Philanthropy Events Manager

£35,000 - £40,000 plus

Reports to: Philanthropy Events Lead

Directorate: ?Strategy & Philanthropy?

Contract: ? ? Fixed Term Contract 1 year

Hours: ?Full time 35 hours per week?

Location: ?Stratford, London? ?Office-based with high flexibility (1-2 days per week in the office)?

Closing date: 1 August 2025 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. Please let us know if there is anything about the recruitment process that you would like to discuss, in particular if there are any changes or adjustments that would make it easier for you to apply. Please contact or 020 3469 8400 as soon as possible.

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.

Recruitment process: Competency based interview

At Cancer Research UK, we exist to beat cancer.

Our sector leading Philanthropy team have an exciting new opportunity to join as a Philanthropy Events Manager. You will be joining our newly formed Philanthropy Events team, which brings together the existing engagement and high value fundraising events teams.

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 ' (MRLC) 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.  

Our events team brings in almost £2m pounds a year for our cause, through delivering relationship-building events which offer meaningful engagement for high-value audiences, connecting them to Cancer Research UK's vision, cause and pioneering research. Our programme delivers identification, cultivation, stewardship and fundraising events including unique money-can't-buy experiences, science talks, dinners, drinks receptions and galas. Each event is tailored to our high-value audience, which includes philanthropists, trusts, foundations and corporate partners.

This is a great opportunity for an experienced event delivery professional, to join one of the leading high value programmes in the sector. You'll get to work on a variety of different events including music, politics and galas. You'll bring with you experience of delivery and planning high profile events ideally in the philanthropy space, however we would also welcome applications from those that have experience working with high value audiences, potentially through working in academia, media, other research organisations or the arts.

What will I be doing?

• End-to-end management of events, from conception and planning through to delivery and reporting (inc Source appropriate venues, suppliers and speakers and developing new event concepts and content)

• Work collaboratively as part of the wider Philanthropy team to lead the delivery of events with a focus on stewardship, engagement and cultivation of our Philanthropic supporters.

• Own the risk assessment, compliance and safety of your events and work with the legal team to ensure all suppliers are correctly contracted, minimizing and mitigating any risk to CRUK, our staff and supporters.

• Develop strong working relationships with high-net-worth supporters (committees, sponsors, donors etc) and keep them informed/consulted on event progress and outcomes as needed. Work with them and their networks to align their event wishes with our event and wider philanthropy objectives.

• Closely track and review all income and expenditure performance through internal processes

What are we looking for?

• Previous experience working in an Event/Project Manager level role (ideally for high value audiences)

• Experience in managing complex events or projects with multiple stakeholders on time and within budget

• Experience of creating engaging and impactful event content an materials such as sponsorship proposals, speeches, event programmes and briefing documents

• Ability to negotiate and secure best possible value for the charity

• Ability to prioritise own workload and that of a project team

• Excellent people and interpersonal skills - confident working with and influencing stakeholders of all levels, including celebrities and their management teams

• Ability to problem solve, work under pressure and manage a busy workload to meet agreed deadlines

• Ability to be resilient under challenging circumstances

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 .

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 fairly and objectively.

For more information on this career opportunity please or contact us at .  

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