Senior Graphic Designer - Scientific Publications

Shift: 2 pm to 11 pm IST

Introduction to role:

We are seeking an experienced Graphic Designer - Scientific Publications to create scientifically accurate, visually compelling publication assets for journals, congresses, and digital channels. Working within the Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease, Publications Delivery in AstraZeneca GBS and in close partnership with publication leads, medical writers, authors, and delivery teams, the role translates complex clinical and scientific information into clear, accessible, and scientific communications-ready visual communications that support multiple therapeutic areas and brands.

Role purpose and accountabilities:

This is a senior individual-contributor role with responsibility for hands-on design, creative direction, and artwork quality. The role owns assigned assets from brief through final delivery, ensures scientific and visual accuracy, supports consistent design standards, and provides guidance to designers and delivery partners. Video or motion-graphic support may be provided when required but is not the primary focus of the role.

Key Responsibilities:

• Complete the end-to-end scientific communications build and formatting of congress posters, abstract supplements, encore abstracts, congress submission materials, manuscript figures and tables, graphical abstracts, supplementary materials, scientific presentations, digital publication assets, including patient-focused infographics.
• Create publication-ready layouts that communicate study objectives, methods, results, and conclusions through clear visual hierarchy, readable typography, and an effective scientific narrative.
• Redraw, recreate, and vectorise graphs, charts, diagrams, pathways, and low-resolution source artwork into accurate, editable, high-resolution graphics without changing the underlying data, context, or scientific meaning.
• Prepare and adapt files to journal, publisher, and congress specifications, including dimensions, final-size readability, resolution, colour mode, typography, file format, naming, numbering, captions, and submission requirements.
• Perform detailed quality checks across source data, manuscript text, labels, legends, tables, units, references, image integrity, and final artwork; call out potential scientific discrepancies promptly.
• Apply accessible and inclusive design practices, including sufficient contrast, colour-blind-safe palettes, legible typography, clear labelling, and non-colour cues where appropriate.
• Partner with medical writers, publication leads, authors, scientific collaborators, and delivery teams from briefing through finalisation; clarify requirements, present build rationale, incorporate consolidated feedback, and maintain version control.
• Provide creative direction, practical feedback, and best-practice guidance to designers and delivery partners while remaining accountable for the quality of assigned deliverables.
• Ensure assets align with corporate visual identity, medical and publication standards, GPP 2022 principles, copyright and permissions, image licensing, patient confidentiality, and approved responsible-use requirements for AI-assisted content.
• Manage multiple projects across therapeutic areas and brands, estimate effort, prioritise workload, meet agreed timelines, communicate risks early, and support workload planning.
• Develop and maintain SOPs, templates, reusable components, checklists, and guidance documents that improve consistency, scalability, and first-time-right delivery.

Essential Skills and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in graphic build, visual communication, or a related field, or equivalent relevant professional experience.
• At least 5 years of creative-design experience in pharmaceutical, healthcare, medical communications, scientific publishing, or a related regulated environment.
• A strong portfolio demonstrating congress posters, graphical abstracts, manuscript figures and tables, scientific presentations, data visualisations, medical illustrations, and complex graphical redraws.
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, and Microsoft PowerPoint, including template creation, vector artwork, layout, typography, and production-ready file preparation.
• Strong understanding of publication artwork production, including vector and raster formats, resolution, colour modes, image scaling, file optimisation, and editable source-file preparation.
• Ability to interpret and apply journal, publisher, and congress artwork specifications, templates, and submission requirements accurately.
• Strong scientific visual literacy and the ability to translate complex clinical and scientific information into clear visual communications while preserving data accuracy, context, and meaning.
• Knowledge of accessible and inclusive scientific design, including colour-blind-safe palettes, contrast, legibility, clear labels, and effective communication at final publication size.
• Experience working in structured publication review and approval workflows, incorporating consolidated feedback, maintaining version control, and delivering accurate final files to deadline.
• Meticulous quality-control skills across figures, labels, legends, units, tables, references, image integrity, and consistency with approved scientific content.
• Understanding of brand governance, publication ethics, copyright and permissions, confidentiality, and compliance expectations in a regulated environment.
• Strong written and verbal English communication skills, with experience collaborating across medical, scientific, editorial, author, and cross-functional collaborator groups.
• Strong organisational skills, attention to detail, sound prioritisation, and the ability to manage multiple concurrent projects across global teams and time zones.
• Familiarity with and practical exposure to AI-assisted graphic design and visualisation tools, with the ability to contribute to the development of in-house AI tools for publication graphics where required.

Desirable Skills and Experience:

• Experience with publication management, medical review, digital asset management, and workflow platforms.
• Familiarity with journal submission workflows and with good publication practice, authorship, disclosure, and transparency principles relevant to company-sponsored biomedical research.
• Experience supporting multiple therapeutic areas and adapting scientific visuals for specialist and non-specialist audiences.
• Experience developing design systems, templates, reusable components, or scalable publication-production workflows.
• Working knowledge of Figma or similar collaboration tools; prototyping experience is advantageous where digital publication assets are in scope.
• Experience with After Effects, Premiere Pro, motion graphics, or scientific video is advantageous but not essential.
• Experience with specialist scientific illustration, data-visualisation, or 3D tools is advantageous.

Measures of Success:

• Publication assets are delivered on time and meet agreed journal, congress, brand, accessibility, and compliance requirements.
• Outputs demonstrate first-time-right quality, scientific accuracy, clear visual communication, and minimal avoidable rework or resubmission.
• Collaborators receive responsive, collaborative support and clear communication on progress, risks, and build decisions.
• Templates, reusable components, and guidance improve consistency, efficiency, and scalability across publication deliverables.

Our Working Environment:

When diverse teams come together, we unlock bold thinking with the potential to inspire life-changing medicines. In-person collaboration helps us connect, move at pace, and challenge perspectives. That is why we work, on average, a minimum of three days each week from the office, while continuing to respect individual flexibility.

At AstraZeneca, you will have the opportunity to grow and innovate within a rapidly evolving portfolio. Our entrepreneurial culture encourages ownership, collaboration, and new ideas. Supported by experienced leaders and colleagues, you will help advance our mission for patients while developing your expertise in an inclusive environment that values integrity, innovation, and different perspectives.

When we put unexpected teams in the same room, we unleash bold thinking with the power to inspire life-changing medicines. In-person working gives us the platform we need to connect, work at pace and challenge perceptions. That's why we work, on average, a minimum of three days per week from the office. But that doesn't mean we're not flexible. We balance the expectation of being in the office while respecting individual flexibility. Join us in our unique and ambitious world.