At a Glance
- Tasks: Conduct animal studies to support groundbreaking oncology research and improve patient outcomes.
- Company: Join AstraZeneca, a leader in life-changing medicines and innovative science.
- Benefits: Flexible working hours, competitive salary, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with a focus on continuous learning and development.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in oncology while advancing your scientific expertise.
- Qualifications: A Levels or equivalent, with in vivo experience and a passion for animal welfare.
The predicted salary is between 30000 - 40000 £ per year.
At AstraZeneca, we turn ideas into life‑changing medicines. Working here means being entrepreneurial, thinking big, and collaborating to make the impossible a reality—driven by the power of science to meet unmet patient needs worldwide. AstraZeneca's vision is to push the boundaries of science to deliver life-changing medicines, aiming to transform patient outcomes, particularly in oncology and chronic diseases. The company focuses on unlocking the power of science to create sustainable, positive impacts for people, society, and the planet. Join our vibrant Cambridge site and shape the next generation of oncology treatments. You’ll find tremendous opportunities to grow your expertise, advance your career, and see your impact on real patient outcomes.
Within our Animal Sciences & Technologies (AST) Department, you will apply your scientific and in vivo animal technical expertise to design and deliver high‑quality oncology efficacy studies that are central to our pipeline. Partnering closely with disease‑area teams, you will run robust preclinical tumour models and combination studies, generate decision‑enabling efficacy data, and help progress candidate medicines from discovery through development. Alongside oncology, AST also evaluates the safety and pharmacokinetics of new drugs to ensure a comprehensive understanding of candidate performance. This is a vivarium‑based role for an experienced in vivo professional who thrives in a fast‑paced, highly collaborative environment and is motivated by advancing oncology therapies for patients.
What You’ll Do
As a Scientist, you will be responsible for carrying out daily animal husbandry tasks for rodent species, identifying and reporting any abnormal findings, and maintaining the highest standards of animal care and welfare, working in the spirit of the 3R’s. Key duties include undertaking technical procedures such as animal identification, collecting biological samples, administering test articles, tumour measurements, and condition reporting. You’ll generate clear and complete data sets, including highly accurate documentation of raw data in computerized data capturing systems and on handwritten records. Able to work autonomously, managing your own work, you’ll meet agreed targets and quality standards in a timely manner, communicating progress appropriately. Passionate about self‑development, you will maintain current knowledge in Laboratory animal sciences, e.g., through Continued Professional Development (CPD), collaboration with peer scientists or contact with other internal groups. Highly diligent, you’ll ensure that tasks are performed in accordance with appropriate Safety, Health & Environment (SHE), quality and compliance standards, e.g., Good Laboratory Standards (GLS).
Working Patterns
Based at the Anne McLaren Laboratory on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, our In Vivo Scientists are required to work flexibly across different therapy areas and participate in the provision of weekend (1 in 5), Bank Holiday and out of hours support, compensated by a shift disturbance allowance.
Qualification, Skills & Experience
Essential Requirements
- A Levels, HNC, HND in a related field (or equivalent) or relevant experience
- Experimental in vivo skills in rodents with current or previous Home Office personal licenceholder (modules A‑B or 1‑2/1‑3) or equivalent qualification
- Fully conversant with all aspects of the Animal (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, Directive 2010/63/EU, associated Home Office guidelines and their implications.
- Ability to work independently in cross‑functional teams
- Fluent in verbal and written English language
Desirable Requirements
- BSc/MSc degree (or equivalent) in a related specialism, or relevant experience
- Experience as a trainer or assessor of in vivo skills under ASPA
- Experience as Named People, for example NACWO
- Familiarity with specific techniques such as imaging or surgery (PIL module C).
Our mission is to build an inclusive and equitable environment. We want people to feel they belong at AstraZeneca and Alexion, starting with our recruitment process. We welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of characteristics. We offer reasonable adjustments/accommodations to help all candidates to perform at their best. If you have a need for any adjustments/accommodations, please complete the section in the application form.
Scientist - Animal Sciences & Technologies - 12 months assignment in Cambridge employer: AstraZeneca GmbH
AstraZeneca is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic and collaborative work environment at our vibrant Cambridge site. With a strong focus on employee growth and development, we provide numerous opportunities for career advancement while working on groundbreaking oncology treatments that have a real impact on patient outcomes. Our commitment to inclusivity and the highest standards of animal care ensures that you will thrive in a supportive atmosphere dedicated to scientific excellence and innovation.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Scientist - Animal Sciences & Technologies - 12 months assignment in Cambridge
✨Get Involved with Local Research Groups
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We think you need these skills to ace Scientist - Animal Sciences & Technologies - 12 months assignment in Cambridge
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Relevant Experience:For a temporary role in biology, make sure to highlight any specific lab techniques or research experiences you've participated in. If you've worked on any projects, mention your contributions and what you learned – this is what will catch AstraZeneca GmbH's eye!
Keep It Fluid and Adaptable:Given that it's a temporary position, your application should reflect your flexibility and willingness to learn quickly. In your cover letter, discuss how your background has prepared you to jump into new situations or adapt to different lab environments in a heartbeat.
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Reflect Your Passion for Biology:Let your enthusiasm shine through your application! We want to see your genuine interest in biology and any recent trends or discoveries that fascinate you. This will show AstraZeneca GmbH you’re not just a good choice for the role, but also a super-motivated candidate who’s keen to contribute!
How to prepare for a job interview at AstraZeneca GmbH
✨Show Off Your Lab Skills
Since this is a biology role, be ready to discuss your hands-on experience in the lab. We should highlight any techniques or experiments you've performed that relate to the job, as those practical skills could really impress your interviewers at AstraZeneca GmbH.
✨Brush Up on Key Concepts
Make sure we're familiar with recent developments in the field of biology. Interviewers might throw in some technical questions related to current research or methodologies. A quick review of recent papers or breakthroughs could give us a unique angle during our chat with AstraZeneca GmbH.
✨Emphasise Flexibility and Learning
Given that this is a temporary role, we should stress our adaptability and eagerness to learn. Employers like AstraZeneca GmbH want to know that we're ready to hit the ground running. Share examples of how we've quickly adjusted to new environments or tasks in the past.
✨Prepare a Quick Project Summary
It might be useful to prepare a brief overview of any relevant projects or studies we've worked on. We can frame it in a way that showcases our contributions and what we learned, demonstrating how that experience will be beneficial in our role at AstraZeneca GmbH.
