Associate Director, Specialist Programmer
Durham, NC - USA
Job Summary
Location: Durham NC
Type: Hybrid (3 days in office 2 days from home)
AstraZeneca is a global innovation-driven biopharmaceutical business that focuses on the discovery development and commercialization of prescription medicines for some of the worlds most serious diseases. But were more than one of the worlds leading pharmaceutical companies. At AstraZeneca were proud to have a unique workplace culture that inspires innovation and collaboration. Here employees are empowered to express diverse perspectives and are made to feel valued energized and rewarded for their ideas and creativity.
Department Clinical Data & Insights
The Clinical Data & Insights Team is a global team of highly experienced and skilled professionals passionate about delivering state of the art services and solutions within R&D. AI has the potential to transform every step of the R&D pipeline. Through recent advancements in technology we are now collecting a large amount of data and have the opportunity to harness that data for analytics and insight that will help deliver a new generation of medicines that are capable of addressing the worlds most challenging unmet medical needs. The mission of our team is to transform the way R&D uses data analytics and AI to streamline processes and mitigate risks while building operational efficiencies. To achieve this we partner with business functions within R&D to deliver cutting-edge capabilities and solutions that enable them to accelerate medicines that are safe and effective for patients.
Role
The Specialist Programmer will focus on developing software solutions using SAS R Python to derive new insights unlock predictive power and automate data manipulation. In this role youll own the technical delivery and implementation of SAS solutions within Clinical Data &Insights. You will work closely with a community of data experts driving team cohesion engagement morale and sharing of best practices. Competitive candidates will have a proven track record of delivering applications bringing excellent technical oversight and development of the best coding practices for the team.
As a Specialist Programmer you will create support and implement SAS solutions for different data products. This role involves developing SAS code as well as providing the necessary tools and resources for business partners. You will oversee packaging maintaining and scaling solutions and code bases with the latest technologies. Due to the nature of the variety of solutions provided within the organization and the continuously evolving technology landscape a flexible mindset to acquire and put to practice new tools or software is highly desirable. A successful candidate will have a record of high-quality delivery be able to work independently with little supervision and good collaboration in a global team setting. They will lead parts of projects and handle risk and expectations in new situations. They will have good communication skills and be comfortable working as part of agile sprint and delivery teams.
Technical Leadership:
Provide technical leadership in one or more aspects of statistical programming such as SAS R Python
In depth knowledge of regulatory requirements industry standards and industry best practices for data standards development and implementation
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define and execute the solution roadmap
Stay updated on the latest developments in relevant technologies to ensure our team remains at the forefront of the industry
Identify opportunities for innovation and solution optimization
Lead inspire and be a key part of team development and retention
Coach and mentor team members in a matrix organization. Lead inspire and be a key part of team development and retention.
Quality Security and Compliance:
Implement and enforce security protocols and best practices to protect sensitive data
Ensure compliance with data privacy regulations and industry standards (e.g. GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability)
Implement rigorous testing and quality assurance processes to maintain high product quality
Documentation and Training:
Be a champion for high standards to ensure best practices are developed in the team
Create and maintain documentation related to tools processes and best practices
Provide training and support to development teams on platform usage and optimization
Candidate Knowledge Skills and Experience
Bachelors Degree from an accredited college or university with a major in Computer Science Information Systems Engineering Mathematics or equivalent experience in a related scientific or technical discipline
8 Years of Relevant Experience
Experience creating SDTM/ADaM specification and datasets
Expertise in SAS programming including SAS/Base SAS/Lifetest SAS/Macro SAS/Graph SAS/SQL SAS/ODS SAS/STAT SAS/Connect and SAS Access
Experience in data analysis statistical analysis and generating tables listing figures and reports using SAS tools
Proficiency in understanding statistical programming environments processes procedures and roles
Strong project management and time management skills
Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities to engage with customers and internal stakeholders
Creative collaborative & product focused
Experience with Python R and other open-source technologies is desirable
Experience with Groovy Scripting SnapLogic SharePoint Power Automate Power Apps Power BI a plus
The annual base pay for this position ranges from $137763.20 - $206644.80. Hourly 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 addition our positions offer a short-term incentive bonus opportunity; eligibility to participate in our equity-based long-term incentive program (salaried roles) to receive a retirement contribution (hourly roles) and commission payment eligibility (sales roles). 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
22-Apr-2026Closing Date
05-May-2026Our mission is to build an inclusive environment where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and 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.
Required Experience:
Director
About Company
AstraZeneca is an equal opportunity employer. AstraZeneca will consider all qualified applicants for employment without discrimination on grounds of disability, sex or sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity leave status, race or national or ethnic origin, age, religion or belief, ... View more