Senior Donor Relations Executive

Responsibilities

• Act as a trusted operational partner to frontline fundraisers, coordinating seamless cultivation and stewardship activity
• Deliver high-quality donor experiences, from briefings and proposals to meetings, events and stewardship milestones
• Lead on the preparation of gift agreements and pledge confirmations, ensuring accuracy and a great donor experience
• Project manage key materials, including proposals, impact reports and recognition initiatives
• Coordinate donor engagement opportunities, including meetings, lab tours and interactions with researchers and leadership
• Support fundraising strategy through CRM reporting, pipeline tracking and campaign delivery
• Build strong relationships across CRUK, the Crick and wider teams to deliver joined-up, donor-centric experiences
• Provide guidance to colleagues and contribute to continuous improvement across the team

Requirements

• A brilliant communicator with strong stakeholder management skills
• Highly organised, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver to tight deadlines
• A confident project manager who can coordinate activity across multiple teams
• Excellent writing skills, with a keen eye for detail
• A donor-first mindset and strong customer service approach
• Comfortable using databases and Microsoft Office tools
• A proactive, problem-solving attitude with a "can do" approach
• Experience in fundraising or a strong interest in philanthropy and major gifts
• 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?
• You can explore our benefits by visiting our careers web page .
• Internal Eligibility criteria
• Internal candidates should ideally have completed their 6-month 'getting started' period before applying for other roles. You should also advise your current line manager at the point you make an internal application, or at the latest, at the point of being invited for an interview.
• All internal candidates applying for a secondment, must have:
• completed their getting started period
• discussed their intention to apply and gained approval to apply with their line manager
• been in their substantive (home) role for at least 6 months (this is only applicable if you have previously been on secondment)
• If yo

Additional Information

Supporting exceptional experiences for our valued supporters. Senior Donor Relations Executive £30,000 - £35,000 plus benefits Reports to: Donor Relations Specialist 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. External closing date: 16 June 2026, 23:55 Internal closing date: 21 June 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: 1 stage consisting of role based competency questions Interview date: From 2 July 2026 At Cancer Research UK, we exist to beat cancer. At Cancer Research UK, we're united by one ambition: to beat cancer, sooner. Our lifesaving research is only possible thanks to the generosity of our supporters-and this role is central to ensuring they feel inspired, valued and connected to the impact they make. As a Senior Donor Relations Executive , you'll play a pivotal role in delivering exceptional experiences for our high-value supporters, helping to power our £400m campaign, More Research, Less Cancer . Working closely with fundraisers and partners across CRUK and the Francis Crick Institute, you'll help bring donor journeys to life-turning support into lasting impact. You'll be joining a collaborative, passionate team that champions creativity, excellence and meaningful supporter engagement.

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