Principal Content and Design Experience Lead in Stratford-upon-Avon

£75,000 - £81,000 per annum plus benefits

Reports to: Head of Digital Directorate: Marketing, Fundraising & Engagement

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)

Closing date: 16 November 2026 23:55

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: 2 stage competency-based interview including a case study at final stage

At Cancer Research UK, we exist to beat cancer. This is an exciting newly created role at Cancer Research UK, offering a unique opportunity to shape how content and design come together to create exceptional supporter experiences across our digital channels.

As our Principal Content and Design Experience Lead, you'll play a key role in defining the future direction of our content and design capabilities, bringing together expertise across content strategy, content operations, UX, UI, service design and taxonomy. You'll help ensure these disciplines work seamlessly together to deliver accessible, engaging and data-informed experiences that strengthen relationships with our supporters, including donors, fundraisers, campaigners and volunteers.

You’ll also play a key role in supporting CRUK's wider transformation ambitions, helping evolve how we create, manage and optimise content at scale, while ensuring our content and design practices remain user-centred, accessible and fit for the future.

This role offers the opportunity to make a lasting impact by influencing how content and design support Cancer Research UK's mission, helping us build deeper, longer‑lasting relationships with supporters and ultimately accelerate progress towards a world where everybody lives longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer.

What will I be doing?

• Defining the strategic direction for CRUK's content and design capability, ensuring it is future-focused, user-centred and aligned to organisational goals.
• Leading and developing a high‑performing team through the Senior Manager, Design and Content Delivery Lead, fostering a collaborative culture and shared ways of working.
• Owning the operating model, governance and prioritisation approach for the function, ensuring clear decision-making, effective resource planning and delivery excellence.
• Driving CRUK's content optimisation strategy, using audience insight, analytics, search, experimentation and user research to improve the quality, findability and effectiveness of content.
• Championing accessibility, user-centred design and content best practice across the organisation.
• Overseeing key transformation initiatives, including content platform and CMS developments, while managing supplier relationships, budgets and associated risks.
• Ensuring content and design teams have the right skills, capacity and structures in place to deliver against current and future organisational needs.
• Building strong partnerships across Digital, Data, Insights and other stakeholder groups to maximise organisational impact.

What are we looking for?

• Significant experience leading multidisciplinary content, design and user experience teams, including managing senior leaders and managers.
• Translating strategic vision into successful delivery through a strong track record of developing and delivering content and digital experience strategies that drive measurable user and organisational outcomes.
• Expertise in one or more content or design disciplines, alongside a broad understanding of UX, UI, service design, content operations, accessibility and taxonomy.
• Specific knowledge of CMS, DAM and design systems, and of end‑to‑end supporter journeys.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and influencing skills, with the ability to build alignment and drive change across complex organisations.
• Strong people leadership experience, creating inclusive, high‑performing teams and developing future talent.
• Experience managing budgets, suppliers, contracts and organisational risk.
• An understanding of emerging technologies, including AI and automation, and how they can enhance content and design operations.
• A passion for creating exceptional user experiences and a commitment to Cancer Research UK's vision of bringing about a world where everybody lives longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer.

Our organisation values

• 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

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.

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.

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.

We're the world's leading cancer charity, dedicated to saving and improving lives with our research. We work to reduce the impact of cancer on people's day‑to‑day lives through our research, influence and information. We are beating cancer – step by step, day by day. Our work means that people with cancer live better lives through earlier diagnosis and kinder, more effective treatments. Find a purposeful career that will empower you to grow and collaborate with like‑minded experts.

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