Our postgraduate opportunities open doors to discoveries.

AstraZeneca employs nearly 12,000 people in R&D. We have six major joint discovery and development facilities in the UK, US and Sweden.

We have a further four sites in the US, Canada, India and France which focus solely on discovery, and a facility in Japan dedicated to development. These resources are complemented by clinical development at 43 sites around the world.

R&D is a globally-managed organisation which is therapy area led and project driven. At the same time we form partnerships with academia, governments, regulators, healthcare providers and major industry collaborators.

• Discover Chemistry
• Process Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Biological Sciences
• Drug Metabolism
• Process Engineering

Discover Chemistry

(back to top) 

PhD discipline: Any Chemistry discipline

Though the boundaries are blurred, our chemists in this area fall into three groups: medicinal chemists who design new compounds - the active ingredients in pharmaceutical products; physical chemists who support the design process using computational chemistry and modern spectroscopic techniques;  and synthetic organic chemists who take those virtual ideas and convert them into testable compounds in bottles.

Opportunities for PhD chemists are available in all of the above areas. And all lead to a variety of exciting roles. As you enhance your skills, further your experience and progress to the level of senior chemist, you'll generally work as part of a multi-disciplinary team. By this time, you'll have developed a broad understanding of the entire development process and will contribute even more to the invention of new products.

PhD opportunities at Charnwood, Leicestershire:

As a Ph.D. Chemist you would join an existing chemistry effort, part of a multi-disciplinary Project Team. You will be expected to apply modern synthetic methods to access novel biological compounds and play a leading role in defining the chemical program. You will develop and supervise other staff and collaborate with colleagues from other disciplines to influence Project strategy. You will be expected to advance scientific thinking within the department and contribute externally through publications in the peer reviewed literature. Your aspiration will be to become a Team Leader within the department, a demanding role managing people and science to meet Project objectives. We will provide support and training to help you achieve that ambition.

PhD opportunities at Alderley Park, Cheshire:

Senior Research Scientist

The purpose of the job is to design and carry out the syntheses of compounds for biological test. The chemist works as part of a team made up of a team leader who is broadly responsible for the design of the target biologically active compounds and 1-3 chemists who design and carry out the syntheses of these compounds.You will be expected to publish and report scientific progress, and run CASE award programmes.The skills required for this job are a sound knowledge of synthetic reagents and techniques, a thorough grasp of synthetic route design, good planning and organisational skills, good problem solving abilities and of course, good practical skills. The chemist is expected to have a keen interest in organic chemistry and to keep abreast of the latest developments.

Associate Team Leader

In the Associate Team Leader Role you will be involved in the conception, design and synthesis of biologically active compounds. A key role will be influencing the choice and direction of projects: you will be expected to interact with colleagues from other disciplines and actively contribute to project discussions. The role will also involve the management and supervision and development of both temporary and permanent staff. You will be expected to publish and report scientific progress, and run CASE award programmes. Although similar scientific skills are required for this position there is a greater emphasis on managing others at an earlier stage and in taking decisions affecting the direction of projects than in the Senior Research Scientist role.

Applicants to Alderley Park will be considered for both the Associate Team Leader and Senior Research Scientist roles. One interview process will cover both roles.

Process Chemistry

(back to top)

PhD discipline: Chemistry

Researchers in Process Chemistry provide a vital link between the discovery of a potential drug by Discovery Research, its evaluation in clinical research trials and ultimately its manufacture for the marketplace.

Prior to the selection of a new Candidate Drug, only a small quantity of the compound will have been synthesised; the synthetic route may be complex and may involve many stages. As soon as the pharmaceutical properties of the compound look promising, increasing amounts of material are quickly required for toxicity studies and for clinical trials work.   The main challenge for Process Chemists is to rapidly discover a safe, efficient and practical synthetic route.

As a drug progresses through Clinical Development, synthetic routes and processes will be refined and optimised. By the time a drug reaches the market a safe, robust and environmentally benign process must be delivered, to provide product of very high quality routinely.

Process Chemistry is pivotal in achieving the successful development of a new medicine.  Fundamental to this development is a solid understanding of synthetic organic chemistry and process development issues.  Process Chemists interact closely with personnel from different areas: including discovery scientists, manufacturing chemists, analysts, engineers, purchasing and safety experts, working towards a common goal.  In addition to being a talented synthetic organic chemist, the process chemist must therefore be an excellent communicator and team player.  

As a PhD Chemist in Process R&D you would be expected to contribute to the discovery, design and development of viable routes to target candidate compounds for transfer to bulk manufacture. The role is pivotal in achieving the successful development of the chosen compound and ensuring the supply of material to support safety work, formulation activities and Clinical Assessment. You will supervise and develop other staff and collaborate with colleagues across Process R&D, Research and other key areas. You will contribute ideas and practical scientific skills to the projects and advance scientific thinking within the department. This work provides major challenges to the dynamic synthetic organic chemist and there are good opportunities to progress whilst still keeping in close touch with the science.

Analytical Chemistry

(back to top)

Degree disciplines: Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry

Analytical chemists play a pivotal role in the drug development process, drawing on a wide range of state-of-the-art techniques to solve the technical challenges we face along the way. Chromatographic techniques such as HPLC, CE, GC and IC are used to analyse active components, separate and quantify impurities. Spectroscopic and hyphenated techniques such as NMR, MS, FTIR, LC-MS and GC-MS are used to identify impurities.

From a technical standpoint, it's clearly one of the most challenging aspects of the work we do. We're constantly striving to find better and more efficient ways to understand how drugs work. So as a graduate, you'll be actively encouraged to explore new technologies and try out new techniques.

Of course, maintaining the quality of our existing products is as important to us as introducing new ones. So as well as developing methodologies and specifications for new drugs, you could be involved in the analysis of raw materials, intermediates and formulated products during clinical trials.

Our development programme is designed to improve your analytical, technical and managerial skills, and increase your awareness of the pharmaceutical development process. So as well as preparing you for a successful career as an analytical chemist, it can lead to a variety of other careers in related disciplines such as research, manufacturing and regulatory affairs.

Biological Sciences

(back to top)

Degree disciplines: Biological sciences - we are particularly interested in graduates whose degrees encompass biochemistry, pharmacology or electrophysiology.

Opportunities exist for graduates in a range of biological and biotechnological disciplines. AstraZeneca's research is focused on several important areas of disease including cancer, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, respiratory and inflammation, pain control, central nervous system and infection.

Primary research is done by bioscientists working with medicinal chemists in multi-disciplinary teams. Method development and problem-solving are key features of the work. On and off the job training is provided so that bioscientists can acquire the broad range of technical and non-technical skills required to contribute to the drug discovery process.

Our graduate bioscientists are key to the discovery of new pharmacologically active substances, initially in running test systems to evaluate the biological activity of novel agents with potential therapeutic value, contributing to the design and development of new biological tests and the processing and presentation of data.

Bioscience departments require graduates from various bioscience disciplines. Graduate bioscientists may be responsible for identifying and characterising novel target genes associated with various disease states or assessing the activity of novel agents using in-vitro and in-vivo models of disease.

We need creative problem-solvers with the motivation to apply their scientific expertise to our research programmes. Exceptional bioscience or biotechnology graduates may eventually assume responsibility for an area of research.

Drug Metabolism

(back to top)

Degree disciplines: Range of chemistry and biology disciplines

This area is key to both the discovery and development of new drugs. Here, we study how a drug is handled within the body. This is important for the selection of drug candidates during early to late discovery and the characterisation of the drug during pre-clinical and clinical development.

As a graduate in this area, you'll draw on a range of analytical techniques to measure drug concentrations in biological samples and construct pharmacokinetic profiles. This involves studying the metabolism of drugs in vitro and in vivo to identify the metabolites and the enzymatic processes involved.

It could be that you come to us from either a biological or chemical background - this area encompasses aspects of both. Either way, you'll be working with scientists from a variety of other disciplines including bioscience, chemistry, formulation science, toxicology and clinical.

Process Engineering

(back to top)

Degree disciplines: Chemical Engineering

Our success not only depends on our ability to discover effective new products - it also relies on our capacity to convert test tube synthesis of these products into large-scale production. Our process engineers deliver this through process development, scale-up, new technology evaluation, asset provision and finally, production support.

Working closely with process chemists, process analysts, hazard specialists and development manufacturing colleagues, you will be involved in process development which transforms an original research route into a robust manufacturing process. This entails scaling-up the chosen synthesis - from grams to kilograms to tonnes - whilst optimising reaction yield, controlling product quality, minimising impact on the environment and reducing manufacturing costs. The final synthetic route must be capable of safe operation. Our process engineers are also involved in the evaluation and development of new, emerging or existing technologies that might have applicability within the business.

As new products emerge from development, process engineers take a lead role in the design and commissioning of new and adapted assets. Building on your knowledge of the process through the development phase, you will be part of a multi-disciplinary project team which will include mechanical, electrical, control and construction engineers. From flowsheet through to hand-over of the commissioned plant, you are actively and continually involved, using your unique skills as a process engineer.

Once manufacture is established, process engineers, along with process chemists, provide ongoing support to operations. Here, further process optimisation, plant 'de-bottlenecking' or plant expansion ensures that both process and plant are operating efficiently to meet the needs of the business.

All process engineering recruits follow individually designed training and development programmes to improve their technical, project management and interpersonal skills, and to increase their awareness of the business environment. Chartered engineer status is normally attainable (and encouraged) after four years. You can then continue in a technical role, or develop towards other senior positions in diverse functions throughout the organisation.  We value graduate and PhD level process engineers and take people at both levels into AstraZeneca.

Process engineers are recruited into our Macclesfield, Avlon (Bristol) or Charnwood (Loughborough) sites. Close collaboration and networking with colleagues in Södertälje (near Stockholm in Sweden) is fostered from the outset.

Application Process

In Process Engineering at Macclesfield, a short first interview will be held then, for successful candidates a 24-hour assessment centre from lunchtime to lunchtime. Assessment activities include a group exercise, interviews and psychometric tests. You'll also get a tour of the facilities and the opportunity to meet young graduates to find out what it's really like to work for AstraZeneca.