Astra Zeneca logo
Astra Zeneca
Gaithersburg, Maryland

Medical Director, Breast Cancer

OncologyFull-Time

Listed compensation

$193k-$290k

The week · per this posting

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 58m ago · Verified live

Job Description

Do you have expertise and a passion for Medical Affairs in Oncology? Would you like to apply that expertise to the Medical Director – Breast role in a company that follows the science and turns ideas into life-changing medicines? AstraZeneca may be the place for you.

At AstraZeneca, we put patients first and strive to address unmet needs worldwide. We value entrepreneurship, bold thinking, collaboration, decisive action, leadership, and curiosity about what science can achieve.

We are seeking a US Medical Director within our Breast Cancer Franchise in the greater DC Metro area.

The Medical Director for Breast is a strategic member of the Core Medical Team, accountable for designing and executing the integrated Medical Plan and aligning US Medical Affairs scientific activities with overarching brand objectives.

The role requires strategic leadership and collaboration with internal stakeholders, including the brand team, cross-functional leads, field medical, and global teams, and also leads external scientific expert engagement planning and execution.

Our Gaithersburg, MD campus is home to the US Oncology Business Unit and offers a collaborative environment along with amenities such as a fitness center, employee healthcare clinic, electric vehicle charging stations, dry cleaning, a full-service cafeteria, copy center, game rooms, and community garden.

What You’ll Do

  • Lead execution of activities aligned with the medical strategy for specific breast cancer indication(s).
  • Align congress strategy and the external Medical Affairs Engagement Plan in collaboration with field leadership.
  • Deliver medical and scientific insights to the business to inform strategic plans.
  • Collaborate with the Medical Lead to develop and execute Medical Affairs Advisory Board plans.
  • Ensure appropriate use of medical resources and review and approve commercial and medical tools.
  • Implement the Medical Affairs strategy through cross-functional project teams.

Essential Requirements

  • Advanced degree in Pharmacology, Pharmacy, Medicine, Biological Sciences, or equivalent experience.
  • At least three years of industry experience, preferably in Medical Affairs.
  • Ability to initiate, lead, and deliver initiatives and projects.
  • Knowledge of medical strategy, clinical development, and field medical activities.
  • Experience engaging with external authorities.
  • Demonstrated leadership in a matrix organization and ability to work effectively across functions.
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
  • High emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and interpersonal skills.
  • Results-driven with a strong customer-service orientation.

Preferred Requirements

  • Experience developing and maintaining relationships with external experts.
  • Working knowledge of FDA requirements.
  • Knowledge and/or expertise in breast cancer.

The annual base pay (or hourly rate of compensation) for this position ranges from 193,281.60 - 289,922.40 USD Annual. Our positions offer eligibility for various incentives—an opportunity to receive short-term incentive bonuses, equity-based awards for salaried roles and commissions for sales roles.

Benefits offered include qualified retirement programs, paid time off (i. e., vacation, holiday, and leaves), as well as health, dental, and vision coverage in accordance with the terms of the applicable plans.

  • Date Posted
  • 30-Sep-2026
  • Closing Date
  • 29-Sep-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.

Key Responsibilities

The Medical Director leads the execution of medical strategies for breast cancer indications and aligns scientific activities with brand objectives. They also collaborate with cross-functional teams and external experts to deliver medical insights and ensure the appropriate use of medical resources.

Requirements

Candidates must hold an advanced degree in Pharmacology, Pharmacy, Medicine, or Biological Sciences. At least three years of industry experience, preferably in Medical Affairs, is required along with strong leadership and analytical capabilities.

Qualifications

Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Stakeholder managementScientific engagementMatrix organization leadershipAnalytical skillsCross-functional collaboration

Oncology — Physician Career Context

Astra Zeneca holds silver-tier status on WeekdayDoc's Top Employers work-life index, composite score 73/100, 23 active listings.

Of the 36 active Oncology listings this role was benchmarked against, 14% are remote, 53% have no call, 36% require no weekends.

Oncology pay on WeekdayDoc is up 13.2% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

The cost-of-living index for Maryland is 105.0 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$242k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $230k in an average-cost state. 62.9% of Maryland clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

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Annual compensation range

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Work-life snapshot

median 2.8this job 1.5
Better work-life than 20% of Oncology listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 581 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in Gaithersburg

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$490k≈ 2.5× annual pay
Typical market rent
$2,167/mo≈ 13% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
29 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
108.9
State income tax
Up to 5.8%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Aug 2026), Zillow market rents (Aug 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

BEA 2024 · Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

Ratios use this listing’s gross annual pay. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.

Astra Zeneca logo

About Astra Zeneca

Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
10,000+ employees

Benefits & Perks

Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
401k
Paid Time Off
Short-term Incentive Bonus
Equity Awards