Business Development Manager (C-Further)

4,000 professionals, 0 days wasted, 1 incredible purpose. Together we will beat cancer.   

Business Development Manager (Children and Young People’s Cancer/ C-Further) 

Salary range: £50,000-£59,000 plus benefits 

Reports to: Senior Business Development Executive (Therapeutics) 
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). There will also be occasional travel both within the UK and internationally in this role (circa 2-3 times per year).
Closing date: Sunday 25th October 2026
Interview process: Screening call followed by competency-based interview with task/presentation.
Interview dates: Approximately w/c 2nd November 2026   

At Cancer Research UK, we exist to beat cancer. 

We have an exciting opportunity for a Business Development Manager (BDM) to join C-Further as part of Cancer Research Horizon’s Therapeutics BD team, which supports C-Further in its business strategy execution with industry, academia and partners. You’ll be expected to carry out critical business development activities relevant to C-Further’s broad commercialisation objectives, as it relates to all therapeutic technologies coming out of our network.  

A primary focus of this role is to lead the development and implementation of the BD and commercialisation strategy for the Children’s and Young People’s (CYP) cancers within the C-Further children’s cancer therapeutics consortium.  

You will work closely with internal and external stakeholders, building relationships with industry and the academic community to develop opportunities and executing research agreements for collaboration in the therapeutic discovery space. A desire to thrive in complex, multi-party time-sensitive contracting and negotiations whilst maintaining relationships is key.     

In addition, you will make considered contributions to the development of C-Further’s wider partnering strategy and critical new partnerships (e.g. with new consortium delivery partners and funders in the CYP ecosystem) and play an active role in the governance of the C-Further through participation in its joint management team.   

This role offers an excellent opportunity for the successful candidate to help drive C-Further's partnering strategy, and to make a major impact on the translation and commercialisation of exciting new technologies, for the benefit of cancer patients across the world. It also provides deep and broad exposure to technology transfer, intellectual property management, and business development and transactions, in a highly collaborative and high-profile initiative at the cutting edge of innovation. 

About us

Cancer Research UK (CRUK) is the world's largest independent funder of oncology research, with an annual R&D spend of over £400 million, and a network of over 4,000 researchers at 90 institutions across the UK and beyond.  

Cancer Research Horizons (CRH) is the integrated innovation engine within CRUK, tasked with translating scientific breakthroughs into direct patient benefit. With exclusive rights to CRUK’s annual investment in world-class cancer research, we’re a powerful partner in the fight to conquer cancer, with an established track record, including early contributions to 14 therapeutics launched into the market. As the second largest oncology-tech licensor globally, we work closely with academia and industry to bridge the gap between research and the market, our focus always on beating cancer. The Business Development (BD) team within Cancer Research Horizon’s Commercial Partnerships (CP) unit provides the primary interface with industry and investors.  

Children and Young people’s cancer (CYP - <26 years old) is a strategic priority for CRUK, and C-Further is a flagship preclinical pillar of this, aiming to build a pipeline of therapeutics tailored specifically to the unique biology of childhood tumours. C-Further’s purpose is to identify, resource, and actively manage a portfolio of paediatric oncology programmes from academic and biotech labs, globally and, drive each towards clinical trials and patient impact. It is a programme co-delivered with our partner LifeArc, and with Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity. Learn more at www.c-further.org

What will you be doing? 

• Directly and/or by leading deal teams, including legal and CRH colleagues, negotiate and manage licences, collaborations, options and other commercialisation, collaborative, and related technology transfer agreements to completion. 

• Support the evaluation of C-Further therapeutic opportunities through analysis of technology application areas, market size, competition, and market need. 

• Lead, advise and support C-Further therapeutic commercialisation activities, including marketing and partnering, as appropriate for the technology portfolio. 

• Take a leadership role in promoting Cancer Research Horizons, C-Further and its therapeutic technologies, to external parties through a variety of channels including outreach initiatives, direct engagement, presentations, marketing events and participation at meetings and conferences. 

• Keep appraised of industry and institutional trends and developments in the therapeutics space, to aid business judgement and support the development of the wider team. 

• Make considered contributions to C-Further's commercialisation and development strategy and overall operations through participation in its joint management team. 

• Work in collaboration with BD, Commercial Partnerships, and CRUK and collaborators at LifeArc to support and implement key strategic initiatives and operational goals as required. 

• May have lead responsibility for a focused specialist area/activity. 

• Provide expert specialist knowledge and advice to colleagues. 

• Contribute to the wider objectives of the BD Therapeutics team as needed 

What are we looking for?  

• BSc (or equivalent work & industry experience) in a Life Science discipline, ideally oncology or technology-related. 

• Business development and commercialisation experience drawn from working in relevant industry, academic or non-profit roles. 

• Demonstrable track record of success in the development and commercialisation of life science technology preferable. 

• Experience in and the ability to negotiate and structure commercial contracts, with technology transaction experience. 

• Broad knowledge and awareness of drug discovery and development (ideally within the oncology sector) preferable. 

• Familiarity with patent and commercial databases. 

• Proven scientific judgement and project management skills combined with operational delivery. 

• Excellent interpersonal skills, able to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate without authority with senior personnel. 

• Ability to influence and resolve conflict and construct innovative solutions to overcome challenges. 

• Ability to grasp and report varied technical concepts quickly, and design, develop and critique sound business strategies based on scientific, commercial and financial analysis. 

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.  

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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.