Cancer Research UK

Biomarker Development Specialist

£56,000 - £64,000 plus benefits

Reports to: Principal Biomarker Scientist

Directorate: Research & Innovation

Contract: Permanent

Hours: Full time 35 hours per week

Location: Stratford, London Office-based with high flexibility (1-2 days per week in the office)

Closing date: 16 October 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 recruitment@cancer.org.uk or 020 3469 8400 as soon as possible.

Visa sponsorship: You must be eligible to work in the UK to apply for this vacancy. Cancer Research UK is not able to offer visa sponsorship.

Recruitment process: Screening call which will form part of shortlisting, followed by competency based interview accompanied by case study.

Interview date: Screening calls 27th 28th or 29th October, interviews w/c 10th of November

At Cancer Research UK, we exist to beat cancer.

We currently have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Biomarker Development Scientist to help support our translation of promising new cancer therapies to the clinic. This role sits within our drug development team within our Centre for Drug Development (CDD)

About the team

The Cancer Research UK CDD is the world's only charity-funded drug development facility. Our pioneering research is driven purely by the goal to see scientific breakthroughs bring benefits to patients sooner. CDD is the sponsor of early phase and precision medicine clinical trials in oncology agents. Our broad portfolio rivals that of a medium-sized pharmaceutical company, spanning antibodies, cell therapies, vaccines, drug conjugates and small molecules, making this an interesting and dynamic area to work in.

What will I be doing?

You will fully support the implementation of biomarkers on our trials from early assessment of biomarker strategy for new projects, fit for purpose assay validation through to clinical trial reporting and publication. This means that you’ll be a dynamic and flexible individual with a passionate interest in biomarker driven drug development and personalised medicine who can hit the ground running.

You might currently be a research or translational scientist looking to specialise further, or a Bioanalytical Manager or Biomarker Scientist seeking a more purpose-driven environment

Key responsibilities include:

• To provide expert scientific and technical advice to Centre for Drug Development (CDD) project teams on the identification, evaluation, and delivery of clinical biomarker methodologies in early phase clinical trials in cancer.
• Working with internal and external groups to generate programmes of work and to deliver biomarker packages for clinical trials.
• Interpret the significance of clinical biomarker data and its implication for the clinical trial and drug development strategy.
• Work with clinical teams to develop clinical study protocols and input into the preparation of regulatory documents where required.
• Keep up to date with scientific and technical developments in translational/biomarker science acting on new guidelines and initiatives.
• Work with the Clinical Partnerships Team’ to perform due diligence of new projects being considered for inclusion into the Centre for Drug Development portfolio.

What skills are we looking for?

• Degree in a scientific discipline.
• Strong scientific background in cancer biology and/or immuno-oncology
• Translational science experience gained through working in an Oncology or biomarker group.
• Ability to interpret and communicate the significance of clinical biomarker data and its implication for the clinical trial and drug development strategy.
• Practical experience of assay development, qualification, and validation in biomarker and/or bioanalytical area
• Ability to work effectively with third parties outside the organisation including clinical investigators and scientific experts.
• Knowledge of genomic assays and/or flow cytometry
• Good knowledge of GCP/GCLP and regulatory guidelines relating to biomarker assay validation.
• Experience of working in multidisciplinary drug discovery/development project teams
• Gravitas and scientific credibility to lead scientific discussions with high profile academic and industrial collaborators.
• Experience of working in industry would be beneficial
• Experience of working with a both small molecules and biotherapeutics would be beneficial
• Knowledge of downstream genomic data analysis and bioinformatics tools would be beneficial but isn't essential

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.

For more information on this career opportunity please visit our website or contact us at recruitment@cancer.org.uk.

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

Our vision is to create a charity where everyone feels like they belong, benefits from and participates in, the work we do. We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and cultures, in particular those from ethnic minority backgrounds who are currently under-represented.

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. Please contact recruitment@cancer.org.uk or 020 3469 8400 as soon as possible.

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.

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