Delivery Manager (Research Operations)

£37,000 - £41,000 plus benefits

Reports to: Senior Delivery Manager (Research Operations and Communications)

Directorate: Research & Innovation

Contract: 18 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: 17 Sept 2025 23:55

This vacancy may close earlier if a high volume of applications is received or once a suitable candidate is found, therefore we strongly recommend that you apply early to avoid disappointment. Please let us know if there is anything about the recruitment process that you would like to discuss, in particular if there are any changes or adjustments that would make it easier for you to apply. Please contact recruitment@cancer.org.uk or 020 3469 8400 as soon as possible.

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.

Interview Date: W/C 29 September 2025

At Cancer Research UK, we exist to beat cancer.

Cancer Research UK are looking for a Delivery Manager to join the Research Operations and Communication team which sits within our Research and Innovation directorate (R&I)

The Research Operations and Communications department underpins the work of CRUK's Research & Innovation activities, driving the delivery of our Research Strategy through world-class funding, communications and engagement.

As part of the Planning & Delivery Team, you will lead and manage the delivery of strategic change within R&I, as well as cross-organisational initiatives for wider organisational change.

Working closely with the Senior Planning & Delivery Manager, you will have responsibility and accountability for medium-to-large projects from inception through to delivery.

It’s an exciting time to come on board as we start the process of refreshing our Research Data Strategy . We believe that the use of large-scale data, using data science, including AI, will accelerate CRUK’s ambition to beat cancer sooner. One of the key focuses of the role is to support the planning and delivery of this refresh, which is currently in the scoping phase.

What will I be doing?

Drive and lead the delivery of cross-department projects, being responsible for elements including planning, delivery, reporting and pro-actively seeking and resolving blockers.  
Matrix-management of cross-departmental project teams. Providing leadership to teams of varying size, creating the conditions for accountability and collaborations. 
Collaborate with Sponsor and Business Owners to clearly define the vision, objectives, key milestones, governance and roadmap of the project.  
Establish appropriate governance frameworks to ensure that activities are managed effectively, and decisions and escalations are managed appropriately.  
Take direct accountability for stakeholder expectations, develop and maintain strong and constructive working relationships at all levels from stakeholders through to project team members, to ensure that all necessary resources and contributors are fully behind the delivery. 
Develop clear plans, including clear deliverables, milestones, dependencies, owners, risks and mitigations. Monitoring project progress and proactively adjusting plans as necessary to ensure goals are met and projects are delivered in accordance with best practice and standards.  
Manage ongoing communications with key stakeholders, ensuring appropriate information flow across the directorate and the wider organisation.   
Be responsible for collating and disseminating reports to senior leadership on progress against objectives.

What are you looking for?

Strong project management track record, with a demonstrated ability to deliver on a diversity of projects. Knowledge or experience of at least one formal project management methodology, e.g. APM or Prince2.

Highly organised, able to set and meet demanding deadlines, and to hold others accountable for delivery of projects/activities.

Ability to build effective relationships with and influence a broad range of stakeholders at all levels. Understanding how to influence effectively and build consensus and matrix manage cross-disciplinary teams.

Strong analytical skills – able to bring structure to complex problems, and extract key issues, and to present data in a clear and concise format.

Confident in discussing difficult issues and to influence solutions with staff at all levels.

Assured self-starter, with an ability to work independently, delivering day-to-day workload and priorities with minimal supervision.

Strategic thinking and an ability to think beyond the immediate issues.

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.

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.

How do I apply?

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.

For more information on this career opportunity please visit our website or contact us at recruitment@cancer.org.uk.

For more updates on our work and careers, follow us on: Linked In, Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.

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 recruitment@cancer.org.uk 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.