Head of External Relations & Stakeholder Engagement

Moondance Cancer Initiative; Cardiff; Hybrid; GBP 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Moondance Cancer Initiative seeks an external engagement officer to drive relationships and partnerships central to their mission. This strategic role involves engaging with stakeholders, developing long-term partnerships, and contributing to health improvements in Wales, working in a small, ambitious team.

Benefits

5% employer pension contribution

25 days annual leave

Hybrid working model

Qualifications

• Significant experience in external relations or stakeholder engagement.
• Track record of building relationships and influencing change.
• Familiarity with healthcare innovation or strategic collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Support and enhance MCI's external engagement and partnerships.
• Develop and execute engagement strategies to build long-term partnerships.
• Design and facilitate stakeholder events and meetings.

Skills

Emotional intelligence

Stakeholder engagement

Negotiation skills

Project management

Job description

Job Outline

This is a new and important role at the heart of our core team. You’ll support and enhance Moondance Cancer Initiative's external engagement — helping to strengthen relationships, expand our reach, and ensure our profile and partnerships reflect our values and support our ambitions.

You’ll work closely with the Managing Director and Clinical Director to deepen our engagement with key individuals and organisations — ensuring MCI is connected to the people, expertise and opportunities that can help drive progress. You’ll also help grow our wider network of collaborators — including identifying and onboarding expert freelancers and delivery partners who align with our ways of working.

This is a strategic and hands-on role, ideal for someone who thrives on building relationships, joining the dots across systems, and enabling high-quality, values-led collaboration.

Person specification

This role is for someone who can combine strong emotional intelligence, political awareness, and a natural instinct for connecting people and ideas — with a hands-on, get-things-done attitude and a willingness to dive into the detail when needed.

This role could be for you if you:

• Have significant experience in external relations, stakeholder engagement, communications or partnerships, with a track record of building meaningful relationships and making things happen.
• Take a proactive approach to spotting opportunities and connecting with the right people.
• Understand the health and care landscape in Wales and the dynamics of change across systems.
• Are energised by purpose, motivated by progress, and curious about what (and who) else is out there that could help us go further.
• Enjoy working in a small, ambitious team— collaborating across roles and rolling up your sleeves when needed.
• Combine an international outlook with a clear commitment to improving outcomes for people affected by cancer in Wales.
• Bring fresh ideas and practical solutions for how we engage the right people, helping to deepen our impact.

To do this role, you will:

• Be a confident and credible communicator, able to engage senior stakeholders and system leaders with ease.
• Hold strong influencing and negotiation skills, with the credibility to engage change-makers, thought leaders, and stakeholders at all levels.
• Demonstrate high emotional intelligence with the ability to build trust, understand others’ perspectives, and engage in ways that create genuine alignment between their priorities and MCI’s purpose.
• Have a proven track record in developing and executing engagement strategies that build long-term partnerships.
• Have strong organisational and project management skills that turn ideas into action.
• Be confident in designing and facilitating stakeholder events — from large conferences to intimate roundtables — ensuring they are well-executed and leave a lasting impact.
• Have experience working in healthcare innovation / improvement, public affairs, or strategic collaboration across complex systems.

It’s a bonus if you:

• Are familiar with the cancer landscape in Wales — and aware of how innovation, expertise or progress elsewhere could inform or enhance our work.
• Bring international experience — and ideally established networks — in areas such as innovation, partnerships or system improvement.

Key contract information

This is a permanent contract (with a six-month probationary period).

Reports to: Managing Director.

Hours of work: 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday inclusive. We are also open to considering this role on a 4-day (32 hours) per week basis, pro rata.

This role involves flexibility, including occasional evening meetings and travel. You’ll need to use your judgement about when in-person engagement adds value — whether that’s meeting stakeholders locally or attending relevant events across the UK. You may also need to connect with partners in other time zones online. Occasional international travel may be required.

Salary: £60,000 per annum (full time) plus a 5% employer pension contribution via the NEST scheme (alternative schemes considered by request).

Annual holiday entitlement: 25 working days together with the usual Bank and Public holidays. The days between Christmas and New Year are also awarded as additional paid leave.

Location: We’re committed to working collaboratively and with purpose. We offer a hybrid working model, where team members can work flexibly from home and our office in central Cardiff. We have regular anchor days, usually once a week, where all team members come together at our office. You will therefore need to live within commuting distance of Cardiff.

Right to work: All applicants must have the right to work in the UK.