Senior Communications Manager - Corporate & Research

Salary Circa £60,000 per annum

Contract type Permanent

Location Great Abington, Cambridge CB21 6AD (Agile; approximately 2 days a week from our office)

Published

19 hours ago

Closing

in 18 days

This is a Permanent, , Full Time vacancy that will close in 18 days at 23:59 BST.

The Vacancy

The Communications Department inspires, informs and engages the public by showcasing Alzheimer’s Research UK’s mission, impact and scientific progress across all channels. We lead the charity’s media and strategic communications activity, ensuring clear, accurate and compelling storytelling that supports research, fundraising and organisational priorities.

The Senior Communications Manager, Corporate & Research provides strategic leadership across ARUK’s business partnering communications functions. The role directs the Corporate Communications and Research Communications managers, ensuring their plans are aligned, strategically coherent and delivering high impact communications that support the charity’s priorities, positioning and long-term goals. Operating at Senior Manager level, the postholder sets the overarching approach for how ARUK communicates key organisational initiatives, protects and enhances reputation, and ensures consistent, authoritative and compelling messaging across external and internal audiences.

Working closely with senior colleagues across Research, Policy & Public Affairs, Corporate Partnerships, Fundraising, Brand and Strategic Marketing, the Senior Manager plays a pivotal role in unifying and strengthening ARUK’s organisational narrative. The postholder ensures teams have clear strategic frameworks, strong collaborative working practices and the capability to deliver high‑quality communications that advance ARUK’s mission and influence.

MAIN DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategic Leadership & Planning

• Provide strategic leadership and clear direction to the Corporate Communications and Research Communications teams, ensuring aligned plans and shared priorities.
• Set the strategic vision for business‑partnering communications, establishing shared goals, agreed ways of working and a coordinated approach across functions.
• Ensure communication strategies underpin major organisational objectives including research milestones, policy priorities and partnership development.
• Working with the Head of Communications, develop the annual budget and oversee activity and spend.

Cross‑Team & Stakeholder Collaboration

• Act as a senior communications business partner to directorates including Research, Corporate Partnerships, Brand and Strategic Marketing.
• Ensure consistent messaging and shared narrative frameworks across teams.
• Direct cross‑team planning and coordination, ensuring integration with Media, Digital, Social Media and other teams.

Narrative, Reputation & Messaging

• Oversee ARUK’s overall narrative, outlining how we tell the charity’s story of its strategy, progress and impact.
• Provide senior oversight on messaging for major announcements, policy interventions, research outputs and events.
• Participate in reputation and incident management activities and identify ongoing reputational risks and opportunities.
• Oversee the production and promotion of key publications including the annual report and the biennial Dementia Attitudes Monitor, ensuring consistency, quality and communications support.

Team Leadership & Development

• Line manage and support the Corporate Communications Manager and Research Communications Manager, ensuring high‑performing teams with clear objectives.
• Provide challenge, support and strategic guidance to managers and wider team, promoting quality and strategic thinking.
• Identify and support improvements and prioritisation to enable the team to work effectively and is prepared for future developments.

Governance, Risk & Quality Assurance

• Working with the Head of Communications, identify and manage reputational risks across corporate and research communications.
• Ensure compliance with ARUK brand, messaging, ethical standards, accessibility and regulatory requirements.
• Embed evidence‑based planning, working with Metrics & Insights manager to identify and set project KPIs, and insights.

Senior Stakeholder Engagement

• Serve as senior communications contact for the CEO Office, Research Directorate, Policy & Public Affairs and Strategic Partnerships.
• Advise senior leaders on communications approaches for major initiatives, publications, partnerships and scientific developments.
• Represent Corporate & Research Comms functions in senior forums, ensuring communications considerations shape organisational planning.

What This Role Delivers

• A unified, strategically aligned approach to business‑partnering communications across ARUK.
• Stronger corporate and research communications enhancing ARUK’s reputation and influence.
• High‑performing teams delivering impactful communications.
• Clear organisational narrative and consistency of messaging.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

• Extensive experience leading communications teams and campaigns, ideally across research/science and corporate communications.
• Track record shaping and delivering high‑impact communications strategies.
• Experience advising senior leaders and influencing executive‑level decisions.
• Experience overseeing organisational publications, campaigns or frameworks.
• Experience in reputational risk management and crisis‑response communications.
• Strong project management experience and the ability to see a project through.
• Knowledge of safeguarding and working with vulnerable individuals.
• Excellent strategic thinking with ability to translate organisational priorities into communications strategies.
• Outstanding written, verbal and interpersonal communication.
• Strong influencing skills and ability to build trusted relationships.
• Leadership capability to guide multiple teams through complexity and change.
• Highly organised and able to manage numerous priorities.
• Collaborative, proactive and committed to continuous improvement.

The closing date for applications is the 31st May 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.

The Company has experienced unprecedented growth over the past few years. We have a vast number of employees, and provide support to clients from all over the country. Recently, the company has won multiple workplace environment awards and has an outstanding record of employee satisfaction.

The Benefits

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The Values

• Innovation

We are creative and fearless in our work.

• Accountability

We take ownership of our work and lead from the front.

• Teamwork

We collaborate widely and build supportive environments.

The Charity

Alzheimer's Research UK is the UK's leading dementia research charity. Our mission is to accelerate progress towards a cure. Today 1 in 2 people will be impacted by dementia, either through caring for a loved one, developing it themselves or tragically both. But there is hope.

There has never been a more important and exciting time in dementia research. With promising new drugs in clinical trials that slow the progression of the diseases that cause it, and revolutionary new ways to diagnose them on the horizon, we are now at a tipping point. Working with the smartest minds globally and across the UK, with industry and academia, Alzheimer’s Research UK is uniquely placed to invest in the very best research identifying barriers to a cure and knocking them down so that there are more and better treatments for everyone with dementia. For the first time in history, we can see a future where people with dementia can get a swift and accurate diagnosis, and effective treatments that could slow or even stop their disease. We stand for everyone affected by dementia. We stand for a cure.

We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive culture where everyone can be themselves and reach their full potential.  We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and cultures, in particular those from ethnic minority backgrounds who are currently under-represented.  Any offer of employment is however subject to you having the right to work in the UK.

The Benefits

It is important to offer a range of benefits which are designed to meet both the organisational and individual needs, are market competitive and designed to attract and retain employees.

For more details on working for Alzheimer's Research UK click here.

Holiday entitlement

Healthcare

Sick pay

Pension

Cycle to work scheme

Family friendly policies

Learning & development

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