At Cancer Research UK, we exist to beat cancer
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As a Senior Scientist in our portfolio Generation Team, you will play a key role in identifying and shaping early therapeutic opportunities for TI drug discovery. You’ll review and evaluate new ideas emerging from academic groups, including those identified by the Network Translation Team, to assess their potential for further development.
You will support the creation of effective, de‑risking workplans that move promising opportunities toward a clear decision on TI portfolio entry. As part of the Therapeutic Catalyst schemes, you’ll review Expressions of Interest, recommend which should progress to full proposal, and work closely with PI labs to develop costed proposals and detailed workplans for CRUK committees or other translational funding routes.
Following project approval, you’ll coordinate multiple Therapeutic Catalyst initiatives, helping explore routes for TI support and informing progression decisions. You will also help drive productive interactions with academic researchers and external partners to support the development of high‑potential therapeutic concepts. Every role at CRH is united by a single mission: beating cancer sooner. We carry out work that matters—impacting patients, families, and the future of science.
About Cancer Research Horizons
As the world’s biggest medical research charity, we’ve helped bring eleven new cancer drugs to market. However, there is still an urgent need to bring more effective treatments to patients faster.
We have recently developed a new approach to driving therapeutic innovation through the creation of Cancer Research Horizons (CRH). We have brought together Cancer Research UK’s established drug discovery teams under one organisation and leadership team, combining our unique pipeline of cancer biology expertise and access to CRUK’s world-class academic network, cutting edge technology platforms and clinical expertise 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, you’ll be joining over 200 staff from both industrial and academic backgrounds, all dedicated to bringing forward the day we cure cancer.
What will you be doing?
1. Development of multiple new opportunities/ from concept review, through to evaluation and de-risk to a decision point on drug discovery portfolio entry (in collaboration with key drug discovery stakeholders)
2. Support the development and delivery of workplans to agreed inflection points
3. Act as a primary point of contact between academic collaborators and CRH-TI within Portfolio Generation space as required.
4. Assist the triage of Therapeutic Catalyst expressions of interest and the development of full proposals
5. Lead multiple Therapeutic catalyst projects to required/approved endpoints including option to accelerate via additional TI support.
6. Make scientific recommendations to relevant review groups/leadership teams.
7. Undertake other tasks as necessary to contribute to the CRH-TI objectives.
What are we looking for?
8. PhD or equivalent experience in relevant cancer field.
9. Relevant experience of early drug target discovery and the evaluation process (target selection, validation, technical feasibility etc), preferentially developed in a drug discovery environment.
10. Previous experience of working with PI’s and helping to deliver early translation projects in cancer discovery
11. Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to network and build strong working relationships.
12. Strong scientific understanding of what it takes to drive exciting opportunities towards future drug discovery starts (biology and early drug discovery).
13. An appreciation of the use of preclinical cancer models to support therapeutic discovery.
14. Proven ability to contribute at a technical level to multiple programmes simultaneously.
15. Collaborative team player, but also a highly self-motivated individual able to prioritise and manage time effectively with the highest levels of quality, productivity, and urgency in delivery.
16. Maintenance of the highest standards of records, data and documentation.
17. Ability to conceive and manage workplans across teams aimed at de-risking a therapeutic opportunity area within the therapeutic catalyst scheme
18. Ability to embed across multiple scientific areas: Flexible, unafraid of failure, able to focus on the key experiments
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.
If you’re interested in applying and excited about working with us but are unsure if you have the right skills and experience, we’d still love to hear from you.
What will I gain?
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.
How do I apply?
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.