Senior Media Relations Manager

Senior Media Relations Manager

• locations
• Stratford (2 Redman Place)

• time type
• Full time

• posted on
• Posted Today

• time left to apply
• End Date: April 9, 2026 (6 days left to apply)

• job requisition id
• R033214

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 (+ Benefits)

Grade: P3

Directorate: Policy, Information and Communications

Reports 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 23:55

This 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 13/20.04.2026

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 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 Policy, Information & Communication directorate. 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 Cancer Research UK’s Manifesto, the next the Tobacco & Vapes Bill, contributing thought leadership, advising the Chief Executive 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.

What will I be doing?

• 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.

What skills will I need?

• 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 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.

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.

You can explore our benefits by visiting our careers web page.

Additional Information

Owing to the nature of this position, any offer of employment for this role will be subject to a satisfactory basic DBS check.

For more information about working with us please visit our website or contact us at recruitment@cancer.org.uk.  

For more updates on our work and careers, follow us on: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.

Our vision is to create a charity where everyone feels like they belong, benefits from and participates in, the work we do. We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and cultures, in particular those from ethnic minority backgrounds who are currently under-represented.

We want to see every candidate performing at their best throughout the job application process, interview process and whilst at work. We therefore ask you to inform us of any concerns you have or any adjustments you might need to enable this to happen. Please contact recruitment@cancer.org.uk or 020 3469 8400 as soon as possible. 

Unfortunately, we are unable to recruit anyone below the age of 18, so that we can protect young people from health & safety and safeguarding risks.