Programme Manager Cancer Grand Challenge Full-time

Programme Manager Cancer Grand Challenge

UCL is one of the UK's premier research and teaching Universities and has one of the largest Biomedical Faculties in Europe. UCL is both a Cancer Research UK Centre and an Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre providing key infrastructure for cancer research. The UCL Cancer Institute is a £40 million investment in central London based at University College London (UCL), one of the world's top universities and a founding member of the Crick Institute. UCL Cancer Institute draws together over 300 scientists working together to develop world-class basic and translational cancer research. Through our associations with UCL Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Great Ormond Street Hospital and the Royal Free Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the Institute has greater clinical links than any comparable centre in the UK and a significant impact on the delivery of clinical service to cancer patients. This concentration of excellence, access to patients and significant recent investment of cancer treatment and research infrastructure makes UCL a global leader.

About the Role

Cancer Grand Challenges is a global research funding initiative founded by Cancer Research UK and the US National Cancer Institute. The REWIRE‑CAN programme has been awarded £20m to address the challenge of reprogramming epithelial wiring to eradicate cancer, with a specific focus on advanced colorectal cancer. The programme brings together a multidisciplinary international consortium across host institutions in the UK, US and the Netherlands.

The REWIRE‑CAN programme is led from the UCL Cancer Institute and integrates discovery and translational research, including functional genetic screens, patient‑derived models, advanced signalling technologies and pre‑clinical therapeutic studies. Patient advocates are embedded throughout the programme to support research delivery and public engagement.

Bart Vanhaesebroeck is the overall Team Lead of the REWIRE‑CAN consortium. Together with the Team Lead, the Programme Manager is responsible for the effective coordination and delivery of the overall REWIRE‑CAN Cancer Grand Challenges consortium programme, supporting an international consortium of researchers, clinicians and patient advocates to achieve agreed scientific, translational and engagement objectives.

The role provides operational and strategic programme management across governance, reporting, financial oversight, stakeholder engagement and communications, ensuring compliance with funder requirements and the timely achievement of milestones across multiple institutions.

UCL offers hybrid working where appropriate and the successful applicant may normally work remotely for up to 60% of the week if they wish.

This role does not meet the eligibility requirements for a Skilled Worker Visa certificate of sponsorship under UK Visas and Immigration legislation. Therefore, UCL will not be able to sponsor individuals who require right to work in the UK to carry out this role.

Applications should include a CV and a Cover Letter: In the Cover Letter please provide evidence of the essential and desirable criteria in the Person Specification part of the Job Description. (By including a Cover Letter, you can leave blank the 'Why you have applied for this role' field in the application form, which is limited in the number of characters it will allow.)

Funding is until the 30^th of April 2031 in the first instance.

About You

The successful candidate must be educated to a doctoral level in a biomedical research discipline or equivalent professional experience.

Demonstrable experience of managing large, complex, multi‑institutional research programmes, including financial and risk management; experience of working within a research‑intensive organisation such as a university, NHS or industry environment and willingness to undertake occasional overseas travel are all essential.

A formal project or programme management qualification; experience of international collaboration and a responsive and proactive approach to supporting colleagues, partners and stakeholders are desirable but not essential.

What We Offer

As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents we also offer some great benefits some of which are below:

• 41 Days holiday (including 27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days)
• Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)
• Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan
• On-Site nursery
• On-site gym
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
• Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service
• Discounted medical insurance

Please visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/rewards-and-benefits to find out more.

Our Commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

As London's Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world's talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.

We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL's workforce.

These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.

You can read more about our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/equality-diversity-inclusion