Senior Behavioral Scientist, Digital Science – Evinova

Job Title: Senior Behavioral Scientist, Digital Science – Evinova
Location: Durham, NC

At AstraZeneca, we put patients first and strive to meet their unmet needs 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.

Recognizing the importance of individualized flexibility, our ways of working allow employees to balance personal and work commitments while ensuring we continue to create a strong culture of collaboration and teamwork by engaging face-to-face in our offices 3 days a week. Our head office is purposely designed with collaboration in mind, providing space where teams can come together to strategize, brainstorm and connect on key projects. 

Are you ready to be part of the future of healthcare? Can you think big, be bold, and harness the power of digital and AI to tackle longstanding life sciences challenges?  Then Evinova, a global health tech business might be for you!  

Transform patients’ lives through technology, data, and innovative ways of working. You’re disruptive, decisive, and transformative. Someone excited to use technology to improve patients’ health. We’re building a new Health-tech business – Evinova, a fully-owned subsidiary of AstraZeneca Group.

Evinova delivers market-leading digital health solutions that are science-based, evidence-led, and human experience-driven. Thoughtful risks and quick decisions come together to accelerate innovation across the life sciences sector. Be part of a diverse team that pushes the boundaries of science by digitally empowering a deeper understanding of the patients we’re helping. Launch pioneering digital solutions that improve the patients’ experience and deliver better health outcomes. Together, we have the opportunity to combine deep scientific expertise with digital and artificial intelligence to serve the wider healthcare community and create new standards across the sector. 

Introduction to Role:

A Senior Scientist in the Evinova Digital Science team should organize and lead the development from concept to testing and performance documentation of engaging patient or site personnel-facing digital solutions that enhance data collection reliability, generate insights for care delivery and support user engagement and retention in clinical trials.

This role is accountable for driving science-led evidence-driven innovation opportunities to transform the experience of our participants including patients, care-partners, providers (HCPs), clinical teams in receiving or providing health care and generating evidence to support decision-making.

That entails partnering with key stakeholders and collaborating with cross-functional teams to: 1) identify and bridge the knowledge and insight gaps needed to support data collection and evidence generation to inform clinical benefit, tolerability or overall quality of care of therapeutics, including medical (digital or software) devices, and/or 2) identify or develop digital tools fit for the purpose of aiding clinical decision such as dose selection, treatment intake, or toxicity mitigation in support of conduct of a trial. In addition, with miniaturization and consumerism of medical devices, opportunities could include defining and properly validating procedures to ensure the accuracy and effectiveness of the devices to be self-administered to support decentralization of evidence generation and to ensure patient safety.

Therapeutic areas will span oncology, cardiovascular, renal & metabolism, and Respiratory & Immunology, among others. The role must work in partnerships with internal stakeholders (e.g. Human-Centric AI, COA Measurement, Design, Product, Implementation, IT) including Clinical Study Teams, and to uphold patient-centricity, diversity and sustainability values and scientific rigor through all steps and documentation of a digital solution’s lifecycle.

Accountabilities:

As the Senior Scientist, you will play a pivotal role in conceptualizing, designing, developing, testing and documenting the performance of digital solutions to support clinical development, specifically in ensuring that the solution is user-centered, motivating, and effective to support sustained engagement. Here are some key responsibilities you might have:

Clinical Validity and User-Centered Design:

• Understand and document the needs for insights from health care professionals (HCP) regarding patients’ health status when outside of point of care and/or patients’ behavior with regards to protocol assessments and instruction.  Evidence could include published clinical guidelines, supportive study documents, and/or practitioners’ experience consensus.
• Understand and document needs, preferences and behaviors of patients to achieve reliable data collection of their health status and engagement and/or adherence to study procedures
• Collaborate with designers to create an intuitive and accessible user interface that accommodates diverse groups.

Data Collection Methodology:

• Design qualitative (interviews, focus groups, consensus panels) and quantitative (surveys, questionnaires) insight/evidence generation to ensure accurate and reliable data reporting (eg symptom, functioning and medication) by patients or caregivers and/or relevant decision makers to deliver care by HCPs
• Ensure data collection methods are non-intrusive, respect participants privacy and consent, and generate actionable insights for the digital solution in its intended use.
• Ensure that analytical and reporting methods meet requirements set forth by regulators for digital solutions in clinical development.

Engagement Strategies:

• Develop strategies to engage patients, caregivers or HCP consistently, including gamification elements, personalized feedback, and reminders.
• Design behavioral interventions based on principles of motivation and habit formation to encourage regular use of the app.

Content Development:

• Create or curate information that helps patients, or caregivers engage with study protocol assessments or instructions including understanding how to report their health status, instructions for medications intake, or self-use of medical devices.
• Collaborate with healthcare professionals to ensure content is accurate, helpful, and tailored to patient needs and protocol requirements.

Motivation and Behavioral Change:

• Identify the cognitive and motivational factors underlying (or influencing) decision-making behaviors to inform design and implement motivational techniques such as goal-setting, self-monitoring, and positive reinforcement to encourage ongoing app usage.
• Use behavioral insights to develop features that help patients adopt health-promoting behaviors and adhere to treatment plans.

Evaluation and Iteration:

• Work with data analysts to assess the effectiveness of the app regarding engagement and data accuracy.
• Use feedback and data analysis to refine and improve app features and engagement tactics continuously.

Documentation and Interdisciplinary Collaboration:

• Author and/or elicit necessary evidence to support validity, reliability and integrity of the digital solution into clinical development according to its intended use.
• Collaborate with developers, designers, healthcare professionals, and other stakeholders to align on goals and integrate behavioral science insights throughout the development process.

Essential Skills/Experience:

• A Bachelors Degree in Behavioral Science, Psychology, Public Health, Sociology, Anthropology, Epidemiology or related fields
• 4+ years of practical experience
• Working knowledge of clinical drug development
• Project management skills
• Conceptual, analytical and critical thinking
• Ability to challenge the status quo, take ownership and holds self and others accountable
• Highly efficient: able to navigate ambiguity and address problems in a fast-paced environment; able to adapt to new ways of working
• Creative, innovative, solution-focused
• Strong communication skills, the ability to build relationships 

Desirable Skills/Experience:

• Masters degree plus one year practical experience
• Doctoral degree (e.g., Ph.D., Sc. D. or Dr.P.H.)
• Experience developing digital application particularly for wellness or health.
• Experience with data from multiple sources, including wearables and sensors
• Understanding of novel digital development framework with experience
• Understanding of the regulatory landscape governing research with human subjects
• Conducting of outcomes research studies, and the communication of study findings to internal and external audiences
• Diligence - attention to detail and ability to manage a program of concurrent activities
• Resilience - ability to overcome and motivate others in the face of a changing environment

Where can I find out more?

• Learn more about Evinova www.evinova.com
• Our Social Media, Follow AstraZeneca on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/1603/
• Follow AstraZeneca on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/astrazenecacareers/
• Follow AstraZeneca on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/astrazeneca_careers/?hl=en
• Our US Footprint: Powering Scientific Innovation - YouTube

Why Evinova?

Evinova is a global health tech business, separate company part of the AstraZeneca group. Together, we can accelerate the delivery of life-changing medicines, improve the design and delivery of clinical trials for better patient experiences and outcomes, and think more holistically about patient care before, during, and after treatment.  We know that regulators, healthcare professionals, and care teams at clinical trial sites do not want a fragmented approach. They do not want a future where every pharmaceutical company provides its own, different digital solutions. They want solutions that work across the sector, simplify their workload, and benefit patients broadly. By bringing our solutions to the wider life sciences community, we can help build more unified approaches to how we all develop and deploy digital technologies, better serving our teams, physicians, and ultimately patients.  Evinova represents a unique opportunity to deliver meaningful outcomes with digital and AI to serve the wider healthcare community and create new standards for the sector.  Join us on our journey of building a new kind of health tech business to reset expectations of what a bio-pharmaceutical company can be. This means we’re opening new ways to work, pioneering cutting-edge methods, and bringing unexpected teams together. Interested? Come and join our journey.

AstraZeneca is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion and providing a workplace that is free from discrimination. AstraZeneca is committed to accommodating persons with disabilities. Such accommodation is available on request in respect of all aspects of the recruitment, assessment and selection process and may be requested by emailing AZCHumanResources@astrazeneca.com.

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