Working life and benefits
As a world-leading cancer research organisation, The Institute of Cancer Research is a dynamic and exciting place to work. We provide exceptional opportunities for the best scientists, clinicians, and professional and administrative staff, as well as excellent academic and recreational facilities at our two London sites, in Chelsea and Sutton.
World-leading research institute
The ICR is the leading academic research centre in the UK. Effective industry collaboration and innovation in new medicines and technologies are at the heart of our approach to drive benefits for patients.
The ICR is ranked:
- second for research quality, impact and environment*
- first for biological sciences*
- third for research impact*
- first worldwide for the number of our publications cited in patents**
- fourth worldwide for the citation rate of scientific research published across all fields**
- fourth worldwide for top-cited research publications**
- in the top five higher education institutions worldwide for academic influence and commercial impact**
The majority of our employees work in research, but there are also important roles in scientific facilities, academic services, IT, fundraising, communication, human resources, and within our business and innovation office, which negotiates between ICR scientists and industry.
Just some of our current vacancies
Head of Biology and Director, Centre for Target Validation (Group Leader)
Under the leadership of Dr Olivia Rossanese, we are seeking to appoint a Team Leader to join The Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery (CCDD) as The Head of Biology and Director of the Centre for Target Validation. Key Requirements The successful candidate must have in-depth knowledge and recent experience in an area of cancer biology relevant to oncology drug discovery. Leadership experience of drug discovery within, or in collaboration with, the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry as evidenced by publication and/or successful commercial projects. Along with completing the online application form, you will be asked to attach the following documents and failure to do so will mean your application cannot be considered on this occasion: · Full CV · Lists of major publications, achievements, research grants, distinctions. · A PDF of a maximum of five key publications, or other research outputs (e.g. patents) that best demonstrate previous productivity · You must also complete the personal statement section of the application form in the format of a covering letter including the names and contact details of three academic referees Department/Directorate Information: The Division of Cancer Therapeutic's mission is to develop personalised medicines by translating information from the cancer genome and cancer biology into drugs for patient benefit. We implement innovative drug discovery technologies, discover novel mechanism-based drugs, and develop these as rapidly as possible from the laboratory through to hypothesis-testing early clinical trials We encourage all applicants to access the job pack attached for more detailed information regarding this role. For an informal discussion regarding the role, please contact Dr Olivia Rossanese, Email [email protected]
Human Resources Adviser
We currently have an exciting opportunity for a self-motivated and experienced HR Adviser to join our HR Operations team. Providing dedicated partnering with client departments, you’ll work closely with line managers to provide proactive and pragmatic advice and guidance on all aspects of people management, taking ownership of a busy employee relations caseload. You will also be responsible for supervising the work of our HR Administrative Team to ensure our monthly payroll input is submitted accurately and on time. You will work closely with other HR teams, including Recruitment, Systems and Information, and Learning and Organisational Development to ensure the provision of an effective, end to end HR service to Scientific and Professional Services teams across the ICR. Key Requirements You will have previous HR advisory experience, as well as a sound experience of managing employee relations cases end-to-end. You’ll need to be highly computer-literate, and have excellent attention to detail, with strong organisational and prioritisation skills to deliver effectively within a fast-paced environment. You will also have first-rate customer service skills to build and maintain collaborative relationships with colleagues across the organisation. Previous line management experience, and of managing small scale team restructures, including knowledge and understanding of TUPE processes would be a distinct advantage. Human Resources Directorate We know that talented, brilliant, passionate people lie at the heart of the ICR. That’s why we provide the policies, procedures, systems and people management infrastructure to recruit, retain, motivate and develop our people to achieve their full potential. We offer both operational and strategic support to teams across the ICR. We are organised across four main functions: HR Operations Learning and Organisational Development Pensions Reward, Information and Systems The ICR’s future success depends on recruiting the very best people with the very best skills and our HR strategy ensures that we have the organisational capacity and capability to deliver this. We encourage all applicants to access the job description pack attached for more detailed information regarding this role. For an informal discussion regarding the Sutton based role, please contact Karen Grieff via email on [email protected].
Scientific Officer - Epigenetics and Genome Stability
Under the leadership of Prof. Jessica Downs, we are seeking to a highly motivated individual to join the Epigenetics and Genome Stability Team as Scientific Officer. The ideal candidate will be responsible for the day-to-day running of the lab, maintain general lab equipment and perform experiments and contribute to ongoing research projects using basic cell and molecular biology approaches, including tissue culture, microscopy, and viability assays. Key Requirements The successful candidate must have strong organisational skills, be able to work collaboratively, take initiative and work precisely with excellent attention to detail and produce reproducible results. Experience with microscopy, genetic engineering, viability assays, PCR, cloning, or protein purification, and coding skills are highly desirable. Epigenetics and Genome StabilityTeam The Epigenetics and Genome Stability Team (thedownslab.org) studies the role of chromatin and epigenetic regulation in maintaining genome stability. The goal of this research is to understand how the packaging and organisation of DNA helps to maintain its integrity and prevent Tumourigenesis. We are also exploring how these insights can help identify new therapeutic approaches. Our team is embedded within the Cancer Biology Division at the ICR’s Chester Beatty Laboratories in Chelsea, London. We have a highly supportive and interactive research environment, and state of the art facilities for cell biology, molecular biology, next-generation sequencing and structural biology. We also closely interact with other divisions at the ICR, including Breast Cancer Research, Radiotherapy and Imaging, and Structural Biology. The great variety of disciplines at the ICR will ensure that the successful candidate will be exposed to fantastic research and seminars from all types of backgrounds. Download the job pack for more detailed information regarding this role. For an informal discussion regarding the role, please contact Professor Jessica Downs via email:[email protected]
Postdoctoral Training Fellow - Mechanisms and Regulation of pre-mRNA Splicing
Under the leadership of Professor Vlad Pena, we are seeking to appoint a Postdoctoral Training Fellow with a strong interest in the structural biology of RNA-protein complexes. The primary objective of this project is to elucidate how RNA splicing is regulated by a specific set of chromatin factors. The successful candidate will focus on reconstituting spliceosomes involved in this process and determining their structures using cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). Comprehensive training in specialized techniques will be provided. Our laboratory offers regular access to cutting-edge structural biology facilities, including recombinant protein expression, purification systems, mammalian cell bioreactors, advanced electron microscopy (Glacios and Titan Krios), high-performance GPU computing clusters, mass spectrometry, and both preparative and analytical biochemistry tools. More detailed information about our research can be found on our webpage. For general information on Post Doc's at The ICR can be found here. Key Requirements The successful candidate must have a PhD (or equivalent) in structural biology and demonstrate strong expertise in the biochemistry of macromolecular complexes. While experience in RNA biology, the structural study of RNA-protein complexes, and cryo-EM is advantageous, we encourage applications from all talented scientists with a passion for this field. The ICR has a workforce agreement stating that Postdoctoral Training Fellows can only be employed for up to 7 years as PDTF at the ICR, providing total postdoctoral experience (including previous employment at this level elsewhere) does not exceed 10 years Department/Directorate Information: The Division of Structural Biology is located at the ICR site in the picturesque Chelsea district of London, offering a vibrant scientific and cultural atmosphere and excellent opportunities for both personal and professional growth. We encourage all applicants to access the job pack attached for more detailed information regarding this role. For an informal discussion regarding the role, please contact Prof Vlad Pena at [email protected]