C-Further Programme Manager

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C-Further Programme Manager

Salary: £54,000 - £59,000 pa depending on experience

Reports to: Programme Lead

Department: Research & Innovation

Contract: Permanent

Hours: Full time 35 hours per week (flexible-working requests will also be considered if it meets business needs)

Location: Stratford, London with high flexibility (we would expect you to be in the office on average 1-2 days per week)

Closing date: Sunday 17th August at 23.59 This vacancy may close earlier if a high number of applications are received or once a suitable candidate is found, so please do not delay submitting your application to avoid any disappointment.

We have an exciting new opportunity for a Programme Manager to be responsible for the operations and programme management of the C-Further initiative. Reporting into, and working closely with, the C-Further Programme Lead you will play a central role in delivery of the C-Further strategy. Success in this role will rely on the ability to proactively coordinate and monitor a wide range of activities internally and with partner organisations, as the consortium grows and evolves.

About the team

This role sits within the Cancer Research Horizons team. Cancer Research Horizons is the innovation engine of Cancer Research UK, translating cutting-edge innovations into effective treatments and diagnostics for cancer patients. With exclusive rights to CRUK's annual investment of over £300 million in world-class cancer research, we're a powerful partner in the fight to conquer cancer. We're currently the second largest oncology out-licensor globally, and to date we've played an instrumental role in forming over 60 startup companies, and bringing 11 new cancer drugs to market, with 6 million doses administered to cancer patients all over the world.

The discovery and development of new therapeutics specifically for childhood cancers simply hasn't been commercially viable - at least, by following the same pathways to market as adult cancer treatment. Rising to the challenge of childhood cancer requires a fundamental change in the way children and young people's cancer drugs are discovered, developed and brought to market. C-Further is an international consortium, bringing together researchers, clinicians, investors and other partners with a shared commitment to address the issues that cause development of potential new therapeutics for cancers affecting children and young people to stall or never begin.

What will I be doing?

• Working with the C-Further Programme Lead, the Workstream Leads and programme management counterparts at LifeArc to coordinate and monitor the delivery of the C-Further strategy against defined objectives
• Maintaining CRH-specific operations within the consortium, including forward planning of priority activity with workstream leads, resourcing requirements and budgeting.
• Providing secretariat function and contribute to the effective running of governance structures for C-Further, evolving them as necessary to deliver on the overall consortium objectives.
• Working with the C-Further Programme Lead on internal senior stakeholder management, governance and reporting on behalf of the project team.
• Coordinating post-signature management of day-to-day relationships with new partners via their respective alliance management functions
• Embedding agreed ways of working, culture, roles and responsibilities amongst the project team.
• Support CRH Therapeutic Innovation in running the Childhood Cancer Therapeutic Catalyst funding scheme

What skills are we looking for?

• Minimum BSc (or equivalent industry experience) in a life sciences discipline ideally oncology or tech-related
• Proven track record of managing complex, multi-stakeholder programmes (ideally in biomedical or pharmaceutical R&D).
• Experience overseeing project delivery against objectives, timelines, and budgets.
• Familiarity with preclinical or translational research, drug discovery/development pipelines, or biotech/pharma collaborations.
• Understanding of regulatory, ethical, and compliance considerations in biomedical research.
• Experience coordinating across organisations (e.g., academia, biotech, pharma, charities, and public funders).
• Comfortable managing relationships across institutions with differing incentives and cultures.
• Experience supporting or running governance bodies (e.g., steering committees, scientific advisory boards, executive boards).
• Skilled at preparing high-quality reports, board papers, or funding updates.
• Hands-on experience tracking programme budgets, forecasting, and working with finance teams.
• Experience identifying delivery risks and mitigation strategies, particularly in the setting of scientific programmes.
• Proficiency with project management tools (e.g., MS Project, Asana, or equivalent).

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.

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 quickly, fairly, and objectively.

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Please note: You must be eligible to work in the UK to apply for this vacancy. Cancer Research UK is not able to offer visa sponsorship.