Senior Portfolio Manager

Cancer Research UK; Stratford-upon-Avon; Hybrid; GBP 56,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

Cancer Research UK is seeking a Senior Portfolio Operations Manager to drive clarity, governance and operational excellence across a complex technology portfolio, ensuring investments deliver maximum impact for the charity's mission.

Working in Stratford with hybrid office attendance, you will lead forecasting, budgeting and supplier management, partner with Finance, Procurement and Legal, and shape business cases and investment decisions to enable delivery teams to perform at their best.

Qualifications

• Proven experience managing financials, suppliers and contracts within large-scale technology environments.
• Strong financial acumen, including budgeting, forecasting, reporting and cost control.
• Experience working effectively with Finance, Procurement and Legal teams.
• Ability to embed and manage supplier relationship management approaches.
• Strong organisational and orchestration skills across complex environments.
• Clear communicator, able to present financial and commercial insights to stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead financial management across a complex technology portfolio, including forecasting, budgeting and cost control
• Own supplier relationships and manage contracts end-to-end, ensuring value for money
• Partner with Finance, Procurement and Legal to deliver robust commercial governance
• Drive portfolio insight through financial analysis, risk management and scenario modelling
• Improve operational processes to reduce friction and increase clarity for delivery teams
• Support smaller cross-team initiatives and contribute to business cases and investment decisions

Skills

Financial management

Supplier management

Contract management

Cross-functional collaboration

Stakeholder communication

Job description

We’re looking for a Senior Portfolio Operations Manager to drive clarity, control and operational excellence across a complex technology portfolio, playing a critical role in ensuring our investment delivers maximum impact towards our mission to beat cancer.

Senior Portfolio Operations Manager £56,000 - £62,000 Per Annum plus benefits.

Reports to: Head of Product Portfolio Directorate: Chief Operating Office, Technology.

Contract: Fixed term (12 months) Hours: 35 hours.

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

Closing date: 16 November 2026.

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.

What will I be doing?

• Lead financial management across a complex technology portfolio, including forecasting, budgeting and cost control
• Own supplier relationships and manage contracts end-to-end, ensuring value for money
• Partner with Finance, Procurement and Legal to deliver robust commercial governance
• Drive portfolio insight through financial analysis, risk management and scenario modelling
• Improve operational processes to reduce friction and increase clarity for delivery teams
• Support smaller cross-team initiatives and contribute to business cases and investment decisions

What are we looking for?

• Proven experience managing financials, suppliers and contracts within large-scale technology environments
• Strong financial acumen, including budgeting, forecasting, reporting and cost control
• Experience working effectively with Finance, Procurement and Legal teams
• Ability to embed and manage supplier relationship management approaches
• Strong organisational and orchestration skills across complex environments
• Clear communicator, able to present financial and commercial insights to a range of stakeholders

Our organisation values are designed to guide all that we do. 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

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.

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 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.

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.

We’re the world’s leading cancer charity, dedicated to saving and improving lives with our research. We work to reduce the impact of cancer on people’s day-to-day lives through our research, influence and information. We are beating cancer – step by step, day by day. Our work means that people with cancer live better lives through earlier diagnosis and kinder, more effective treatments. Find a purposeful career that will empower you to grow and collaborate with like-minded experts.