Senior Marketing Planning Manager
The Senior Marketing Planning Manager in an exciting new role to Alzheimer’s Research UK. Sitting in the Marketing Planning team within Strategic Marketing, this role is accountable for making ARUK’s marketing system work end-to-end for bigger and better impact.
This role is responsible for the practical application of the overall marketing strategy into clear, prioritised and sequenced plans across the top of the marketing funnel, working closely with colleagues across Fundraising, Comms, Digital, Policy and Brand.
Operating with significant autonomy, the role embeds planning discipline, governance and rhythm across the organisation — ensuring the right activity happens at the right time, with the right level of investment, to deliver audience and income growth.
This is a senior management role, judged not by activity but by the clarity, efficiency and effectiveness of the marketing system.
Key Responsibilities:
Marketing Planning & Operating Model Leadership
* Own and embed ARUK’s Marketing Operating Model, ensuring planning principles, cycles, governance and tools are understood and consistently applied.
* Translate organisational priorities into an integrated annual and quarterly marketing plan.
* Ensure planning supports growth of our defined target audience and long-term fundraising outcomes.
Master Marketing Calendar Planning & Management
* Own and maintain the single Master Marketing Calendar to ensure a clear and complete view of what ARUK is communicating externally and when.
* Sequence campaigns to avoid clashes, duplication and audience fatigue.
* Enable informed trade-offs between activity based on capacity, impact and strategic priority.
Strategic Marketing & Communications Board Programme Management
* Act as Programme Manager for the Strategic Marketing & Communications Board.
* Ensure meetings are decision-focused, well-structured and supported by clear papers.
* Track actions, outcomes and follow-through to ensure decisions translate into delivery.
Campaign Planning Quality & Governance
* Lead consistent campaign briefing, prioritisation and review processes.
* Ensure Gold and Silver tier campaigns are properly planned, resourced and evaluated.
* Improve planning quality across teams, reducing late-stage changes and rework.
Cross-Organisational Leadership
* Coordinate input from Fundraising, Comms, Brand, Digital, Policy and Insight.
* Build strong working relationships and act as a trusted planning partner to Heads and Directors.
* Enable teams to focus on delivery by providing clarity, structure and coordination.
* Collaboration and briefing of media agency, creative and external partners to ensure visibility and understanding of priorities
People management
* Accountable for team development and line management of Senior Marketing Effectiveness Officer, including career development, performance reviews.
* Ensure outputs from Senior Marketing Effectiveness Officer are translated into strategy and activated in delivery.
Key Outputs
* Respected ownership of a single, trusted marketing plan and calendar actively used across the organisation.
* Effective, well-timed campaigns and clearer prioritisation.
* Improved confidence from senior leaders in marketing decision-making.
* Proactive planning and increased scheduling of external activity that makes the most of brand halo effect.
* Cross organisational planning forums that enable decisions.
What we are looking for:
* Significant experience leading multi-channel marketing or communications planning across multiple teams or functions.
* Strong understanding and experience of marketing planning frameworks, campaign cycles, and processes that support integrated delivery.
* Experience developing and implementing planning tools such as calendars, tiering frameworks, briefing processes, and governance systems.
* Demonstrable project management and organisational skills, with proven ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines.
* Experience of facilitating cross-functional collaboration and influencing stakeholders at all levels.
* Experience managing complex workloads and bringing clarity and structure in fast-paced environments
* Highly organised, able to create systems and processes that others can easily adopt.
* Strong communication skills — able to translate strategic direction into clear, actionable plans.
* Able to build strong relationships across teams and foster a collaborative approach.
* Confident in leading meetings, workshops, and cross-team discussions.
* A proactive problem-solver who anticipates risks and identifies solutions early.
* Comfortable holding others to account for agreed ways of working, timelines, and processes.
* Attention to detail with the ability to step back and see the bigger picture.
Additional Information:
Ways of working: As part of our Agile ways of working you will be required to work approximately 2 days a week from the office, which is subject to the requirements of the role and the business needs. Flexibility on where you work can be split between working from home and our office.
Roles that are classed as part of the Agile ways of working are not able to claim any costs for Mileage/Travel on Public Transport, Accommodation and/or Meals. This includes when attending the office for various meetings/events.
Our Office: Our office is at 3 Riverside, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge, CB21 6AD.
Salary: Circa £53,000 per annum, plus benefits
Please download the Vacancy Pack on our website for more information.
The closing date for applications is the 11th January 2026, with interviews being arrange once shortlisting has been completed. Please indicate in your covering letter if you are unable to attend an interview on a certain date. We would encourage you to submit your application at the earliest opportunity, as on occasion we may have to bring forward the interview date and/or the closing date based on the needs of the business. Although a possibility, this will only happen in exceptional circumstances. Please indicate in your covering letter if you are unable to attend an interview on a certain date.