Therapeutic Lead; Portfolio Generation

Therapeutic Opportunities Lead (Portfolio Generation)

£58,400- £76,000plus benefits

Department: Therapeutic Innovation, R&I
Reports to: Vice President of Portfolio Generation
Location
: CRUK Scotland Institute, Glasgow with high flex(1 to 2 days per week in the office)
Contract type/hours: Permanent, Full time 35 hours per week (flexible working requests will be considered)

Closing date: Sunday 8th March 23:55pm
Interview Date: Approximately week commencing 23rd March
Interview process: Competency based interview with task/presentation

At Cancer Research UK, we exist to beat cancer.

We’re seeking a Therapeutic Opportunities lead to join our Portfolio Generation team in Glasgow. In this key, high-impact role you’ll assess new therapeutic opportunities from academic partners and the Network Translation Team, as well as more advanced cancer drug discovery projects that could be accelerated toward the clinic. This includes creating and delivering straightforward workplans to de‑risk each opportunity, supporting due‑diligence activities, and helping drive decisions about what enters the TI portfolio.

You’ll also support the Therapeutic Catalyst schemes by reviewing EOIs, advising which should progress, helping PIs shape proposals, and coordinating approved projects. The role will also contribute to assessment processes for wider CRUK/CRH initiatives such as C Further, ensuring rigorous scientific evaluation.

Alongside this, you’ll help maintain a balanced pipeline of opportunities by building strong relationships with academic groups and external partners. You’ll also work closely with Commercial Partnerships colleagues to understand the wider scientific and commercial landscape. Every role at CRH (Cancer Research Horizons) is united by a single mission: beating cancer sooner. We carry out work that matters—impacting patients, families, and the future of science.

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.

• Development of multiple new opportunities/ from concept review, through evaluation and de-risking to a decision point on drug discovery portfolio entry (in collaboration with key drug discovery stakeholders)
• Lead on the development and delivery of multiple workplans to agreed inflection points
• Part of team exploring and evaluating drug discovery opportunities (more advanced assets) from 3rd party organisations (notably Bio Pharma)
• Act as a primary point of contact between academic collaborators and CRH-TI within Portfolio Generation space as required.
• Assist the triage of Therapeutic Catalyst expressions of interest and the development of full proposals
• Lead multiple Therapeutic catalyst projects to required/approved endpoints including option to accelerate via additional TI support.
• Matrix-managed drug discovery activities and interactions with PI’s in conjunction with key drug discovery stakeholders (Target Validation and Project Enabling leads)
• Make strategic recommendations to relevant review groups/leadership teams
• Support strategic development of the overall balance/risk of Portfolio Generation opportunities
• Management and development of Portfolio Generation staff
• Ensure…