Laboratory Scientist – Biochemistry & Assay Development (full time)

Laboratory Scientist – Biochemistry & Assay Development (full time)
Location: Pivot Park Oss | Amsterdam UMC campus
Fulltime – 100% Lab-based

Acerta Pharma, part of the AstraZeneca group, is dedicated to discovering and developing novel therapies for haematological malignancies. We are strengthening our research activities in the Netherlands and preparing to relocate to Amsterdam in early 2027 to establish the AZ Netherlands R&D hub. Until that time, you will be working from our facilities in Oss. After the move, you will be based at our new site in Amsterdam. The ability to commute to both locations or openness to relocating is expected.

In this role, you will design, develop, and execute biochemical assays that underpin our drug discovery programmes, with a particular focus on building and running biochemical screening cascades. You will work closely with project teams and fellow scientists to generate high-quality data, maintain rigorous assay performance, and translate biochemical insights into actionable results for our medicinal chemistry and biology partners.

What you’ll do
In this role, you will be fully embedded in our modern laboratory, ensuring smooth day-to-day operations. Working both independently and alongside colleagues, you will carry out a variety of biochemical studies and play a central role in our assay development and screening activities, including:

• Developing, optimising, and running biochemical assays – including enzymatic, binding, and activity-based assays – to support drug discovery programs.

• Executing experiments independently and troubleshooting assay performance, applying sound biochemical reasoning to resolve issues promptly.

• Building and managing biochemical screening cascades from primary through orthogonal and counter-screens to support compound progression decisions.

• Applying key biochemical concepts (enzyme kinetics, protein-ligand interactions, dose-response analysis, selectivity profiling) to design rigorous, fit-for-purpose assays.

• Analysing experimental data, interpreting results in a biochemical context, and communicating findings clearly to project teams and stakeholders.

• Collaborating across disciplines – including medicinal chemistry, structural biology, and cell biology – to translate scientific questions into robust experimental approaches.

• Ensuring compliance with internal policies, quality expectations, and laboratory safety standards.

• Mentorship: Provide guidance on assay setup, troubleshooting, and data analysis to junior team members where appropriate.

What do you bring?

• Master’s degree or equivalent relevant scientific experience.

• Strong hands-on experience developing and running biochemical assays (enzymatic, binding, or protein-based) in a drug discovery setting in industry.

• Demonstrable experience planning, running, and troubleshooting experiments independently, with the ability to adapt quickly when results deviate from expectations.

• Solid understanding of core biochemical concepts such as enzyme kinetics, including Michaelis-Menten kinetics and steady state analysis, protein-ligand binding, selectivity, and assay interference mechanisms.

• Practical experience with data quality assessment, statistical analysis of assay results, and application of appropriate experimental controls.

• Clear and confident communication skills, with the ability to share findings effectively with colleagues and multidisciplinary project teams.

• A collaborative, mature attitude and a strong commitment to working safely and responsibly in the lab.

• You are fluent in English.

• You are prepared to work from our laboratories in Oss until we move to our new site in Amsterdam UMC campus, which is currently planned for early 2027.

Please note: this role is intended for candidates with a BSc or MSc background. A PhD profile will not be a suitable match and will not be considered for this role - due to the hands-on and operational focus of the position.

Desirable

• Experience building or executing biochemical screening cascades within a drug discovery context, including primary screening, counter-screen, and selectivity profiling within an industry setting.

• Familiarity with biochemical platform technologies such as TR-FRET, AlphaScreen/AlphaLISA, FP, SPR, or related biophysical methods.

• Experience with data handling tools or scripting (e.g. Python, R) for assay data analysis and visualisation.

• Background in drug discovery, pharmacology, or related haematological or oncology research.

• You hold an EU passport

What do we offer you?

• A dynamic, innovative, international working environment, where you can be part of the development of new medicines that can make a difference to patients' lives

• The opportunity to work in a highly professional, diverse, close-knit team, where you can learn a lot from each other and count on one another

• The opportunity to further develop yourself, for example, into a position offering even more responsibility

• Competitive salary and secondary benefits including 8% holiday allowance, 27 holidays on a fulltime basis. Additional: office closure between X-mas and New Year + Good Friday.

• Collective pension with a fixed percentage personal contribution

• Bonus scheme

• Vitality of our colleagues is important to us, which is why you can exercise at a discount or make use of our bicycle plan.

• Support for potential extra travelling costs during the transition period when working at the Oss site

About AstraZeneca Oncology R&D, Amsterdam

At AstraZeneca Amsterdam, we bring together two research groups, in haemato-oncology and next generation cell therapy research. Together, they form our Oncology R&D hub in the Netherlands, working closely with colleagues in the US, Canada, Spain and the UK, to develop innovative treatments for patients with cancer. Our hematology R&D group was born as Acerta Pharma, one of the Netherlands’ greatest biotech success stories. Its small-molecule BTK inhibitor has been approved by both the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the treatment of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) and Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL). In Amsterdam approximately 100 colleagues continue the development of new therapies for haematological malignancies under the AstraZeneca brand name.

AstraZeneca’s Cell Therapy R&D team focuses on developing next-generation T-cell receptor (TCR) therapies targeting neoantigens in solid tumors. With a team of around 75 scientists, we work on both fully individualised and shared neo-antigen approaches, with the aim of improving outcomes for patients with cancer. Our oncology research and development hub is anchored by our new state-of-the-art laboratories in OneHelix and the adjacent Plus Ultra Amsterdam building, both located on the Amsterdam University Medical Centre (Amsterdam UMC) campus. Our hub is firmly positioned at the heart of the Dutch research community network, creating new opportunities for our people, our science, and the patients we work to transform outcomes for.

Apply today by clicking on the apply button at the bottom of this page.

Questions? Our Recruitment Team, Karin Raadschelders or Caroline van Oppen, is available at [email protected] or +31 (0)85 - 047 0244.

We don’t work with a fixed closing date; we will commence our screening process immediately - the vacancy will close as soon as we’ve found the right candidate. 

Date Posted

15-Jul-2026

Closing Date

25-Jul-2026

AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity.  We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills.  We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.  We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics.  We comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements.