Associate Scientist Cellular Immunology

Description du poste:

Work with patient-derived immune receptors to help discover personalised T cell therapies for cancer patients.
At AstraZeneca's Cell Therapy facility in Amsterdam, your work will directly contribute to developing the next generation of cancer treatments.

Associate Scientist Cellular Immunology
Amsterdam Zuid Oost (near Amsterdam UMC)
Fulltime - 40 hours per week

In this role, you will join our TCR Discovery team, where technologies are invented, developed and improved to identify and characterise patient-specific T cell receptors for personalised cancer therapies.

You will work alongside around 75 scientists in an international, collaborative and dynamic environment at the forefront of cell therapy research.

About the role
As an Associate Scientist, you will spend most of your time in the lab working with patient-derived samples and using techniques such as flow cytometry and viral transduction. This is a role in which you will do more than following established protocols: you will troubleshoot experiments, interpret results and contribute to improving the workflow.
This role is 95% lab-based. Some experiments cannot be paused, so there may occasionally be times when you need to stay longer to complete an experiment. This role will suit someone who is naturally curious, enjoys solving experimental challenges, and likes to see experiments through from start to finish.

What you will be doing
As part of the TCR discovery team, you will run experiments that are central to our development of the discovery pipeline. Your key responsibilities include:
* Conducting TCR discovery and characterisation studies under the supervision of a senior Scientist.
* Isolating human immune cell populations including T cells, B cells and other subsets, using magnetic bead-based methods.
* Assessing immune cells phenotypically and functionally using flow cytometry and microplate-based assays.
* Genetically modifying primary immune cells and cell lines using retroviral and lentiviral vectors.
* Supporting the development and optimisation of assays.
* Documenting experimental results in the electronic lab journal and relevant databases.
* Keeping up to date with relevant scientific literature.
* Presenting results in internal work discussions.
* Contributing to day-to-day lab operations under the guidance of the Lab Manager.

Essential requirements:
This position is suitable for early-career scientists who already have hands-on experience working with mammalian cell culture in a research setting, gained through internships or employment.

To be considered for this position, you must meet all the requirements below:
* Bachelor's degree (HLO/BML equivalent), including at least two years of practical laboratory training, or a master's degree in biomedical sciences or another relevant life science discipline.
* At least 12 months of hands-on experience with mammalian or sterile cell culture, gained through research internships or employment. Experience gained solely in diagnostic laboratories does not meet this requirement.
* Practical knowledge of immunology gained through both education and laboratory work.
* Currently living within reasonable commuting distance of Amsterdam.
* Authorised to work in the Netherlands. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Due to the specialised nature of this role, we are unable to consider candidates who do not meet the above-mentioned criteria.
Because this role is intended for scientists with a bachelor's or master's level who are at an early stage in their research career, we are not considering applications from PhD graduates for this position.

Beyond the technical requirements, you will probably enjoy this role if you:
* enjoy solving experimental challenges, can distinguish priorities and are genuinely curious about understanding results.
* are a team player with good social skills.
* have a precise and detail-oriented approach to laboratory work.
* have strong written and verbal communication skills in English.

Your effort is rewarded

As an Associate Scientist, you can expect much in return for your dedication. In addition to a competitive salary, you will enjoy:
* An attractive bonus scheme and a 13th-month salary on top of your monthly pay.
* Career growth opportunities, including international prospects.
* Access to internal training and development programs.
* 27 vacation days, plus additional leave (such as your birthday, Good Friday, and the period between Christmas and New Year's Eve).
* Flexible and progressive employment benefits, allowing you to tailor them to your needs (e.g., a wellness budget and the choice of a holiday calendar based on different religious beliefs).
* Opportunity to participate in our share purchase plan with an additional contribution from AstraZeneca
* A pension plan.

Making a difference together with AstraZeneca

Are you driven by innovation in cancer treatment and eager to make a real impact? At AstraZeneca's R&D Cell Therapy facility in Amsterdam, we are developing next-generation TCR therapies targeting neoantigens in solid tumors. With an international team of approximately 75 scientists, we are advancing both fully individualised and shared neoantigen-targeting treatments to transform patient outcomes.
You will work in One Helix, our brand-new, high-tech research facility in Amsterdam Zuid Oost. This state-of-the-art space is designed to accelerate breakthroughs in cell therapy. Join our team and help shape the future of cancer treatment.

Interested?

If you're excited by hands-on immunology research and want to contribute to the development of personalised cancer therapies, we would love to hear from you.

If you have any questions about this vacancy, our Recruitment Team, Karin Raadschelders / Caroline van Oppen are happy to answer your questions.

Contact: info@werkenbijastrazeneca.nl or by phone on +31(0)85 - 047 0244.

We do not have a fixed closing date; the vacancy will close as soon as we have found the right candidate. Please apply immediately, as we will begin the selection process right away.
This position will remain online until an offer has been accepted.

Date Posted03-jul.-2026

Closing Date31-okt.-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