At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead tech transformation for finance and legal teams, driving operational improvements.
- Company: Join Cancer Research UK, a leader in health innovation and operational excellence.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible working, and a supportive culture focused on growth.
- Other info: Diverse and inclusive workplace with opportunities for personal and professional development.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in healthcare by shaping technology strategies and leading change.
- Qualifications: Proven tech leadership experience and strong stakeholder management skills required.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
£59,000 – £69,000 + Benefits
Grade: P3
Reports to: Director of Technology Operations
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full time, 35 hours/week
Location: Stratford, London (office‑based with high flexibility – 1‑2 days per week in the office)
Visa sponsorship: Eligible to work in the UK – Cancer Research UK does not offer visa sponsorship
Closing date: 6 July
About the Role
The Chief Finance Office (COO) is Cancer Research UK’s hub for operational management, bringing together several functions (Finance & Procurement, General Counsel & Legal, Governance & Assurance). As a Product Lead, you’ll take ownership of the CFO’s technology estate and partner with colleagues in our Finance, Procurement, General Counsel & Company Secretariat functions who use a range of products, SaaS solutions, and cloud‑based technologies. This role involves leading teams, influencing stakeholders and senior leaders in navigating change, shaping product strategies, and driving technology‑enabled transformation and operational improvements.
Responsibilities
- Lead the design, delivery, and transformation of technology products and services for the Finance, Procurement, General Counsel & Company Secretariat functions, including Legal and Risk.
- Provide leadership across the portfolio of tech‑enabled work and manage the following: two established product teams (line‑management of product managers); in‑flight programmes and projects such as migrating the finance system Unit4 Business World to the cloud, process digitisation and automation, and finance system integrations.
- Partner collaboratively with senior business leaders across the Chief Finance Office to shape strategy and deliver Cancer Research UK’s ambitious programme of change.
- Drive key business outcomes, operational efficiency, resilience, and optimisation of corporate systems.
- Lead the creation of a roadmap that is strategically aligned, technically viable, and widely understood.
- Set, forecast, and manage budgets and resources.
- Ensure Cancer Research UK has the right culture, skills, and processes for successful delivery and transformation.
- Line‑manage two product managers and matrix‑manage project teams, including: leading and motivating teams, contributing to a culture of high performance, acting as a role model, and setting high professional standards for performance and behaviour; defining and ensuring high‑quality, fast‑paced delivery of product outcomes across your teams; providing coaching and skills development; managing supplier relationships and ensuring technology partnerships deliver value and meet internal users’ business needs; collaborating with others to ensure that your products are appropriately supported, minimise performance risks, and adhere to SLAs and other operational requirements.
Qualifications
- Experienced technology leader with a strong record of delivering transformation and technology‑enabled operational improvements in complex enterprise environments.
- Previous roles may include Product Lead, Delivery Lead, Transformation Lead, Change Manager, Programme Manager, ERP Manager, or similar.
- Ability to balance user needs, strategic and technical requirements, and operational demand in large, complex organisations with constrained resources.
- Knowledge of corporate operations and systems, including ERP and finance systems.
- Proven ability to build credible and collaborative internal and external stakeholder relationships with strong interpersonal, communication, influencing, and negotiation skills, including senior leadership.
- Experience partnering with finance and legal teams is advantageous.
- Commercially minded with a track record of managing supplier relationships and driving value from technology partnerships.
- Resilient and adaptable leader with experience driving change and motivating teams and stakeholders in navigating ambiguity and responding to evolving business needs.
- Proactive, solutions‑focused approach to problem‑solving, encouraging innovation, promoting best practices, and challenging conventional organisational approaches and thinking.
Diversity and Inclusion
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. Please inform us of any concerns you have or any adjustments you might need to enable this to happen.
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.
