Delivery Manager

In March 2026 we announced 5 new global teams, each of whom will be provided with research funding at scale (£25m), to enable imaginative thinking and allow the best scientists to collaborate, irrespective of geographical boundaries, to solve cancer's most complex challenges.
What will I be doing?
In this pivotal role, you'll lead the delivery of CGC's next phase, helping to shape its future direction.
We are looking for candidates with strong stakeholder management skills, adept and influencing and with the ability to move things forward and keep momentum going.
You'll also bring experience delivering complex, multi-stakeholder projects successfully on time and within budget across a complex organisation. As a Delivery Manager you will thrive in roles that span a wide range of focus areas and teams- if this sounds like you, this is a fantastic opportunity to apply your skills and make a meaningful impact., To be fully accountable for the delivery of a range of complex projects, collaborating across teams and ensuring appropriate governance with stakeholders.
Develop clear plans, including clear deliverables, milestones, dependencies, owners, risks, issues, and mitigations and then monitor project progress and proactively adjust plans as necessary to ensure project goals are met and projects are executed in accordance with best practices and standards.
Identify and plan resource needs, governance, and structure to support delivery.
In partnership with the Programme Manager, provide secretariat support to the various Cancer Grand Challenges governance forums including internal strategic groups.
Coordinate and draft papers and reports for Cancer Grand Challenges leadership and other governance groups.
Lead on development, delivery and reporting against the Cancer Grand Challenges annual operational plan, business plan and risk register.
Own the management of contracts between CRUK and NCI which provide the framework for the CGC initiative.
Work closely with Cancer Grand Challenges leadership and colleagues across CRUK (e.g. Legal, Finance and Strategic Partnerships) to support all contractual negotiations with future funding partners.

An experienced Project Leader, Programme Manager or Delivery Manager, with a proven track record of leading, collaborating on and delivering complex, multi-stakeholder projects successfully on time and within budget across a complex organisation.
Experience or familiarity with transformation programmes and projects and associated tools.
Demonstrable evidence of interpreting & manipulating data clearly and accurately with the ability to quickly extract & articulate key points.
Experience facilitating project or portfolio boards and steering groups at a senior management level.
Very strong financial literacy, including relevant experience of managing budgets, financial reporting and analysing data;
Strong experience of building relationships with stakeholders internally and externally, judging situations and acting diplomatically to influence effectively and build consensus;
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with proven evidenced ability to form strong, positive collaborative relationships at all levels of seniority.
Experience in driving continuous improvement and developing forward looking plans and priorities for the team and adapting priorities as necessary whilst taking a pragmatic approach where appropriate.
Strong problem-solving and critical thinking skills, with the ability to make decisions in a fast-paced environment.
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

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: Screening calls followed by Competency based interview.
Interview date: Screening calls w/c 18 May, Interviews 1 - 3 June 2026
At Cancer Research UK, we exist to beat cancer.
Cancer Grand Challenges are looking for a dynamic, results driven Delivery Manager to manage the end-to-end delivery of a range of medium to large projects or programmes associated with improving the delivery of the initiative.
In this exciting new role, you will be the driving force for existing and new projects, leading on core elements of the initiative in relation to governance, strategy development and finance.
About Cancer Grand Challenges
Cancer Grand Challenges is a global funding initiative founded in 2020 by the two largest funders of cancer research in the world: Cancer Research UK (CRUK) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in the US ( ).
Our unique partnership has created an exciting opportunity to bring together the collective insight and expertise of CRUK and NCI and will enable the initiative to scale significantly over the coming years. Cancer Research UK will deliver the initiative on behalf of the partners.
For Cancer Grand Challenges, our mission is to empower the global cancer research community to come together, think differently and solve cancer's toughest challenges, to transform outcomes for people affected by cancer.

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.