Senior Scientist - Biochemistry & Biophysics (Mechanistic Pharmacology)
£41,700 - £51,300 plus benefits
Reports to: Principal Scientist or above
Directorate: Research & Innovation
Hours: Full time 35 hours per week (other flexible-working requests will also be considered if it meets business needs)
Location: Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge (3 days minimum per week onsite at the laboratory site).
Closing date: Tuesday 18th August 23:55pm
Recruitment process: Initial telephone screening interview, followed by onsite F2F assessment for successful candidates.
At Cancer Research UK, we exist to beat cancer.
We have an exciting opportunity for a passionate and dedicated Senior Scientist to join Cancer Research Horizons (CRH) in the Mechanistic Pharmacology team . In this role, you will provide lab ‑ based scientific leadership and intellectual input across the design, development, execution, and analysis of biochemical experiments. You will characterise target mechanisms, drive hit ‑ identification campaigns, generate high ‑ quality SAR/SKR data, and deliver compound mechanism ‑ of ‑ action studies. Your contributions will be central to shaping project strategy and advancing portfolio objectives . While the role sits within a multidisciplinary biochemi stry and biophysic s team, this appointment will have a primary focus on biochemical approaches .
About Cancer Research Horizons
As the world’s biggest medical research charity, we’ve helped bring fourteen new cancer drugs to market. However, there is still an urgent need to bring more effective treatments to patients faster.
Cancer Research Horizons (CRH) is CRUK’s internal translation engine. CRUK’s established drug discovery teams operate under one organisation and leadership team. Our unique combination of cancer biology expertise and access to CRUK’s world-class academic network, coupled with cutting edge technology platforms and clinical expertise enables us to 1) bring new treatments to patients faster and 2) tackle the biggest challenges in discovering cancer drugs by seeking out more radical ideas and embracing risk in our bid to achieve success.
Based at sites in Cambridge, the CRUK Scotland Institute in Glasgow, and Newcastle University, Cancer Research Horizons employs ~180 staff from both industrial and academic backgrounds .
Provide scientific leadership for external partnerships, including CROs, defining and implementing best practice for biochemical assays and bespoke mechanism-of-action studies that complement internal capabilities.
Provide people leadership through training, mentoring, and matrix management, supporting the development and success of colleagues across multidisciplinary teams.
We are seeking an accomplished scientific expert with the following skills and experience:
Our organisation values are designed to guide all that we do.
Bold: Act with ambition, courage and determination
Credible: Act with rigour and professionalism
Human : Act to have a positive impact on people
Together: Act inclusively and collaboratively
We’re looking for people who can believe in and embody these organisation values and can use them to drive forward progress against our mission to beat cancer.
We create a working environment that supports your wellbeing and provide a generous benefits package, a wide range of career and personal development opportunities and high-quality tools. Our policies and processes enable you to improve your work-life balance, take positive steps in your career and achieve your personal wellbeing goals.
You can explore our benefits by visiting our careers web page .
We operate an anonymised shortlisting process in our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. CVs are required for all applications; but we won’t be able to view them until we invite you for an interview. Instead, we ask you to complete the work history section of the online application form for us to be able to assess you fairly and objectively.
For more information on this career opportunity please visit our website or contact us at [email protected] .
For more updates on our work and careers, follow us on: Linked In , Facebook , Instagram , X and YouTube .
Our vision is to create a charity where everyone feels like they belong, benefits from and participates in, the work we do. We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and cultures, in particular those from ethnic minority backgrounds who are currently under-represented.
We want to see every candidate performing at their best throughout the job application process, interview process and whilst at work. We therefore ask you to inform us of any concerns you have or any adjustments you might need to enable this to happen. Please contact [email protected] or 0 20 3469 8400 as soon as possible.
Unfortunately, we are unable to recruit anyone below the age of 18, so that we can protect young people from health & safety and safeguarding risks.
