At Cancer Research UK, we exist to beat cancer
.
We are looking for apassionate and dedicatedscientific professional withextensive experience inpre-clinical drug discovery in an industrial setting.
As the world’s biggest medical research charity,we’vehelped 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 developeda new approachto 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, Cancer Research Horizons employs ~200 staff from both industrial and academic backgrounds
What will I be doing?
Our strategy sets out to bring deeper mechanistic understanding at the molecular and cellular level to all stages of projects, from Idea to pre-clinical candidate.
In this role, you willdefinethe vision and strategy for CRH early project enablement,establishingrobust processes to select and advance promising targets into the drug discovery portfolio. You will lead and develop a matrixed team, guiding them to deliver clear go/nogodecisions through deepexpertisein target feasibility anddruggability.
You will work closely with the Portfolio Generation team to build a sustainable pipeline, evaluating risks, shaping mitigation strategies, and ensuring projects progress efficiently toward clinical development. In addition, you will provideleadership within the broader CRH TI organisation, shaping strategic direction and driving scientific and technical innovation, includingchampioning new modalities.
Key accountabilities include:
1. Provide deepexpertisein assessing target feasibility, including, but not limited to, reagent generation, mechanistic characterisation,ligandability,druggability.
2. Work at the intersection between portfolio generation, molecular sciences,chemistryand biosciences to define and prosecute strategies that deliver clear, early go / no-go decisions across a range of challenging target classes.
3. Provide Scientific and Strategic leadership for the assessment of novel targets and mechanisms, to drive innovation and portfolio success.
4. Communicate effectively, to influence multiple stakeholders and collaborate across projects and sites.
5. Promote scientific excellence, through external publication, presentations, and membership of conferencecommittees and Scientific Advisory Boards
This role uniquely combinescutting-edgescreeningexpertisewith deep mechanistic insight to transform early-stage target prosecution. Byleveragingarange ofhit identification methods (e.g.HTS, DEL, AS-MS) and rigorous mechanistic understanding, it ensures only the mostviabletargets progress into drug discovery,reducing attrition and accelerating timelines. Beyond shaping the science, the successful candidate will have a real opportunity to influence and improve our ways of working, embedding best practices and innovative approaches across teams. This smarter, risk-aware strategywillultimately delivershigher-quality medicines faster, improving outcomes and bringing life-changing therapies to patients who need them most.
Furthermore, we actively encourage our colleagues to celebrate our science, by attending conferences, presenting posters, giving talks at events and publishing papers. You will form an integral part of the Cancer Research Horizon Drug Discovery team, fostering productive internal collaborations, as well asexternalacademic and industrialpartnerships,toprogress novel cancer targets towards patient benefit.
Whatarewelooking for?
In addition to thekeystrategicleadershipelements of
thisrole,thesuccessfulcandidatewill playapivotal role in training and developing colleagues, including through practical contributions from the bench.You will therefore bring a genuine enthusiasm forworking in the lab andguiding those aroundyou.
You will also bring:
6. A PhD in Pharmacology, Biochemistry,Chemistryor equivalent experience, with extensive pre-clinical drug discovery experience in industry.
7. Deep intellectual and practical knowledge of methods to assess target feasibility anddruggability(egcomputational modelling, protein characterisation, assay development, affinity-based methods such as DEL, ASMS).
8. Proventrack recordof innovative scientific delivery through driving impactful insight into target characterisation across a range of challenging target classes, through intellectual and laboratory-based contributions
9. Demonstrated scientific and project leadership in highly matrixed environments, with extensive experience inspiring, developing, and guiding a diverse world‑class team through effective matrix management.
10. Significant experienceofestablishingand leading external academic and industrial collaborations, and technology change projects, to advance organisational capability
11. Track recordof delivering results across a diverse project portfolio by leading driving strategic and scientific initiatives
12. Strong external reputation in drug discovery,evidencedthrough wide personal network, external presentation and publication in high-impact journals, and influential roles on relevant external committees
13. Strategic, credible, and future thinking leader with strong prioritisation, sound decision making under uncertainty, integrity, openness, and a commitment to EDI.
Our organisation values are designed to guide all that we do.
Bold: Act with ambition,courageand determination
Credible: Act with rigour and professionalism
Human: Act to have a positive impact on people
Together: Act inclusively and collaboratively
We’relooking 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.
Ifyou’reinterested in applying and excited about working with us but are unsure if you have the right skills andexperiencewe’dstill love to hear from you.
What will I gain?
Wecreate a working environment that supports your wellbeing andprovide agenerous benefits package, a wide range of career and personal development opportunities and high-quality tools. Ourpolicies and processes enable you toimprove your work-life balance, take positive steps in your career and achieve your personal wellbeing goals.
You can explore our benefitsby visitingourcareers web page.
How do I apply?
Weoperatean anonymised shortlisting process in our commitment to equality,diversityand inclusion. CVs arerequiredfor all applications; but wewon’tbe 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.