AstraZeneca Posted August 5, 2026

Scientist, In Vitro-Radioconjugate

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Full time
Drug Discovery & Preclinical Research

AstraZeneca is the source of truth for this posting and owns the application process. We surface normalized context and market comparison you won't find on the original listing.

About this opportunity

At AstraZeneca, we turn ideas into life-changing medicines. Working here means being entrepreneurial, thinking big, and working together to make the impossible a reality. We’re passionate about the potential of science to address the unmet needs of patients around the world. We commit to those areas where we believe we can really change the course of medicine and bring big new ideas to life.

Position Overview:

We are seeking a highly motivated Scientist with a proven track record of scientific excellence to join our radioconjugate (RC) team in the Oncology Targeted Delivery group within AZ Early Oncology Discovery in Hamilton, Canada. You will be a key member of a team working to develop novel, targeted radioconjugate therapies and advance them through early pre-clinical development. You will bring your theoretical and practical expertise to support platform and pipeline RC projects, working with a cross-functional team to deliver pre-clinical datasets to support pipeline progression and platform development. You will have the opportunity to present data and represent the team in project team meetings, platform meetings, and other internal forums.

Responsibilities:

Working in this laboratory-based position within the Early Oncology Discovery group, you will develop, invent, conduct, troubleshoot, and analyze in vitro experiments to validate tool reagents, investigate target biology, and dissect the mechanism of action of these novel cancer therapeutics. The position requires supporting cross-functional teams and working alongside project leaders to ensure the timely generation and dissemination of critical program data. As a highly organized and self-motivated person with extensive laboratory science experience, you stay current with technical and scientific expertise in tumor biology and cancer modelling. You have a genuine passion for this research area.

Requirements:

Bachelor's Degree in a related field along with at least 6 years proven experience or a Master’s degree with a minimum 2 years of experience. Recent Master’s graduates with extensive prior experience in a relevant area may be eligible. Candidates who hold a Ph.D. will not qualify.

Extensive knowledge of cell biology, molecular biology, and/or biochemistry in the context of cancer biology, with a desire for continued learning

Deep conceptual understanding of cancer biology is preferred

Experience with routine cell culture, particularly culture of tumor cells

Expertise in molecular- and cell-based methodologies, such as cytotoxicity assays, binding and internalization assays, multicolor flow cytometry, fluorescent and live cell microscopy, ELISA, and Western blotting

Candidate must work with radioisotopes with fast learning of “hot” in vitro assays

Works independently with minimal direction to conduct experiments, analyze data, and prepare results for internal and external presentations and regulatory filings

Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills and evidence of delivery in a team-oriented, collaborative environment

Ensures own work, and work of peers, follows Good Laboratory Practice, Safety, Health, and Environment standards and all other relevant internal AstraZeneca standards and external regulations

Preferred Requirements:

Background in the biopharmaceutical industry is preferable but not required

Experience in molecular cloning and cell line engineering is highly desirable

Candidates with experience related to radiation biology, radiochemistry, or radiopharmaceutical therapies would be preferable

A proven record of productivity; contributions to scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals

Great People want to Work with us! Find out why:

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Top 100 Employers Award

Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Culture

Learn more about working with us in Canada

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Are you interested in working at AZ, apply today!

AstraZeneca is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion and providing a workplace that is free from discrimination. AstraZeneca is committed to accommodating persons with disabilities. Such accommodation is available on request in respect of all aspects of the recruitment, assessment and selection process and may be requested by emailing  AZCHumanResources@astrazeneca.com .

Annual base salary for this position ranges from 82,377.60 to 108,120.60. AstraZeneca is committed to providing fair and equitable compensation opportunities to all colleagues. Our compensation policies and practices have been designed to allow colleagues to progress through the salary range over time as they progress in their role. The range provided in this posting represents an offer pay range used in a majority of situations. The base pay offered will vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including the candidate's skills and experience, job-related knowledge, and other specific business and organizational needs.  In some cases, offers outside the range may also be considered to address unique circumstances.

In addition, our permanent positions offer an annual Variable Pay Bonus/Short Term Incentive opportunity as well as eligibility to participate in our equity-based long-term incentive program (if applicable to role).  Benefits offered for permanent roles include a competitive Flex Benefits & Retirement Savings Program, 4 weeks’ paid vacation, and annual Personal Days. Fixed Term Contract/Temporary positions (excluding students) are offered a Contract Benefits Program.

We are using AI as part of the recruitment process.

This advertisement relates to a current vacancy.

Job details

Seniority
Not listed
Function
Drug Discovery & Preclinical Research
Therapeutic area
Not listed
Location
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Employment type
Full time

How this role compares

Computed from every other active Drug Discovery & Preclinical Research role in our database, not just this employer's listings.

We currently track 383 comparable Drug Discovery & Preclinical Research roles across 47 biopharma companies.

383Comparable roles tracked
346Currently active
47Companies hiring similar roles
16Countries represented

Salary context

137 of 383 peers report a salary range (USD, annualized)

Peers share this role's job function. This posting doesn't list a seniority level, so peers aren't narrowed by seniority either -- the range below may span more levels than usual.

This roleSubject $82,378/yr – $108,121/yr
Lowest disclosed · Scientist 1, Oncology | Drug Discovery · AbbVie $0/hr – $0/hr (≈ $0–$0/yr)
Highest disclosed · Head, Oncology Drug Discovery – San Diego · Novartis $248,500/yr – $461,500/yr
Peer group range $0 – $355,000 (median $165,300)

Where these roles are based

Top locations among the 383 comparable roles

United States304
India17
Germany13
United Kingdom9
Canada8
Switzerland6

+ 10 more countries

Seniority mix

297 of 383 peers have a known seniority level

Senior111
Principal57
Intern/Fellow/Postdoc34
Director26
Associate23
Associate Director21
Senior Director12
Executive/VP8
Manager5

Therapeutic area mix

54 of 383 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden

Oncology31
Cardiovascular / CVRM10
Immunology6
Neuroscience4
Vaccines & Infectious Disease2
Respiratory1

Similar opportunities

The closest matches from our peer group, ranked by how similar they are, not how well you'd qualify for them -- treat this as market context, not a guaranteed shortlist; a weak match is labeled as one below.

40%similar
Amgen British Columbia ULC Burnaby, Canada Senior
Same function Same country
40%similar
Amgen British Columbia ULC Burnaby, Canada Senior
Same function Same country
40%similar
Amgen British Columbia ULC Burnaby, Canada Senior
Same function Same country
40%similar
Amgen British Columbia ULC Burnaby, Canada
Same function Same country
40%similar
Amgen British Columbia ULC Burnaby, Canada
Same function Same country
40%similar
Amgen British Columbia ULC Burnaby, Canada Senior
Same function Same country

How we calculate "similar"

No black box, no LLM guesswork: a deterministic score built from four normalized attributes. Here's this role's own peer group at different match levels, so you can see the mechanism, not just the result.

Every comparison starts from the same 100-point budget: 25 for working in the same function, 40 for the same therapeutic area, 20 for the same or adjacent seniority, 15 for the same country. A dimension we can't confirm on both sides contributes nothing, never a guess, never a free pass.

40%
Senior Scientist, Stem Cell Model Engineering( Contract)
Amgen British Columbia ULC · Burnaby, Canada · Senior
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
40%
Scientist – Digital Discovery: Automation & Intelligent Systems
Amgen British Columbia ULC · Burnaby, Canada · Seniority not listed
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
40%
Senior Manager, Lab Operations
Gilead Alberta ULC · Edmonton, Canada · Manager
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
25%
Director/Sr. Director/Exec. Director, Molecular Pharmacology (AMD)
Lilly · San Francisco, California, United States of America · Executive/VP
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
Unmatched or unknown dimensions score exactly the same: 0 points, never a partial guess. A role we know almost nothing about beyond its function bottoms out at 25%; it never inflates to 100% just because there's little to compare against. Seniority uses a defined ladder (Associate → Manager → Associate Director → Senior → Principal → Director → Senior Director → Executive/VP) so "Director" and "Senior Director" count as adjacent, but "Director" and "Executive/VP" do not.