Scientist (Biophysics/Biochemistry)

Scientist (Biophysics and/or Biochemistry) (Under the leadership of Agnes Martin)

£33,700 - £38,150 plus benefits (includes up to 12% pension contribution and income protection)

Reports to: Senior Scientist, Mechanistic Pharmacology

Directorate: Research & Innovation

Contract: Permanent

Hours: Full time 35 hours per week (flexible working requests considered if they meet business needs)

Location: Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge (4 days on site)

Closing date: 2 June 2025 23:55

This vacancy may close earlier if a high volume of applications is received or once a suitable candidate is found, therefore we strongly recommend that you apply early to avoid disappointment. Please let us know if there is anything about the recruitment process that you would like to discuss, in particular if there are any changes or adjustments that would make it easier for you to apply. Please contact [email protected] or 020 3469 8400 as soon as possible.

Visa sponsorship: Cancer Research UK can consider visa sponsorship for this vacancy (conditions apply. If this applies to you, please ensure that this is clearly marked on your application. 

Recruitment process: Initial Screening via Teams followed by in person interview at Babraham which will include a presentation

At Cancer Research UK, we exist to beat cancer.

We currently have an opportunity within our Drug Discovery team for a talented and passionate Scientist to bring scientific excellence and expertise to the operation and analysis of biochemical and/or biophysical assays for compound profiling and mechanistic investigation.

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, the Francis Crick Institute in London, and Newcastle University, Cancer Research Horizons employs ~200 staff from both industrial and academic backgrounds

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.

This laboratory-based role is focussed on performing physiologically relevant biochemical and/or biophysical assays to characterise cancer targets in detail at the molecular level, enable high-throughput screening, profile the structure-activity and structure-kinetic relationships of small molecules, and characterise their mechanism of action to inform dose prediction and clinical efficacy.

The high-quality data that the successful candidate will produce will be critical, helping teams form an understanding of both the mechanism of action of our molecules and the target biology.

Training from other members of the team in technical aspects is available, therefore an ability and enthusiasm for learning is crucial, as is a keenness to develop innovative ways of working through keeping abreast of cutting-edge biochemistry, enzymology and biophysics.

In return you will have the opportunity to work in an inclusive environment where we welcome creative thinking and new ideas, we would welcome your input on implementation of new technologies and improvements to existing processes and infrastructure. 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 working alongside our industry and academic partners to progress novel cancer targets towards patient benefit.

• A BSs, MSc or PhD in biological science such as biochemistry, biophysics or pharmacology; relevant experience may be substituted for education  

• Experience in a drug discovery environment of performing assays characterising small molecule inhibitors and their mechanisms for a range of target classes

• A theoretical and practical understanding of biochemical and/or biophysical assays and detection technologies, with a particular focus on physiologically relevant systems

• Experience in liquid handling and automated dispensing will be an advantage

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.

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.

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.

For more information on this career opportunity please visit our website or contact us at [email protected].  

For more updates on our work and careers, follow us on: Linked In, Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.

There’s a place for everyone at Cancer Research UK. Our vision is to create a charity where everyone feels like they belong, benefits from and participates in, the work we do. We're committed to creating an inclusive culture where everyone can be themselves and reach their full potential. 

We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and cultures, in particular those from ethnic minority backgrounds who are currently under-represented, and believe that a diverse workforce will help us to beat cancer sooner. 

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. We don’t expect everyone to meet all of the criteria listed.

We want to see every candidate performing at their best throughout the job application process, interview process and whilst at work. We therefore ask you to inform us of any concerns you have or any adjustments you might need to enable this to happen by emailing us at [email protected]. 

Unfortunately, we are unable to recruit anyone below the age of 18, so that we can protect young people from health & safety and safeguarding risks.