Senior Scientist (Bioscience - Translational Biology) in Cambridge

At Cancer Research UK, we exist to beat cancer. We’re looking for a Senior Scientist to join us and play a key role in advancing our oncology and immuno‑oncology pipeline. You’ll design and deliver critical gene‑perturbation and phenotypic studies, support innovative cell‑based assay development, and work closely with multidisciplinary teams to drive decision‑making in early discovery. This is an exciting opportunity for a proactive, detail‑driven scientist who thrives in a collaborative lab environment and is passionate about translating science into meaningful therapeutic progress.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Design, perform and interpret gene perturbation studies using tool compounds, gene knockdown and gene editing approaches in cancer cell lines, primary cells and immune-relevant co-culture systems.
• Conduct and interpret phenotypic analysis in cancer and immune cells including cell proliferation, apoptosis, colony formation.
• Review and critically appraise oncology and immunology literature and unpublished research to identify novel targets, signalling pathways and/or biomarkers.
• Demonstrate ability to solve problems and develop solutions independently.
• Work collaboratively within the Discovery Bioscience team and interact with multi-disciplinary research teams both internally and with external collaborators.
• Communicate efficiently, interpret and summarise data and present them to different audiences.
• Prioritise work according to project goals and take responsibility for the timely delivery of objectives.
• Maintain accurate and up to date electronic laboratory notebook.
• Maintain assigned laboratory equipment and/or duties.
• Perform all work demonstrating due care and attention to all health and safety and COSHH regulations.
• Keep up to date with state of the art technologies and knowledge of developments in cancer therapeutics with particular focus on immune-oncology.
• Highly committed, enthusiastic with a passion for learning.

Key Technical Skills, Knowledge and Experience

• PhD or equivalent in a biological science.
• Postdoctoral experience (or equivalent) in oncology and/or immunology research.
• Proven scientific leadership, with the ability to drive projects and influence research direction.
• Industry research experience within pharma or biotech environments.
• Expertise in target validation, including siRNA, shRNA, CRISPR, overexpression systems and tool compound use.
• Strong knowledge of cell culture techniques.
• Hands‑on experience with phenotypic assays, such as cell proliferation, apoptosis and colony‑forming assays.
• Solid understanding of immunology methodologies and their application in research.
• Experience handling and maintaining primary cells.
• Proficiency in cytometry techniques.

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.