Policy Advisor – Cancer Prevention

Community spirit. Ceaseless ambition. Passion that just keeps growing.

Policy Advisor – Cancer Prevention

£35,000 – £42,000 per annum plus benefits

Reports to: Prevention Policy Manager

Grade: P2

Directorate: Policy, Information and Communications

Contract: Fixed Term Contract– till May 2027

Hours: Full time 35 hours per week

Location: Stratford, London. High Flex (1-2 days per week in 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: 5 July 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 interview process consisting of task and role-based competency questions.

Interview date: From 13 July 2026

At Cancer Research UK, we exist to beat cancer.

At Cancer Research UK, we exist to beat cancer. And we know prevention is one of the most powerful ways to do it.

We’re looking for a talented policy professional to help shape the policies that reduce cancer risk and save lives. In this role, you’ll be at the heart of our cancer prevention work—turning evidence into action and influencing decision-makers across government and beyond.

What you’ll be doing

• Monitoring the policy landscape to spot opportunities to drive change in cancer prevention
• Developing clear, evidence-based policy positions, with a focus on key areas like tobacco control
• Producing high-quality briefings, consultation responses and policy statements
• Communicating our positions to government, policymakers and stakeholders to influence real-world decisions
• Building strong relationships with researchers, healthcare professionals and policy partners
• Supporting organisational strategy and keeping internal teams informed of key developments

What you’ll bring

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the confidence to work independently
• Excellent writing ability, from rapid briefings to detailed policy reports
• A solid understanding of the UK political and policy environment
• The ability to manage competing priorities and deliver to tight deadlines
• Clear and compelling communication and influencing skills
• A collaborative approach, with experience working across teams and stakeholders

Why this role matters

This is your opportunity to shape policies that prevent cancer and protect future generations. From reducing smoking rates to influencing national prevention strategies, your work will have a lasting, life-saving impact.

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?

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.

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 you do not confirm that you meet these requirements, we will not be able to progress your application.

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.