Donor Relations Manager (International and Leadership)

Creating exceptional experiences for our most valued supporters.   

Donor Relations Manager (International and Leadership)

£35,000 - £40,000 plus benefits

Reports to: Donor Relations Senior Manager

Grade: P2

Directorate: Strategy & Philanthropy

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. 

Closing date: 20 April 2026, 23:55

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 application questions and work history section of the online application form for us to be able to assess you quickly, fairly, and objectively.

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: 2 stage consisting of presentation task and role based competency interview

Interview date: From 28 April 2026

At Cancer Research UK, we exist to beat cancer.

At Cancer Research UK, we’re united by one purpose: to beat cancer, sooner. If you’re passionate about creating exceptional supporter experiences and building relationships that drive meaningful impact, this is your opportunity to help shape the future of our high‑value fundraising.

We’re looking for a Donor Relations Manager to play a key role in our bold £400m More Research, Less Cancer campaign. You’ll develop and deliver tailored engagement for our most influential  donors and senior volunteer leaders—designing moments that inspire, thank, recognise and demonstrate the power of their support.

In this role, no two days are the same. You’ll combine strategic thinking, creative vision and meticulous delivery to ensure every supporter feels truly valued. Working at the heart of our Philanthropy directorate, you’ll collaborate with senior fundraisers, global partners and organisational leaders to bring world‑class donor engagement to life.

What you’ll be doing

Driving supporter experience strategy

• Shape and lead the supporter experience strategy for our international major supporters, senior volunteer leadership, Global Campaign Leadership (GCL) audiences and Francis Crick Institute.
• Coordinate high‑quality, personalised communications from the CEO, Chair and senior leaders.
• Use your planning expertise and creative thinking to design seamless journeys from first engagement to long‑term stewardship.
• Build strong internal partnerships to ensure insights, timelines and delivery are aligned to our campaign ambitions.
• Use your experience to improve processes and ways of working, ensuring effective delivery across international markets, time zones and complex stakeholder groups.

Creating outstanding stewardship

• Lead the delivery of tailored stewardship moments—from thanking and recognition to milestone celebrations and impact reporting.
• Produce high‑quality, audience‑specific engagement materials that are on brand, on budget and on time.
• Drive creative development of new engagement products for international and senior supporters.
• Use your understanding of film, digital and photography to help bring donor experiences to life.

Collaborating and supporting the team

• Work closely with colleagues across Donor Relations, overseeing delivery of projects and supporting delegation and cross‑team collaboration.
• Support senior‑level governance and leadership forums through the coordination of briefing materials, papers and supporter insight.
• Contribute to wider Philanthropy planning, development and team culture.

What are we looking for?

• Exceptional relationship‑building skills with stakeholders at all levels, including senior leaders and international partners.
• Adaptability and confidence when navigating change or ambiguity.
• Diplomatic, thoughtful stewardship of high-value donors and influential volunteers.
• Creative, proactive problem‑solver with sound judgement.
• High attention to detail and strong organisational discipline.
• Strong understanding of high‑value fundraising, partnerships and supporter engagement.

• Experience in account or client team management, with the ability to brief and collaborate effectively.
• Skilled project manager comfortable balancing multiple priorities.
• Confident user of data, Microsoft Office and fundraising databases.
• Experience managing budgets, sourcing suppliers and delivering activity efficiently.

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

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.