Director, Project Toxicologist, Safety Sciences China

At AstraZeneca, we push the boundaries of science to deliver life-changing medicines. Our global Safety Sciences organization delivers innovative non-clinical safety science and toxicology expertise to enable the discovery, development and registration of novel medicines.  

We are seeking a highly motivated Director, Project Toxicologist, to join our Safety Sciences China group. This role will bring non-clinical safety expertise and effective discovery and regulatory toxicology strategies to deliver new candidate drug projects (internally and/or with collaborators), ensuring local preclinical safety input that integrates seamlessly into global development and submissions. 

You will partner with global cross-functional teams across therapeutic areas and modalities (small molecules, radio-conjugates, immune-cell engagers, antibody–drug conjugates, peptides, etc). 

Job description 

• Lead regulatory and investigative toxicology study design, developing strategies to predict, assess, and mitigate target- and modality-related safety risks. 

• Apply your toxicology expertise to predict clinical safety risks and, as core member of drug project teams, support data-driven decisions across discovery and development programs. 

• Provide strategic toxicology input for in-licensing evaluations and external collaborations. 

• Communicate integrated risk assessments to governance bodies and contribute to regulatory submissions. 

• Maintain and expand expertise in regulatory standards, preclinical safety, and modality-specific safety science, staying ahead of industry trends. 

• Innovate at the intersection of regulatory toxicology and cutting-edge science, leveraging in vitro, in silico, in vivo, and emerging technologies like organ-on-chip, imaging, and omics, and contribute to internal and external scientific reputation through internal and external collaborations, publications, and thought leadership. 

• Role model demonstration of AZ Values. 

Essential skills and experience 

• PhD and/or DABT in Toxicology, Pharmacology, Cell Biology, Pathology or related field, with a strong scientific track record (or another university degree with relevant work experience). 

• Robust experience in Project Toxicology, Investigative Toxicology, or related non-clinical safety-focused roles in pharma, biotech, or CRO environments. 

• Deep understanding of drug discovery and development, with proven ability to deliver toxicology programs supporting IND filings. 

• Expertise across small and large molecule modalities and relevant therapeutic areas (e.g. Oncology, Cardiovascular, Metabolism, Immunology, Respiratory). 

• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and influencing skills to inform decisions across scientific and regulatory teams. Fluency in English and Mandarin is essential. Strong awareness of work-related cultural aspects across China, EU, UK, US and a proven ability to work across geographies and cultural barriers, building trust and effective collaboration in a global pharma environment. 

• Skilled in using in vitro, in silico, and in vivo tools to predict clinical safety risks. 

• Collaborative, problem-solving mindset with the ability to coordinate and prioritize across multiple projects.