Associate Director, Epidemiology Forecasting

This is what you will do:

The Epidemiology Forecasting team at Alexion-Astrazeneca Rare Disease Unit has global accountability for development of scientifically rigorous epidemiology forecasts of incidence, prevalence and patient population size that deepen our understanding of disease, support strategic decision-making and ultimately, help Alexion transform the lives of people affected by rare disease.

The Associate Director, Epidemiology is a high-level strategic and scientific role that involves: 1) collaborating with key business stakeholders at a global level to identify and prioritize opportunities for stage-appropriate and impactful epidemiologic forecasts across one or more therapeutic areas; 2) accountability for planning, developing and executing epidemiological forecasts that characterize the incidence, prevalence, natural history and estimated population size of pipeline and marketed indications; 3) communicating and interpreting the results of these forecasts to ensure shared understanding and buy-in across the business; and 4) leading or participating in functional excellence initiatives to help improve our work and solve problems together.  

The Associate Director, Epidemiology Forecasting will represent the Epidemiology department in cross-functional teams, and work closely with Clinical Development, Business Development, Corporate Strategy, and Commercial team members and must have mature team-working behaviors with organizational awareness and insight.  The Associate Director, Epidemiology Forecasting will also interface with key Alexion senior management and external stakeholders to ensure appropriate communication of results from epidemiology deliverables.  The Associate Director, Epidemiology Forecasting will monitor work performed by contractors, and will also track external expenditures.  The ideal candidate will have prior experience with interpretation of epidemiologic data and will be passionate about the application of epidemiology to support developing and delivering life-transforming therapies for patients with severe and rare, life-threatening diseases.

You will be responsible for:

• Collaborate with key business stakeholders to identify opportunities for epidemiological forecasting, negotiating timelines and agreeing fit-for-purpose deliverables.
• Accountable for systematic identification and critical appraisal of epidemiological literature to characterize incidence, prevalence, natural history, and phenotype/genotype associations for assigned diseases.
• Perform epidemiological analyses to estimate and forecast prevalent and/or incident population sizes.
• Coordinate and monitor work performed by Epidemiology personnel and/or contractors. 
• Identify and oversee analysis of external databases to estimate incidence and prevalence for disease areas. 
• Summarize results in written reports and oral presentations. 
• Directly participate and represent the Epidemiology department in cross-functional team meetings with presentation of summary findings to Alexion senior management and/or external stakeholders.
• Participate in the review and assessment Epidemiology department processes including standardized templates for disseminating results of epidemiology population forecasting deliverables.
• Maintain awareness of epidemiology with respect to regulatory requirements, payer trends, and advancement of pharmacoepidemiology methods
• Travel may be required (up to 10%).

You will need to have:

• Hands-on experience developing patient population forecasts, including analysis of prevalence, incidence, and natural history, preferably in rare diseases or oncology.
• PhD / DSc / DrPH in Epidemiology with at least 3 years experience in the pharmaceutical industry, biotechnology, or consulting environment, or MPH/MSc in Epidemiology with at least 6 years experience in the pharmaceutical industry, biotechnology, or consulting environment.
• The duties of this role are generally conducted in an office environment.  As is typical of an office-based role, employees must be able, with or without an accommodation to: use a computer; engage in communications via phone, video, and electronic messaging; engage in problem solving and non-linear thought, analysis, and dialogue; collaborate with others; maintain general availability during standard business hours.

We would prefer for you to have:

• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Knowledge of drug and clinical development process for genomic medicines.
• Excellent attention to detail and quality, and scientific rigor.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams.
• High degrees of self-motivation and organization.
• Comfort in a fast-moving environment with frequent changes in scope or direction of projects. 
• Thorough and up-to-date technical knowledge of epidemiology and relevant biostatistics methods.
• Record of high-quality publications in peer-reviewed journals.

Please include a cover letter with your application explaining why you believe you are suitable for the position.

AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics. We comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements.