4,000 professionals, 0 days wasted, 1 incredible purpose. Philanthropy Events Lead Salary : £70,000 - £80,000 pa depending on experience Reports to : Associate Director of Philanthropy Operations Department : Strategy & Philanthropy Contract : 12 month fixed-term contract Hours : Full time 35 hours per week (other flexible-working requests will also be considered if it meets business needs) Location: Stratford, London with high flexibility (we would expect you to be in the office 1-2 days per week) Closing date : Sunday 9th February at 23.55. This vacancy may close earlier if a high number of applications are received or once a suitable candidate is found, so please do not delay submitting your application to avoid any disappointment. 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. We have a new opportunity for a Philanthropy Events Lead to join the team on an interim basis for a 12-month fixed term contract. In this role you’ll lead the newly formed Philanthropy Events team, which brings together the existing high value engagement and fundraising events teams. The priority over the 12 months will be the set-up of the team, establish new ways of working, review the long-term shape of the events portfolio, explore the potential for new flagship events and review and evaluate the team structure to ensure to optimal model is in place. We’re looking for someone with a solid events background who will ensure the philanthropy events program delivers world-class supporter experiences, showcases our campaign priorities and CRUK impact, and deepen engagement with our high value prospects and donors. About the team As a part of the wider CRUK fundraising efforts, the Philanthropy Directorate is one of the largest and most successful fundraising teams in the UK. An ambitious and innovative team of 60 talented philanthropy professionals, our focus is the £400m More Research, Less Cancer campaign which has four key priorities: the Francis Crick Institute, Cancer Grand Challenges, Translation & Innovation, and our Future Leaders’ programme. We’ve recently reached the milestone of £200m. What will you be doing? Lead the newly formed Philanthropy Events team, uniting the high-value engagement and fundraising events teams into a cohesive, high-performing unit. Provide clear direction, inspire team members, and foster a culture of collaboration, creativity, and excellence. Ensure team members have the necessary support, skills, and resources to deliver on objectives during the transition. Set up the team with new ways of working to optimise efficiency and effectiveness. Conduct a comprehensive review of the long-term philanthropy events portfolio to ensure alignment with Philanthropy and CRUK’s strategic objectives. Explore opportunities for new flagship events that can enhance donor engagement and deliver significant income. Develop a roadmap for the philanthropy events program to achieve world-class supporter experiences and deepen donor relationships. Oversee the planning and delivery of high-value events that showcase CRUK’s campaign priorities and impact. Ensuring events meet the highest standards. Collaborate closely with senior stakeholders across CRUK, to ensure events align with broader fundraising and engagement strategies. Build and nurture relationships with high-value committees, senior volunteers and talent to maximise the potential of events as a means to identify new prospects and donors and to effectively leveraging events as a platform to deepen engagement. Review and evaluate the current team structure, identifying opportunities to optimise roles and responsibilities for maximum impact. Oversee the budget for the philanthropy events program, ensuring efficient use of resources and alignment with financial goals. Evaluate the success of events against key metrics, including income generation, donor engagement, and brand visibility. Reporting progress to senior leadership. What skills are we looking for? Proven track record of leading a large-scale, high-value events team and programme Strong experience in securing significant income through events targeting High Net Worth Individuals (HNWIs) Exceptional interpersonal skills, with a proven ability to build relationships with senior stakeholders and donors. Demonstrated ability to develop and execute long-term plans while managing short-term priorities. Experience leading and motivating teams, ensuring a collaborative and high-performing culture. Strong financial acumen, with experience managing large event budgets and delivering on financial targets. Experience in delivering premium experiences through events. Desirable Skills and Experience Understanding of the UK philanthropy landscape, including donor motivations and trends. Knowledge of cancer research or healthcare-related fundraising. 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. 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. 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 complete the work history section of the online application form for us to be able to assess you quickly, fairly, and objectively. For more updates on our work and careers, follow us on: Linked In, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. Please note: You must be eligible to work in the UK to apply for this vacancy. Cancer Research UK is not able to offer visa sponsorship. There’s a place for everyone at Cancer Research UK. Our vision is to create a charity where everyone feels like they belong, benefits from and participates in, the work we do. We're 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, and believe that a diverse workforce will help us to beat cancer sooner. 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. We don’t expect everyone to meet all of the criteria listed. 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 by emailing us at recruitmentcancer.org.uk. 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.