Programme Manager

Cancer Research UK; Stratford-upon-Avon; Hybrid; GBP 37,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Cancer Research UK in Stratford, London is seeking a collaborative and delivery-focused Programme Manager to 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.

Qualifications

• Experience with project management principles and best practices.
• Ability to manage complex projects with multiple stakeholders.
• Strong facilitation and decision-making skills.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate cross-functional teams to deliver the proposition and end-to-end journeys within budget.
• Ensure agile teams meet audience, volume, value and contribution objectives.
• Develop resource plans, briefs and business cases with senior leadership.
• Facilitate group activities and cross-functional decision making.
• Manage changes to implementation plans and dependencies with stakeholders.
• Establish governance frameworks and ensure escalation processes.
• Understand governance, briefings and stage gates within the charity context.

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder management

Cross-functional collaboration

Agile methodologies

Budget management

Tools

Excel

MS Office

Job description

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

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

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

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.

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.

For information about internal learning and development at Cancer Research UK please visit Fuse.

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.