travel across London and the South East, and elsewhere in the UK as required, including to NHS pathology networks, cancer centres, private hospitals and independent laboratories. Preferred Criteria Advanced degree: MSc or PhD in life sciences, biomedical science, molecular pathology, or related field; or HCPC‑registered Biomedical/Clinical Scientist background. Depth of oncology diagnostics: substantial experience in the diagnostic or clinical testing market with broad solid tumour experience. Strong experience in histopathology is preferred, alongside work with Genomic Laboratory Hubs, NHS pathology networks, private testing providers and digital pathology implementations Guideline and policy fluency: In‑depth knowledge of NICE guidelines, NHSE Genomics strategy, RCPath standards, local ICB/CCG commissioning, and Cancer Alliance initiatives impacting testing. Project leadership: End-to-end leadership of diagnostic pathway optimisation projects across tumour types, such as histopathology workflow redesign, reflex or parallel testing rollouts, digital pathology or image-analysis adoption, NGS implementation, private-provider pathway integration and biomarker quality improvement, with measurable outcomes such as reduced turnaround time, increased testing rates, improved sample quality or fewer test failures. Data and quality: Experience with lab/operational metrics, audit, QMS, EQA participation, and use of data to drive continuous improvement. External customer breadth: Established network across NHS and private-sector pathology, including histopathologists, molecular pathologists, oncologists, laboratory leaders, digital pathology stakeholders and diagnostic or technology vendors; experience co-developing compliant solutions across organisational boundaries. Therapeutic alignment: Familiarity with biomarker-led therapy selection across AstraZeneca’s oncology portfolio and a broad range of solid tumour pathways, with an understanding of how diagnostic evidence, test availability and reporting inform tre