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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 this pivotal role, you will manage the delivery of high-quality sample management to support our discovery research activities, ensuring the effective storage, handling, tracking, and dispensing of compounds and biological samples. You will drive best practice and continuous improvement across our sample management processes, with a particular focus on small molecules and antibodies, helping to ensure our research teams have access to the high-quality materials they need to advance the development of new cancer treatments. 

You will embed best‑practice approaches to their management and use, supporting structure-activity studies and high‑throughput screening across multiple sites. This is a hands‑on role, combining technical expertise with ownership of workflows, systems, and standards, and close collaboration with multidisciplinary teams and external partners. 

You will be a key contributor to the Cancer Research Horizon Drug Discovery team, driving practical and innovative ways of working, including the adoption of new technologies and automation. Working across internal functions and with industry and academic collaborators, you will help advance novel cancer targets towards patient benefit. With access to a broad range of development opportunities, a proactive approach to learning and continuous improvement will be essential. 

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, and Newcastle University, you’ll be joining over 200 staff from both industrial and academic backgrounds, all dedicated to bringing forward the day we cure cancer.   

Application Closing Date:
21 July 2026
Salary:
£41,700-£51,300 (dependent on experience) plus benefits