Senior Scientist (Biochemistry & Biophysics)

Reports to: Principal Scientist or above

Directorate: Research & Innovation

Contract: Permanent

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 biochemistry and biophysics 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.

What will I be doing?

• Provide practical scientific leadership for the detailed molecular characterisation of cancer targets and the in vitro characterisation of small molecules using a range of biochemical assay technologies. Drive a strategic focus on detailed kinetic and mechanism of inhibition studies and their translation into the cellular environment.

• Design and implement biochemical strategies and cascades to support the characterisation of novel small molecules, generating high-quality SAR and SKR data to guide project decisions.

• Drive the adoption of innovative biochemical technologies and ways of working, maintaining awareness of emerging approaches and building productive relationships with external experts and collaborators.

• 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.

• Work collaboratively with multi-disciplinary research teams across Cancer Research Horizons and with external collaborators to advance project objectives.

• Prioritise and coordinate delivery of scientific objectives, taking responsibility for the timely achievement of project and team goals.

• Provide people leadership through training, mentoring, and matrix management, supporting the development and success of colleagues across multidisciplinary teams.

• Interpret, communicate, and present complex scientific data to a range of audiences.

• Represent Cancer Research Horizons at external conferences, and promote our innovative science through publication

• Communicate effectively, with openness and respect for the opinions of others .

• Maintain accurate, timely, and compliant electronic laboratory records.

What are we looking for?

We are seeking an accomplished scientific expert with the following skills and experience:

• BSc, MSc or PhD in biochemistry or in vitro pharmacology (relevant experience may be substituted for education) .

• Significant research experience in an industrial drug discovery environment.

• Proven expertise in using mechanistic enzymology to characterise novel targets.

• Extensive understanding of biochemical assay technologies, including kinetic profiling.

• Significant experience of assay development for a range of target classes.

• Significant experience of characterising small molecules .

• Awareness of emerging technologies and their application within the biochemical field.

• Credible external reputation, demonstrated through publications and presentations at key conferences.

Our organisation values are designed to guide all that we do.

Bold: Act with ambition, courage and determination

Credible: Act with rigour and professionalism