Director, Medical, US Cell Therapy
About this opportunity
Location: Gaithersburg, MD
Hybrid: 3 days a week on site
At AstraZeneca, we work together across global boundaries to make an impact and find answers to challenges. We do this with the upmost integrity even in the most difficult situations because we are committed to doing the right thing. We continuously forge partnerships that help pursue world-class medicines in new ways, combining our people's exceptional skills with those of people from all over the globe. As a Medical Director, US Cell Therapy in Gaithersburg, MD, you'll play a pivotal role in channeling our scientific capabilities to make a positive impact on changing patients' lives.
AstraZeneca’s vision in Oncology is to help patients by redefining the cancer-treatment paradigm, with the aim of bringing six new cancer medicines to patients between 2013 and 2020. A broad pipeline of next-generation medicines is focused principally on four disease areas – hematological cancers, breast, ovarian and lung. As well as other tumor types, these are being targeted through four key platforms - immunotherapy, the genetic drivers of cancer and resistance, DNA damage repair, and antibody drug conjugates, underpinned by personalized healthcare and biomarker technologies.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
We are currently seeking a Medical Director, Cell Therapy to join our team. As the Medical Director, you will be a member of the US Medical Affairs Cell Therapy Team, with responsibility for the development and execution of the US Medical Plans in support of the US Cell Therapy Organization. You will be accountable for ensuring planning, alignment and execution of US Medical Affairs activities in support of the medical objectives.
As the Medical Director you will be accountable for driving development and execution of the Multiple Myeloma (Cell Therapy) of the Medical Affairs component of the US Medical Plan, defining Medical Affairs segmentation, focus and deployment. You will be responsible for the development and appropriate delivery of scientific messaging and education, support of scientific and educational programs aligned with the Medical Plan, delivery of medical and scientific insight back to the Oncology Brand Teams and identification and engagement of key clinical investigators for clinical trials and research partnerships. Additionally, you will represent the key interface between the needs of the US external scientific experts and other clinical decision makers and Brand Team through interactions with all Medical Affairs functions and you will be a member of the Brand Leadership Team.
Essential Requirements
Advanced degree in life science-related field, such as MD, PharmD, PhD
At least 2 years of relevant experience
Experience managing programs/clinical programs in a team environment
Strong knowledge of medical strategy, clinical development, and understanding of field medical science liaison functions
Experience and working knowledge of Hematology/Oncology
Ability to manage a diverse group of responsibilities
Ability to work effectively in a cross-functional team environment
Leadership abilities
Strategic influencing skills
Highly developed written and verbal communication skills
Well-developed initiative ability
Excellent project management skills
Strong organization and time management skills
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
Ability to travel up to 30% of time
Desirable Requirements
Doctorate in Pharmacology, Pharmacy, Medicine, or equivalent
Experience in pharmaceutical drug development and medical/scientific affairs
Direct experience in clinical trial management
Hematology experience – in multiple myeloma and/or cellular therapies
Minimum 5 years of experience in a strategy-setting role within Medical Affairs
Working knowledge of FDA requirements
Excellent computer skills (Excel, Word, Power Point, etc.)
Knowledge of information/technology systems
Next Steps – Apply today!
To be considered for this exciting opportunity, please complete the full application on our website at your earliest convenience – it is the only way that our Recruiter and Hiring Manager can know that you feel well qualified for this opportunity. If you know someone who would be a great fit, please share this posting with them.
The annual base pay for this position ranges from $193,281.60 - $289,922.40 USD Annual and salaried non-exempt employees will also be paid overtime pay when working qualifying overtime hours. Base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. In addition, our positions offer a short-term incentive bonus opportunity; eligibility to participate in our equity-based long-term incentive program. Benefits offered included a qualified retirement program [401(k) plan]; paid vacation and holidays; paid leaves; and, health benefits including medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans. Additional details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment. If hired, employee will be in an “at-will position” and the Company reserves the right to modify base pay (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, Company or individual department/team performance, and market factors.
Date Posted
04-Nov-2026
Closing Date
26-Nov-2026 Our mission is to build an inclusive environment where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and employees. In furtherance of that mission, we welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of their protected characteristics. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please complete the corresponding section in the application form.
Job details
How this role compares
Computed from every other active Medical Affairs role in our database, not just this employer's listings.
We currently track 301 comparable Director Medical Affairs roles across 55 biopharma companies.
Salary context
120 of 301 peers report a salary range (USD, annualized)
Peers share this role's job function and a matching or adjacent seniority level -- not necessarily the same therapeutic area or country.
Where these roles are based
Top locations among the 301 comparable roles
+ 26 more countries
Seniority mix
301 of 301 peers have a known seniority level
Therapeutic area mix
131 of 301 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden
Similar opportunities
The closest matches from our peer group, ranked by how similar they are, not how well you'd qualify for them -- treat this as market context, not a guaranteed shortlist; a weak match is labeled as one below.
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How we calculate "similar"
No black box, no LLM guesswork: a deterministic score built from four normalized attributes. Here's this role's own peer group at different match levels, so you can see the mechanism, not just the result.
Every comparison starts from the same 100-point budget: 25 for working in the same function, 40 for the same therapeutic area, 20 for the same or adjacent seniority, 15 for the same country. A dimension we can't confirm on both sides contributes nothing, never a guess, never a free pass.
0 points, never a partial guess. A role we know almost nothing about beyond its function bottoms out at 25%; it never inflates to 100% just because there's little to compare against. Seniority uses a defined ladder (Associate → Manager → Associate Director → Senior → Principal → Director → Senior Director → Executive/VP) so "Director" and "Senior Director" count as adjacent, but "Director" and "Executive/VP" do not.