Senior Project Leader; Drug Development

Position: Senior Project Leader (Drug Development)
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** Senior Project Leader (Drug Development)**£72,000 - £77,000 plus
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* Reports to:

** Senior Research Manager (Project Leader Team Lead)  
** Directorate:
** Research & Innovation  
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* Contract:

** Permanent  
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* Hours:

** Full time 35 hours per week (Compressed hours OR 28 hour week will be considered)  
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* Location:

** Stratford, London Office-based with high flexibility (1-2 days per week in the office)  
** Closing date:
** 30 January 2026 23:55pm
** Recruitment process:
** 2 stage interview process including competency-based questions and a task relevant to the role (held in person at our Stratford, London head office)  
** Interview date:
** W/C 9th February 2026
** At Cancer Research UK, we exist to beat cancer.
** We are looking for an experienced scientific expert with clinical or project management experience to join ourCDD 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 oncology Phase I clinical trials. 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.

It is an exciting time for CDD as we’re expanding our teams to move forward with an ambitious new strategy to maximise the impact of our research to benefit patients.

Sitting within our Study, Project and Portfolio team. This role will join c10 Project Leaders that manage all CDD projects spanning the entire life cycle of clinical trials (some early phase, some at trial and some closing) such as , the first UK national precision medicine trial in rare cancers. Working on circa 2 projects each they use their project management and clinical expertise to guide the project from early phase through to close.

Operating in a matrix management structure, duties include developing project plans, managing budgets, guarding the timeline as well as harnessing the strategy and having strategic oversight.

As a Senior Project Lead, you will deliver a subset of projects/programmes within CDD portfolio that have significant priority and broad alignment with the wider strategic interests of Cancer Research UK’s vision to beat cancer. You will also take on line management of c5 members of the team, with development and pastoral responsibilities.

If you come from a Drug Discovery background and have leadership skills gained either through line management or matrix management then we would love to hear from you. In return this is a great opportunity to work in a multifaceted role, working with a range of different teams/functions, driving projects with a focus on phase 1 – first in human clinical trials.

Furthermore, we actively encourage our colleagues to celebrate our science, by attending conferences, presenting posters, giving talks at events and publishing papers.

We will also support you with your professional development through training courses and certifications (such as Prince2)
* To be responsible for defining and driving the overall strategic direction of projects/programmes ensuring that this aligns with the needs of key stakeholders, both external and internal.
* Accountable for the delivery of projects within the CDD portfolio by working with the Senior Research Manager (SRM) for Clinical Study Managers (CSMs), Project Leaders (PLs) and functional group heads to ensure that projects are developed to, a defined scope, on budget, on time and in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements and best practice
* To lead a small team of Project Leaders, building and maintaining a high performing team that aligns with the standards and expectations of the wider PL group
* Identify the training needs for the PLs and effectively use mentoring and coaching to foster strong individual and team performance
* Working with the SRM to ensure the continuous review and improvement of systems, skills, processes and procedures
* Working with the PLs, plan resource requirements across the projects/programmes
* Working with the…