Therapeutic Accelerator Programme Lead (Cancer Research Horizons)
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Therapeutic Accelerator Programme Lead (Cancer Research Horizons)
Salary: P4 £85,000 - £95,000 pa depending on experience
Reports to: Associate Director Search & Evaluation
Department: Research & Innovation
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full time 35 hours per week (flexible-working requests for compressed hours will also be considered if it meets business needs)
Location: Stratford, London with high flexibility (we would expect you to be in the office on average 1-2 days per week) There will be UK based travel, largely in the South of England, and some international travel with this role.
Closing date: Tuesday 14th April at 23.59
Visa sponsorship: Cancer Research UK can consider visa sponsorship for this vacancy. If this applies to you, please ensure that this is clearly marked on your application.
At Cancer Research UK, we exist to beat cancer.
We’re looking for an experienced Programme Lead to oversee the Cancer Research Horizons Therapeutic Accelerator – the UK’s first and only oncology‑focused therapeutic accelerator. The programme supports early‑stage oncology ventures, helping founders progress from discovery through translation, venture formation and investment readiness.
In this unique leadership role, you’ll shape programme strategy and curriculum, build and manage a high‑quality mentor and partner network, and provide hands‑on support to participating teams. Working closely with the Associate Director of Search & Evaluation, you’ll ensure the programme delivers an exceptional founder experience and drives high‑impact oncology innovation.
We’re looking for someone with deep sector knowledge, excellent relationship‑building skills, and a passion for accelerating the next generation of oncology therapeutics while contributing to a world‑class innovation ecosystem.
About the team
This role sits within the Cancer Research Horizons (CRH) team. Cancer Research Horizons is the innovation engine of Cancer Research UK, translating cutting-edge innovations into effective treatments and diagnostics for cancer patients. With exclusive rights to CRUK’s annual investment of over £300 million in world-class cancer research, we’re a powerful partner in the fight to conquer cancer. We’re currently the second largest oncology out-licensor globally, and to date we’ve played an instrumental role in forming over 90 startup companies, supported £3.45 billion raised, and have helped bring 14 new cancer drugs to market.
What will I be doing?
Lead the short, medium and long‑term strategy, design and continuous improvement of the CRH Therapeutic Accelerator in alignment with organisational priorities.
Develop and refine the programme curriculum and deliver the full end‑to‑end cohort experience, ensuring it is founder‑first, inclusive and outcomes‑focused.
Manage day‑to‑day programme operations, including coordination of internal contributors, budget oversight and resource planning.
Provide structured guidance and challenge to participating teams, supporting them to refine strategy, prioritise actions and build credible development, resourcing and fundraising plans.
Identify capability gaps and connect teams with suitable mentors, experts, service providers or investors, monitoring progress and intervening where necessary.
Build, manage and engage a high‑quality network of mentors, subject-matter experts, investors and strategic partners for programme delivery and showcase events.
Develop and maintain a strong pipeline of prospective ventures; lead outreach, assessment, interview panels and due diligence for selection.
Cultivate relationships with funders, sponsors, academic and corporate partners across the innovation ecosystem, representing the accelerator externally and supporting senior‑level reporting and communications.
Build and engage an alumni community to sustain post‑programme momentum and enhance long‑term accelerator impact.
Define, measure and report programme KPIs and impact metrics, gathering feedback to drive continuous improvement and producing reports, case studies and communications that demonstrate value.
What skills are we looking for?
Proven experience delivering accelerator, incubator, or innovation programmes, ideally within healthcare, life sciences, or oncology therapeutics.
Strong understanding of early‑stage oncology therapeutic startup challenges, funding pathways, and the wider innovation ecosystem.
Experience commercialising innovation and supporting early‑stage ventures through investment readiness, fundraising preparation, and strategic development.
Skilled in stakeholder management, with the ability to build, maintain, and influence relationships across founders, investors, corporates, and academic or clinical partners.
Excellent organisational and programme‑delivery capabilities, with a track record of planning and executing complex initiatives.
Confident communicator with experience facilitating workshops, group sessions, and founder‑focused learning environments.
Academic background in a scientific or healthcare discipline (PhD or equivalent), ideally oncology, therapeutics, or drug discovery.
Experience in therapeutic innovation, drug discovery, or pre‑clinical translation, with understanding of IP, regulatory requirements, and translational pathways relevant to oncology.
Coaching or mentoring experience with founders, scientific leaders, or startup teams.
A strong network within investor, corporate, academic, or innovation communities relevant to oncology therapeutics.
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.
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 quickly, fairly, and objectively.
For more updates on our work and careers, follow us on: Linked In, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter 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.
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.