Designated veterinarian AstraZeneca

Are you a veterinarian with leadership skills and a passion for high standards of animal ethics and welfare? Then we might have to role for you!

At AstraZeneca, we turn ideas into life changing medicines and strive to continuously meet the unmet needs of patients worldwide. Working here means being entrepreneurial, thinking big, and working together to make the impossible a reality. If you are swift to action, confident to lead, willing to collaborate, and curious about what science can do, then you’re our kind of person.

The Animal Science and Technology (AST) Department sits within Clinical Pharmacology & Safety Sciences (CPSS), we play a central role in progressing a rich and diverse pipeline comprising many different drug modalities across all our therapeutic areas.

The position is based at our R&D site in Gothenburg, Sweden. With more than 2 800 employees from over 70 different countries, our vibrant Gothenburg site is a truly inspiring place to work.

AST in Gothenburg focus are towards Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolic (CVRM) and Respiratory and Immunology (R&I) therapy areas. We work collaboratively to evaluate efficacy, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and safety in vivo models to progress a broad range of drug projects. AST Gothenburg cares for mice, rats, guinea pigs and pigs and have an internal mouse breeding capability.

We are seeking a skilled and experienced veterinarian to join our team as a Designated Veterinarian. The successful candidate will be responsible for supervising the health and well-being of laboratory animals used in scientific research studies. The position requires decisive leadership skills, the ability to manage relationships in a team, and a outstanding dedication to animal welfare.

What You’ll do

• Provide veterinary care to laboratory animals in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, including supervising animal health and welfare, delivering veterinary treatment, performance of surgical procedures and providing advice to researchers and animal care staff.
• Manage the animal health surveillance program of laboratory animals for the AZ Gothenburg site.
• Membership of the AZ Gothenburg Oversight body (Djurskyddsorganet (DO)) and the DO Ethics and Compliance Satellite Group, providing broad veterinary expertise, reviewing animal use protocols, and making recommendations for improvements.
• Be part of the provision of an out-of-hour veterinarian service.

Essential for the role:

• Doctor in Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree or equivalent, allowing professional registration as a clinical veterinarian in Sweden, or possibility to successfully attain the veterinary license in a short period of time, from an accredited veterinary college or university.
• Experience in laboratory animal surgery and post-operative care.
• Knowledge of laboratory animal welfare regulations and guidelines.
• Strong leadership and team-building skills with excellent communication and inter-personal skills
• Ability to work well with researchers, animal care staff, and other collaborators to gain and share knowledge, learn and instruct new techniques and drive innovation.
• Fluency in Swedish and English.

Desirable for the role:

• Previous experience in laboratory animal science setting in a veterinary role.
• Experience of working in AAALAC- accredited animal facilities.
• Hand-on experience with surgery and post-operative care on laboratory pigs.
• Knowledge of animal models within AstraZeneca’s core therapeutic areas.

So, what’s next!

Are you already envisioning yourself joining our team? Good, because we can’t wait to hear from you, although no later than 31 July 2023.

Please include your CV and a cover letter explaining your motivations and how you meet the criteria for the position advertised. During the advertising period we will be on annual leave so please expect some delay. Our ambition is to start reviewing applications first week of august.

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 authorisation and employment eligibility verification requirements.