Laboratory Scientist Apprentice
ASTRAZENECA UK LIMITED
Cambridge (CB2 0AA)
Closes in 29 days (Sunday 15 February 2026)
Posted on 13 January 2026
Contents
Summary
As a Laboratory Science Apprentice, you’ll learn hands-on lab skills and develop digital skills in data analysis while contributing to next‑generation phenotypic screening platforms that identify and validate novel drug targets.
- Wage
-
£24,570 a year
Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
Starting base salary of £24,570 + 11% benefits fund + bonus
- Training course
- Scientist (level 6)
- Hours
-
Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.
37 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 7 September 2026
- Duration
-
3 years 6 months
- Positions available
-
2
Work
Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.
What you'll do at work
Learn and perform lab experiments: Build skills in cell biology and molecular biology; help develop, optimise, and run cell-based and phenotypic assays. You will be trained in techniques such as CRISPR-Cas9, working in miniaturised plate formats under supervision.
Support innovation and optimisation: Keep up to date with new scientific approaches in CRISPR screening, genome engineering, and functional genomics. Apply improvements to assays that help discover targets across multiple therapy areas.
Collaborate and communicate: Work within cross-functional teams, share results clearly, and build networks across different disease areas and scientific disciplines.
- Cultivate analytical skills and scientific expertise with the aim of becoming a proficient formulation scientist
- Work collaboratively with team members and cross-functional teams to perform physico-chemical characterisation of lead candidates, developability and manufacturability studies, formulation screening and robustness studies, and clinical in-use studies.
- Contribute to the preparation of technical reports and presentations, showcasing achievements and promoting activities to the broader team and AstraZeneca colleagues.
Where you'll work
Cambridge Biomedical Campus
1 Frances Crick Avenue
Cambridge
CB2 0AA
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY-LONDON
Training course
Scientist (level 6)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Identify and apply scientific approaches to solve problems, support investigations and recommend any follow-up experiments.
- Evaluate scientific experiments using an appropriate level of qualitative and quantitative numerical analysis.
- Critically analyse data, relevant literature and input from colleagues to inform investigations.
- Analyse, interpret and evaluate scientific data and present the results in written and oral form.
- Manage record keeping to ensure data integrity, traceability, confidentiality and adherence with appropriate regulatory requirements.
- Promote, enact, document, and monitor the application of quality standards, safe working practices and compliance with risk management systems relevant to the role.
- Identify opportunities to challenge assumptions and apply influencing skills to make improvements, make new proposals and build on existing ideas.
- Manage work plan, prioritise tasks and evaluate progress against objectives.
- Contribute to the development of technical projects across multi-skilled teams and share best practice across the wider business.
- Conduct complex (chemical, or physical, or biological) scientific investigations in accordance with defined company procedures and legislative requirements.
- Identify and implement continuous performance improvement using appropriate techniques.
- Ensure work meets environmental, risk management and sustainability requirements and regulations of the business sector.
- Evaluate own performance and knowledge, and set personal development goals.
- Troubleshoot equipment selection and implement sustainable solutions.
- Identify and collaborate with key stakeholders and provide technical support and advice where required.
- Identify how other roles in the organisation can contribute to achieving sustainability goals.
- Select and apply equipment, techniques, and methods to ensure reliable and accurate results.
- Undertake practical analyses and measurement and communicate the outcomes using appropriate terminology and mathematical and graphical notation.
- Use appropriate digital solutions for the collection and analysis of data, and the retrieval of appropriate information.
- Use communication methods suited to objective and audience.
- Use theoretical models, often involving approximations, to make quantitative predictions.
- Apply chemical concepts and theories to investigations.
- Design, develop and carry out chemical science investigations.
- Recommend synthetic pathways to target-compounds and design experimental activities to test predictions.
- Design and deploy purification, isolation and characterisation strategies, taking account of physicochemical properties of elements and compounds.
- Design, develop and carry out qualitative and quantitative sample preparation, chemical measurement, and analysis.
- Critically compare the results of theoretical or computational modelling with those from experiment and observation.
- Apply physics theories to solve problems that cross scientific discipline boundaries.
- Apply computational techniques to analysis and model physical behaviour.
- Apply physics concepts and theories to investigations.
- Design, develop and carry out physics based investigations.
- Use mathematical techniques and theories to solve physics problems.
- Use computer programming software to solve physics based problems.
- Critically analyse current and emerging developments in the biosciences and the contribution of Biosciences to the wider industry.
- Apply Biological concepts and theories to investigations.
- Design, develop and carry out biological investigations
- Perform tasks related to sample preparation and culturing techniques.
- Use of laboratory automation systems.
- Perform sampling with consideration for sample variation.
- Identify and apply scientific approaches to solve problems, support investigations and recommend any follow-up experiments.
- Evaluate scientific experiments using an appropriate level of qualitative and quantitative numerical analysis.
- Critically analyse data, relevant literature and input from colleagues to inform investigations.
- Analyse, interpret and evaluate scientific data and present the results in written and oral form.
- Manage record keeping to ensure data integrity, traceability, confidentiality and adherence with appropriate regulatory requirements.
- Promote, enact, document, and monitor the application of quality standards, safe working practices and compliance with risk management systems relevant to the role.
- Identify opportunities to challenge assumptions and apply influencing skills to make improvements, make new proposals and build on existing ideas.
- Manage work plan, prioritise tasks and evaluate progress against objectives.
- Contribute to the development of technical projects across multi-skilled teams and share best practice across the wider business.
- Conduct complex (chemical, or physical, or biological) scientific investigations in accordance with defined company procedures and legislative requirements.
- Identify and implement continuous performance improvement using appropriate techniques.
- Ensure work meets environmental, risk management and sustainability requirements and regulations of the business sector.
- Evaluate own performance and knowledge, and set personal development goals.
- Troubleshoot equipment selection and implement sustainable solutions.
- Identify and collaborate with key stakeholders and provide technical support and advice where required.
- Identify how other roles in the organisation can contribute to achieving sustainability goals.
- Select and apply equipment, techniques, and methods to ensure reliable and accurate results.
- Undertake practical analyses and measurement and communicate the outcomes using appropriate terminology and mathematical and graphical notation.
- Use appropriate digital solutions for the collection and analysis of data, and the retrieval of appropriate information.
- Use communication methods suited to objective and audience.
- Use theoretical models, often involving approximations, to make quantitative predictions.
Training schedule
More training information
This course is primarily delivered through online learning, with a commitment of approximately one day per week dedicated to online study. Additionally, there is face-to-face learning that includes a one-week intensive session per year of study (this duration may be adjusted as needed). This blended approach ensures a rich and flexible learning experience, accommodating various learning styles and schedules.
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
- Any other subject (grade Grade 5 or above)
- Any other subject (grade Grade 5 or above)
- English (grade Grade 5 or above)
- Maths (grade Grade 5 or above)
- Science (grade Grade 5 or above)
A Level in:
- Any other subject (grade Grade B)
- Any other Subject (grade Grade B)
- Biology (grade Grade B)
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Problem solving skills
- Analytical skills
- Team working
- Enthusiastic
- prioritisation
- Proactive Approach
About this employer
At AstraZeneca, we put patients first and strive to meet their unmet needs worldwide. We’re deeply committed to our strategy of being a great place to work. For us, that includes fostering an environment where everyone can be among inclusive, supportive individuals with curious minds. A company that genuinely follows the science and values individuals at all levels, you’ll be backed and encouraged to speak up, ask questions, and share ideas to push the boundaries of science and continuously learn and explore.
After this apprenticeship
Provided the candidate meets the requirements of the apprenitceship, they may be offered a permament contract.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY-LONDON
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000008518.
Apply now
Closes in 29 days (Sunday 15 February 2026)
After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.