.**Expert communications. Credible media relationships. Storytelling with impact.****Senior Media Relations Manager**\*Internally, this role is known as Senior Manager - Health£53,000 - £54,500 (+ )**Grade:** P3**Directorate**: Policy, Information and CommunicationsReports to: Head of Media Relations**Contract:** Permanent**Hours:** Full time 35 hours per week**Location:** Stratford, London. Office-based with high flexibility (1-2 days per week in the office)**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.**External closing date:** 08 April 2026 23:55**Internal closing date:** 15 April 2026 23:55This 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. If you require more time to apply as part of a reasonable adjustment, please contact recruitment@cancer.org.uk as soon as possible.**Recruitment process:** One competency-based interviews with an exercise**Interview date:** From the week commencing 13/20.04.2026We 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 fully complete the work history section of the online application form for us to be able to assess you quickly, fairly, and objectively.**At Cancer Research UK, we exist to beat cancer.**We are professionals with purpose, beating cancer every day. But we need to go much further and much faster. That’s why we’re looking for someone talented, someone who wants to develop their skills, someone like you.Cancer Research UK’s Media Relations Team is part of our Communications department within the. The team delivers high‐impact storytelling that shapes the national conversation on cancer. They create compelling content for national media that showcases the latest scientific breakthroughs, informs the public, gives people affected by cancer a voice, and drives meaningful change. Operating a 24/7 press office, the team leads proactive campaigns and manages reactive responses to protect the charity’s reputation and ensure accurate, balanced coverage. Through strong relationships with national journalists, senior leaders and industry experts, they influence policy, boost public engagement, and secure coverage that positions Cancer Research UK as the leading voice on cancer and at the forefront of scientific innovation.As a Senior Media Relations Manager (Health), you’ll lead the planning, delivery, and evaluation of high‐profile health, research and policy communications, ensuring the team produces impactful, expertly crafted content across national broadcast, print, online, and specialist media. You’ll provide strategic direction and day‐to‐day leadership to a skilled team, supporting them to manage a range of campaigns, sustain excellent media relationships, and run a responsive, well‐organised press function.This will be a varied and autonomous role, where no day will be the same. One day you might be working on, the next the, contributing thought leadership, advising the on media communications, driving continuous improvements across the department, managing crisis communications and reputation risks.If you are an experienced Media Relations Manager who has led the development and delivery of national media campaigns and strategies, we would love for you to join our mission.* Leading on the delivery of health, research, and policy campaigns and communications to national broadcast, print, online, and specialist media.* Driving the team’s strategy, planning, editing, and evaluation of campaigns, ensuring a test and learn approach to maximise impact.* Supporting the charity’s health policy influencing agenda via national media to ensure cancer research in the UK is at the top of the political and public agenda.* Being a positive and professional role model and people manager for a team of a Media Relations Manager, Senior Officer, and two Officers by: + Setting clear expectations and driving results. + Mentoring and helping team members to solve problems. + Creating a performance-based culture that is aligned with Cancer Research UK’s strategic objectives.* Leading the Health Media Relations team on: + Planning, managing, and delivering campaigns, features, opinion editorials, and news stories to audiences across the UK. + Evaluating the impact of media campaigns, ensuring that this data is fed into wider evaluation initiatives across the Media Relations team and wider Communications departments. + Crafting and pitching thought leadership content to national media aligned with Cancer Research UK’s news agenda and health, research, and policy strategies. + Building and maintaining collaborative and credible relationships with national press contacts and providing a well-run reactive press function.* Managing editing sign-off of press releases, opinion editorials, pitches and other communication content processes.* Advising the Head of Media Relations and other members of the organisation on your portfolio, acting as an ambassador for the team and department.* Leading on coordinating communications across the department on key health campaigns, ensuring alignment of messaging, commissioning of key content, and evaluation.* Collaborating with the Head of Media Relations to manage issues, crisis communications, and reputation management.* Liaise with our research community across the UK to ensure the team unearths the latest innovations, research discoveries, and key moments to publicise to national media.* Ensuring Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) is embedded into all communication activities.* Providing out-of-hours duty media cover as part of the department rota.* Experienced Media Relations, Communications, or Press Office Manager with in‐house experience leading the development and delivery of national media campaigns and strategies. + Experience doing this within a health, public health, research, scientific, or charity environment is desirable, but not essential.* Significant experience editing opinion editorials, press releases, pitches to journalists and other communications content.* A successful track record of building credible, collaborative internal and external stakeholder relationships (including senior leaders and national journalists in the UK), with excellent interpersonal and influencing skills.* Excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills with a proven ability to tell a story and translate complex concepts into engaging content for national and lay audiences.* Experience managing and leading high-performing teams, setting clear priorities, expectations, and strategic direction while coaching and inspiring team members.* Strong prioritisation, organisation, delegation, and project management skills with the ability to work independently with minimal supervision, while simultaneously managing multiple campaigns and delivering to deadlines in fast-paced environments with strong attention to detail.* Pragmatic and solutions-focused leader skilled in helping teams solve problems, driving continuous improvements, fostering collaboration, and championing best practices.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 peopleTogether: Act inclusively and collaborativelyWe’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
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