Cancer Research UK (CRUK)
Programme Manager
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Programme Manager
£37,000 – £42,000 plus benefits
Reports to: Senior Programme Manager
Directorate: Marketing, Fundraising & Engagement
Contract: 12 month fixed-term contract
Hours: Full time 35 hours per week
Location: Stratford, London Office-based with high flexibility (1-2 days per week in the office)
Closing date: 27th September 2026 23:55
Please let us know if there is anything about the recruitment process that you would like to discuss, in particular if there are any changes or adjustments that would make it easier for you to apply. Please contact recruitment@cancer.org.uk or 020 3469 8400 as soon as possible.
Visa sponsorship: You must be eligible to work in the UK to apply for this vacancy. Cancer Research UK is not able to offer visa sponsorship.
Recruitment process: Competency based interview
Interview date: Week commencing 5th October
At Cancer Research UK, we exist to beat cancer.
We're looking for a collaborative and delivery-focused Programme Manager to help shape and deliver our insight-driven, audience-led Do Proposition strategy across events and fundraising activity. In this pivotal role, you'll coordinate cross-functional teams to successfully deliver products and initiatives that strengthen supporter engagement, maximise impact and ultimately help fund life-saving research.
Working across a complex stakeholder landscape, you'll foster an empowered and inclusive culture that brings teams together around shared goals and outcomes. You'll drive collaboration, provide oversight of end-to-end delivery, and ensure programmes are aligned with wider Marketing, Fundraising and Engagement objectives.
Combining strategic thinking with operational excellence, you'll play a key role in delivering meaningful experiences for our supporters while helping accelerate progress towards our mission to beat cancer.
What will I be doing?
- Support the drive for continued growth of CRUK audiences and supporters by proactively managing the delivery of the proposition or agreed end to end relationship journey with implementation plans, working collaboratively and cross-functionally across Marketing Fundraising and Engagement and beyond, within the allocated budget
- Ensure that agile cross-functional teams deliver against shared audiences, volume, value, contribution and other objectives, by effectively managing activities, while empowering team members to make decisions
- Drive a culture of end-to-end delivery, building excellent working relationships, and ensuring a collective understanding of the team-level objectives, and their role
- Ensure that standards are set and upheld for proposition squad processes and culture – including frequent touchpoints and communication cross-functionally, in conjunction with the Senior Programme Manager, Programme Community of Practice and any external benchmarking of best practice in our sector
- Ensure sound resource allocation plans, proposition briefs and business cases are developed in collaboration with the Senior Programme Manager, and proposition and cross-functional SLT
- Facilitate group activity e.g. proposition squad or working group, including cross-functional decision making, dependency, risk, and issue mediation, and performance evaluation, working closely and collaboratively with cross-functional proposition stakeholders
- Effectively and efficiently coordinate any changes to the implementation plan, using tools such as service blueprints, working in collaboration with the Senior Programme manager, proposition SLT and cross-functional stakeholders to ensure than any amendments are driving the product/proposition towards the desired outcome
- Working with the Senior Programme Manager and Programme Community of Practice, establish appropriate governance frameworks to ensure that activities are managed effectively, and decisions and escalations are managed appropriately
- Be knowledgeable in and champion the proposition’s role in MFE’s portfolio and the part it plays in a supporters’ overall relationship with the charity, having a good understanding of the governance structure, delegated authority, briefings and stage gates required
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What are we looking for?
- Experience of project management principles and methodologies - aligned to the need of the programme and best practices - formal relevant qualifications are desirable
- Proven ability to manage complex projects involving multiple stakeholders either within a charitable or commercial environment
- Strong facilitation skills, including the ability to effectively manage cross-functional teams and meetings to deliver the required outcome within the time allocated, but also the ability to empower teams to make decisions independently
- Ability to work within a complex and ambiguous environment, ensuring speedy decision-making and timely resolution of issues, including the ability to understand, work and communicate with both technical and non-technical stakeholders
- Impactful conflict resolution and problem-solving skills
- Adopts a growth mindset—constantly seeking ways to improve and champion existing processes and approaches within the wider business
- Communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to influence and negotiate effectively within a cross-functional and cross-disciplinary environment, explaining complex information clearly at a senior level
- Strong financial management, planning and monitoring skills – knowledge of financial controls and budget management
- Proficiency in Microsoft products – including and Excel
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
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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.
Eligibility criteria
Internal candidates should ideally have completed their 6-month ‘getting started’ period before applying for other roles. You should also advise your current line manager at the point you make an internal application, or at the latest, at the point of being invited for an interview.
All internal candidates applying for a secondment, must have:
- completed their getting started period
- discussed their intention to apply and gained approval to apply with their line manager
- been in their substantive (home) role for at least 6 months (this is only applicable if you have previously been on secondment)
If you do not confirm that you meet these requirements, we will not be able to progress your application.
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.
For more updates on our work and careers, follow us on: Linked In, Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.
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.
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