Finance Manager [Core Purpose]

Cancer Research UK; Stratford-upon-Avon; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Cancer Research UK is seeking a Finance Manager to join our Finance team in Stratford, London, with hybrid working (office 1-2 days/week). The role reports to the Senior Finance Manager and leads budgeting, forecasting and financial planning for a multi‑hundred million pound scope.

The ideal candidate is a qualified accountant with extensive FP&A and management accounting experience, strong stakeholder engagement, and proven ability to influence strategic decisions.

Qualifications

• Qualified accountant with ACA/ACCA/CIMA or equivalent.
• Significant experience in Finance Business Partnering, FP&A, Strategic Finance or Management Accounting.
• Strong financial planning, forecasting, modelling and reporting experience.
• Proven ability to influence and challenge senior stakeholders.
• Excellent analytical skills with the ability to turn complex data into clear, actionable insight.
• Strong communication skills to explain financial information to non-finance audiences.
• Experience working effectively within a matrix environment.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Directors and senior stakeholders to provide financial insight, analysis and decision support.
• Lead budgeting, forecasting and long‑term financial planning activities for designated business areas.
• Develop financial models, business cases and scenario analysis to support strategic decision‑making.
• Deliver meaningful financial reporting, identifying trends, risks, opportunities and future implications.
• Challenge and influence stakeholders to improve financial understanding and support effective decision‑making.
• Build strong relationships across the organisation and support delivery of the Finance Strategy.
• Coach and support Finance Analysts and Management Accountants through matrix management and mentoring.
• Drive continuous improvement in financial processes, reporting and analysis.

Skills

Finance Business Partnering

FP&A

Strategic Finance

Management Accounting

Financial Forecasting

Financial Reporting

Stakeholder Influence

Analytical Skills

Education

Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent)

Job description

£60,000 - £65,000 per annum plusbenefits

Reports to: Senior Finance Manager

Directorate: Finance, Governance, Assurance

Contract: Permanent

Hours: Full time 35 hours per week

Location: Stratford, London Office-based with high flexibility (1-2 days per week in the office, typically Wednesday)

Closing date: 26 October 2026 23:55

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: 2 stage competency-based interview

At Cancer Research UK, we exist to beat cancer.

We are professionals with purpose, beating cancer every day. But we need to go much further and much faster. That's why we're looking for someone talented, someone who wants to develop their skills, someone like you.

Cancer Research UK's Finance team's credibility and professionalism in handling money fundraised through public generosity are essential to the smooth running of our organisation, ultimately helping the charity reach our goal of beating cancer. In 2025/26, the finance team managed an income of £696m and expenditure of £755m.

We're recruiting for a Finance Manager to join the team, and support one of the organisation's largest areas of investment. Partnering with our Research Funding teams, you'll provide financial leadership across a budget of more than £300 million, helping shape how significant research funding is allocated and managed.

As a Finance Manager, you'll lead the delivery of high-quality and insightful reporting and financial planning for your specified business area. This will involve advising senior managers and leaders on important financial decisions across a range of initiatives and projects to deliver our ambitious strategy.

Your legacy will be to have made a meaningful and lasting impact on the organisation's financial capability, decision‑making, and long‑term planning. If you're a qualified finance professional who has led budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning activities in large, complex organisations, we would love for you to join our mission.

What will I be doing?

• Partner with Directors and senior stakeholders to provide financial insight, analysis and decision support.
• Lead budgeting, forecasting and long‑term financial planning activities for designated business areas.
• Develop financial models, business cases and scenario analysis to support strategic decision‑making.
• Deliver meaningful financial reporting, identifying trends, risks, opportunities and future implications.
• Challenge and influence stakeholders to improve financial understanding and support effective decision‑making.
• Build strong relationships across the organisation and support delivery of the Finance Strategy.
• Coach and support Finance Analysts and Management Accountants through matrix management and mentoring.
• Drive continuous improvement in financial processes, reporting and analysis.

What are we looking for?

We're looking for a finance professional who combines strong technical expertise with excellent stakeholder management skills.

• Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent)
• Significant experience in Finance Business Partnering, FP&A, Strategic Finance or Management Accounting.
• Strong financial planning, forecasting, modelling and reporting experience.
• Proven ability to influence and challenge senior stakeholders.
• Excellent analytical skills with the ability to turn complex data into clear, actionable insight.
• Strong communication skills with the confidence to explain financial information to non-finance audiences.
• Experience working effectively within a matrix environment.

Personal Attributes

• Curious, proactive and solutions focused.
• Strong relationship builder with excellent influencing skills.
• Comfortable working independently and managing competing priorities.
• Committed to continuous improvement and developing others.
• Passionate about Cancer Research UK's mission and values.
• This role is best suited to candidates from a Finance Business Partnering, FP&A or Strategic Finance background. Whilst the title is Finance Manager, the position is focused on partnering with stakeholders, providing financial insight and supporting strategic decision‑making rather than traditional operational finance management.

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

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.

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.

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.

Please note that applications can't be edited once submitted.

Owing to the nature of this position, any offer of employment for this role will be subject to a satisfactory basic DBS check.

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 [e-mail] 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.