Senior Programme Manager

Cancer Research UK; Stratford-upon-Avon; Hybrid; GBP 56,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Cancer Research UK is seeking a Senior Programme Manager (Individual Giving) to lead complex cross-functional initiatives that grow our audiences and supporter engagement. You will oversee end-to-end journeys from planning through to delivery, ensuring value and impact.

Working across Marketing, Fundraising and Engagement, Technology and other functions, you will enable agile delivery, manage budgets and timelines, and build governance for successful outcomes.

Qualifications

• Proven experience delivering complex programmes, projects or initiatives using agile and/or waterfall methodologies.
• Experience managing multiple stakeholders, suppliers and cross-functional teams within a complex environment.
• Excellent facilitation and influencing skills, with the ability to drive outcomes while empowering others to make decisions.
• Strong problem-solving, conflict resolution and decision-making capabilities.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to engage senior stakeholders and explain complex information clearly.
• Strong planning, budget management and financial monitoring skills, alongside proficiency with Microsoft applications including Excel.

Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of audience propositions and end-to-end supporter journeys, ensuring implementation plans are executed effectively and within budget.
• Coordinate and empower agile cross-functional teams to achieve shared audience, volume, value and contribution objectives.
• Foster a culture of end-to-end delivery, collaboration and shared ownership across multiple stakeholder groups.
• Build strong relationships across Marketing, Fundraising and Engagement, Technology and other functions to align priorities and maximise delivery outcomes.
• Establish effective governance, risk management and decision-making frameworks to support successful delivery.
• Facilitate cross-functional working groups, managing dependencies, risks, issues and changes to implementation plans while driving continuous improvement.

Skills

Agile / Waterfall delivery

Stakeholder management

Facilitation and influencing

Problem solving

Communication skills

Planning and budgeting

Tools

Excel

Job description

Senior Programme Manager - Individual Giving

£56,000- £60,000 plus benefits Reports to: Head of Proposition Directorate: Marketing, Fundraising & Engagement Contract: Permanent Hours: Full time 35 hours per week Location: 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 with task Interview date: Week commencing 12th October

At Cancer Research UK, we exist to beat cancer. We're looking for a motivated Senior Programme Manager (Individual Giving) to lead complex, cross-functional initiatives that help grow Cancer Research UK's audiences and supporter engagement. This role plays a vital part in delivering audience-led propositions and supporter journeys, bringing teams together around shared goals and ensuring high-quality delivery from planning through to implementation. Working collaboratively across multiple disciplines, you'll help create meaningful supporter experiences while acting with ambition, professionalism, inclusivity and a relentless focus on impact.

What will I be doing?

• Lead the delivery of audience propositions and end-to-end supporter journeys, ensuring implementation plans are executed effectively and within budget.
• Coordinate and empower agile cross-functional teams to achieve shared audience, volume, value and contribution objectives.
• Foster a culture of end-to-end delivery, collaboration and shared ownership across multiple stakeholder groups.
• Build strong relationships across Marketing, Fundraising and Engagement, Technology and other functions to align priorities and maximise delivery outcomes.
• Establish effective governance, risk management and decision-making frameworks to support successful delivery.
• Facilitate cross-functional working groups, managing dependencies, risks, issues and changes to implementation plans while driving continuous improvement.

What are we looking for?

• Proven experience delivering complex programmes, projects or initiatives using agile and/or waterfall methodologies.
• Experience managing multiple stakeholders, suppliers and cross-functional teams within a complex environment.
• Excellent facilitation and influencing skills, with the ability to drive outcomes while empowering others to make decisions.
• Strong problem-solving, conflict resolution and decision-making capabilities.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to engage senior stakeholders and explain complex information clearly.
• Strong planning, budget management and financial monitoring skills, alongside proficiency with Microsoft applications including Excel.

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

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.

Our organisation values

• 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 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.