HR Change Advisor

Culture of professionalism. Example of leadership. Core of company support.   

HR Change Advisor

£40,000 - £44,000 (+ Benefits)

Reports to: HR Business Partner

Department: Chief Operating Office

Contract: 12 month fixed-term contract

Hours: Full time 35 hours per week

Location: Home-based

*This role will involve occasional travel to Cancer Research UK sites across the UK and will be eligible for travel expenses.

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: 04 December :55

Internal closing date: 11 December :55

This vacancy may close earlier if a high volume of applications is received or once a suitable candidate is found, therefore we strongly recommend that you apply early to avoid disappointment. If you require more time to apply as part of a reasonable adjustment, please contact  as soon as possible.

Recruitment process: One competency-based interview

Interview date: From the week commencing 08 December 2025. We will be shortlisting on a rolling basis, so please do not delay in applying.

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 work history section of the online application form for us to be able to assess you quickly, fairly, and objectively.

At Cancer Research UK, we exist to beat cancer.

We are professionals with purpose, beating cancer every day. But we need to go much further and much faster. That's why we're looking for someone talented, someone who wants to develop their skills, someone like you.

The HR department plays an essential role in engaging and inspiring Cancer Research UK's large and dynamic workforce (c. 4,000+ headcount) by delivering operational transformation, governance, and an employee experience that enables us to be an inclusive, sustainable, and agile organisation. This role will be part of our HR Business Partnering team, which partners across the organisation to develop and deliver our ambitious people plans in support of our directorates' strategies and business needs, while ensuring these align with the wider HR operating plan and priorities.

As an HR Change Advisor, you will play an impactful role in supporting the delivery of Cancer Research UK's new Trading Strategy, which involves significant people change. You will do this by supporting the HR Business Partners in managing and delivering people-focused change initiatives, specifically focusing on the stages before, during, and after the consultation process. This will involve proactively leading and supporting line managers throughout the people change process, ensuring that all aspects of employment law and HR policies and processes are followed.

By the end of this contract, your legacy will be to have made a pivotal contribution to delivering the people-focused aspects of the directorates' and charity's strategic goals. If you are an HR professional with experience advising on HR policies, employment law, and people-focused change, we'd love for you to join our mission.

What will I be doing?

• Collaborating with the HR Business Partners to support in delivering Cancer Research UK's people and new Trading strategy, which includes significant people change.

• Supporting the HR Business Partners and the HR Managers to coordinate with relevant stakeholders and ensure change processes are delivered on time and to the appropriate standard.

• Collaborating with leadership and employees to address concerns and gather feedback.

• Providing expert advice and guidance on HR policies and procedures, particularly with regard to managing change.

• Supporting the resolution of queries before, during, and after consultation.

• Developing and presenting materials and communications as required by those leading the people aspects of the change.

• Providing and maintaining Workday data and reports to support the change programme, ensuring the continued integrity of the data.

• Collaborating with the HR Business Partners and HR Managers to review, iterate, or improve our guidance, processes, or training for line managers.

• Developing clear change project plans covering deliverables, milestones, owners, risks, issues, and mitigations.

What skills will I need?

• Experienced HR professional with a background in advising on HR policies, employment law, and people-focused change processes within a large organisation (c. 3,000+ headcount).

• Knowledge and application of UK employment law and HR policies, principles, procedures, and best practices related to people change and consultation.

• Highly organised with the ability to set and meet demanding deadlines, coordinate multiple deliverables, and hold others accountable for the delivery of projects/activities.

• Good attention to detail with a proactive approach to flagging risks early and solving problems to address challenges.

• Excellent stakeholder engagement and management with demonstrable interpersonal and influencing skills and a proven ability to communicate with diverse audiences across all levels.

• Proficiency in HR software and tools.

• Able to work remotely and occasionally travel to Cancer Research UK sites across the UK.

• Either immediately available or on one month's notice or less.

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.

If you're interested in applying and excited about working with us but are unsure if you have the right skills and experience we'd still love to hear from you.

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.

Additional Information

For more information about working with us please visit our website or contact us at   

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 or 0 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.