Communications Executive

Cancer Research UK

Hours
35 hours per week

Length of contract
6 month

About the Organisation

Cancer Research UK (CRUK) is the world’s leading cancer research charity, dedicated to saving lives through groundbreaking research, raising awareness, and advocating for better healthcare policies. Its mission is to reduce the impact of cancer on people’s lives by funding and conducting cutting-edge cancer research that will eventually lead to better prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

Cancer Research UK’s vision is a world where no one is diagnosed with cancer in the first place, and for those who are, effective treatments and cures are available. Its mission is to accelerate progress in cancer research, ensuring that the latest innovations and breakthroughs translate into life-saving treatments for everyone.

About the role

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) is Cancer Research UK’s hub for operational management, bringing together several departments (Technology, Finance, HR & General Counsel). Collaborate across the charity, the COO ensures we maximise the value of all our resources while delivering operational transformation and an employee experience that enables us to be an inclusive, well-governed, agile, and sustainable organisation.

As a Communications Executive, you will play a vital role in supporting the COO Communications function, which coordinates and drives strategic communications across the directorate to inspire and engage colleagues, connecting them to our mission to see 3 in 4 people surviving cancer by 2034.

Collaborating with the Communications Manager, the Internal Communications team, and other colleagues, you will help shape and deliver the COO’s communications strategy. Through compelling and relevant content and storytelling across various channels, you will bring the "COO story" to life, ensuring messages are timely, impactful, and aligned with our overall strategy. You will also play a key role in managing content, keeping it up to date, accessible, and engaging for COO colleagues.

Beyond content, you’ll have the opportunity to contribute to the planning and delivery of a diverse range of exciting projects, including the COO Staff Away Day taking place later this year. If you have some experience in Communications and Audience Engagement projects and strong communications skills, we would love for you to join our mission.

Responsibilities

• Supporting the delivery of the COO's communications strategy, collaborating closely with the Communications Manager and other colleagues.
• Planning and delivering internal communications on platforms including SharePoint, Yammer, email newsletters, and live events (in-person, hybrid, and virtual).
• Continuously improving COO communication channels, focusing on making them engaging, useful, accessible, and relevant to COO staff.
• Ensuring colleagues can find answers on SharePoint and other platforms, helping us reduce the volume of questions and making it easier for people to find the information they need. 
• Sourcing, creating, editing, and formatting content that is of high quality, accessible, inclusive, and in line with Cancer Research UK’s brand guidelines.
• Seeking input and approval from internal stakeholders on communications plans and content. 
• Monitoring and measuring communications performance using relevant metrics and analysing results to draw insights.
• Providing reasonable communications support to COO departments and teams.
• Supporting the planning and delivery of the COO Staff Away Day. 
• Taking on discrete, smaller projects within the team.
• Deputising for the COO Communications Manager on occasion.

Skills, Competencies & Experience

• Some exposure to Communications and Audience Engagement projects (this can either be within a professional, academic, or voluntary setting).
• Good written and verbal communication skills with an ability to communicate clearly with a range of audiences.
• Proactive approach to problem-solving with a solutions-driven approach and an ability to think creatively about ways to engage audiences.
• Strong organisational and time management skills with a track record of prioritising tasks effectively while working both independently and collaboratively as part of a team.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with experience in building collaborative internal stakeholder relationships.
• Strong attention to detail with an eye for proofreading.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, including SharePoint.
• Either immediately available or on one month’s notice or less.
• Desirable skills: We encourage applications from individuals who may not meet all of the criteria below but possess a strong willingness to learn:
• Understanding of fundamental communications theory and principles, and their application.
• Ability to adapt and tailor content and messages for varied audiences.

Compensation & Benefits

• Generous Benefits Package
• Generous and flexible leave allowance
• Discounts on anything from travel to technology
• Gym membership

Conditions of employment

• You must be eligible to work in the UK

Working locations

• Hybrid model, working in the Stratford office and remotely

How to apply

• Apply for the job Online
• 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 [email protected]

Interviews

• We will be shortlisting on a rolling basis, so please do not delay in applying

Policies

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.

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