Cell Therapy External Science Engagement & Strategy Director

Introduction to Role The Cell Therapy Partnerships & Strategy team brings together experts working at the forefront of clinical development to help shape AstraZeneca’s next generation of cell therapy innovation. By engaging critical external stakeholders, integrating leading scientific perspectives, and connecting external expertise with our research and development priorities, we accelerate meaningful progress across the portfolio. As the Cell Therapy External Science Engagement & Strategy Director, you will lead the development and execution of external scientific engagement, strategic partnership, Externally Sponsored Collaborative Research, and medical congress strategies across AstraZeneca’s cell therapy portfolio. You will cultivate academic and scientific collaborations that accelerate clinical trial delivery, generate actionable insights, and strengthen AstraZeneca’s leadership within the evolving cell therapy ecosystem. Operating at the intersection of strategy and execution, you will translate R&D priorities into coordinated, insight-led engagement plans with clear objectives, measurable outcomes, and robust governance. You will collaborate across Clinical Development, Translational Science, Medical Affairs, Regulatory, Clinical Operations, and other enterprise functions to connect external perspectives with decisions that advance our programs and benefit patients. Why This Role This is an opportunity to shape how AstraZeneca engages with leading scientists, investigators, academic institutions, professional societies, and cell therapy centers across hematology, autoimmune diseases, rare diseases, and neurology. You will influence scientific and clinical development strategy through External Scientific Panels, Cell Therapy Science Committees, academic collaborations, Investigator-Initiated Trials, strategic-site partnerships, and priority medical congresses. Your work will help translate emerging science and external insight into stronger study designs, evidence-generation plans, operational improvements, and portfolio decisions. Accountabilities External Scientific Expert Panels and Academic Partnerships Contribute to an integrated external scientific engagement and partnership strategy aligned with Cell Therapy Enterprise R&D priorities across hematology, autoimmune diseases, rare diseases, and neurology. Design and lead External Scientific Panels (ESPs), Cell Therapy Science Committees, advisory engagements, and other scientific forums that address clearly defined program- and portfolio-level questions. Identify, cultivate, and manage strategic relationships with Key External Experts, academic institutions, professional societies, investigators, and leading cell therapy centers. Partner with Clinical Development and cross-functional teams to define engagement objectives, identify appropriate experts, and develop scientific agendas, briefing materials, and follow-up plans. Leverage external expertise to inform development strategy, study design, patient populations, clinical endpoints, safety management, evidence generation, and the operational delivery of early- and late-stage cell therapy programs. Establish a coordinated approach to expert engagement across the portfolio that reduces duplication, strengthens continuity, and maximizes the strategic value of each interaction. Serve as the primary AstraZeneca point of contact for select external experts and strategic partners, establishing clear governance, facilitating issue resolution, and supporting effective collaboration. Establish measurable objectives for external engagements and partnerships and track their influence on strategic decisions, clinical development plans, and trial delivery. Facilitate clear communication and information sharing across Cell Therapy Enterprise programs. External Science Engagement and Congress Strategy Lead the strategic planning, execution, and follow-up of priority medical congresses and external scientific engagements relevant to the Cell Therapy Enterprise portfolio. Develop integrated, portfolio-level strategies for Tier 1 and Tier 2 congresses, including ASH, ACR Convergence, ASCO, EHA, ESMO, AANEM, ASTCT, and other strategically important scientific forums. Define priority stakeholders, scientific objectives, engagement plans, key activities, governance, and expected outcomes for each congress or external forum. Serve as the Cell Therapy Enterprise lead for priority congresses, partnering across R&D, Clinical Development, Medical Affairs, and global functions to deliver a coordinated and impactful AstraZeneca scientific presence. Lead cross-functional congress planning forums and oversee congress playbooks, briefing materials, leadership communications, stakeholder meeting plans, and execution resources. Coordinate the deployment of AstraZeneca subject-matter experts and scientific capabilities to advance scientific dialogue and capture competitive, clinical, and emerging scientific insights. Identify opportunities to improve coordination, reduce duplication, and increase the scientific and strategic value of external engagements. Ensure insights, decisions, and follow-up actions are documented, communicated, and translated into clear strategic recommendations. Define and monitor measures of success for priority congresses and use outcomes and insights to strengthen future engagement strategies. Cell Therapy Site and Stakeholder Relationships Build and maintain strategic relationships with AstraZeneca Cell Therapy Strategic Partnership sites, investigators, institutional leaders, clinical site teams, research institutions, and other stakeholders across the R&D ecosystem. Develop stakeholder maps and segmentation frameworks that identify priority relationships and define the appropriate engagement objectives, timing, channels, and internal ownership. Partner with Clinical Development and study-delivery teams to identify site-level opportunities and barriers, strengthen investigator engagement, and support efficient clinical trial activation and execution. Leverage Cell Therapy Strategic Partnerships to address site-level barriers and generate actionable scientific and operational insights across early- and late-stage programs. Connect institutional capabilities and external scientific interests with AstraZeneca’s portfolio priorities to create high-value, mutually beneficial collaborations. Represent AstraZeneca at scientific congresses, academic forums, strategic partnership meetings, and relevant industry events to strengthen the company’s visibility and credibility within the cell therapy ecosystem. Externally Sponsored Collaborative Research Support the evaluation and advancement of Externally Sponsored Collaborative Research (ESCR) proposals, including Investigator-Initiated Trials (IITs), from concept submission and scientific review through contracting, execution, and dissemination of results. Partner with external investigators and internal subject-matter experts to assess proposals for scientific merit, strategic alignment, operational feasibility, readiness, potential portfolio impact, and the ability to address priority evidence gaps. Serve as a key liaison between external investigator-sponsors and internal review and governance committees throughout the ESCR lifecycle. Coordinate cross-functional proposal reviews with Clinical Development, Translational Science, Regulatory, Safety, Clinical Operations, Legal, Compliance, Contracts, and other relevant functions. Prepare propo