Operations Executive - Legal

Legal Operations Executive

*internally this role is known as Legal operations specialist

£30,000 - £35,000 per annum plus benefits

Reports to: Legal Operations Manager

Directorate: ​Finance, Governance and Assurance​

Contract: ​Permanent​

Hours: ​Full time 35 hours per week​ , we are open to a number of flexible working requests which we can discuss at interview.

Location: ​Stratford, London. Office-based with high flexibility (2 days per week in the office)

Closing date: 18 October 2026 23:55 *

*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 recruitment@cancer.org.uk as soon as possible.

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: Competency based interview

Interview date: 1st stage w/c 2nd November and 2nd stage w/c 9th November both via Microsoft Teams

We’re Transforming Legal at Cancer Research UK 

At Cancer Research UK, our mission is simple but powerful: help people live longer, better lives free from the fear of cancer. Cancer Research UK’s internal Legal function has launched a bold new strategy to help make that happen – and this is an exciting opportunity to be a part of it. 

We are looking for a hands-on operations professional to join our legal operations team. This is a varied role at the heart of CRUK's Legal team, helping to deliver an efficient, high-quality and user-focused legal service across the organisation. Supporting all six pillars of the Legal Strategy, you'll work across a broad range of activities, from legal technology and AI initiatives to project coordination, knowledge management, reporting, and support for the Legal Helpdesk and Head of Legal.

You don’t need a legal background to be successful in this role, instead we are looking for candidates from an operational background who are motivated by driving operational excellence. You will be proactive, efficient, curious and thrive in a fast-paced environment.

Make a difference through purpose driven work that delivers real world impact, while gaining broad exposure and accelerated opportunities for growth and development. This is an opportunity to empower teams across the organisation, gaining broad exposure to the internal operations of the UK’s leading cancer charity, deliver real impact, and get involved in shaping the future of Legal at CRUK.  

What will be some of the main responsibilities? 

• Support the Legal Operations Manager and Head of Legal with operations and project tasks relating to the delivery of the Legal team strategy, including project management, reporting and communications

• Support the collection, organisation, and reporting of legal service delivery data, including matter volumes, turnaround times, and KPI tracking, to inform strategic planning and demonstrate the value of the legal service. 

• Lead the maintenance and continuous improvement of process documentation and legal operations assets. 

• Own the day-to-day management and integrity of the Legal Hub (SharePoint) and associated knowledge resources, including template libraries, guidance notes, and know-how resources — ensuring content is current, accessible, and aligned to the team's evolving needs. 

• Coordinate, test and support implementation of automation, AI and GenAI solutions to the legal team and our clients. 

• Act as a key administrator and super-user for the Legal team's legal technology platforms.

• Act as a champion for GenAI capability and adoption across the Legal team, contributing to training and knowledge-sharing on GenAI across the wider organisation. 

• Coordinate the preparation, formatting, and proofreading of documents, correspondence, presentations, and training materials to support the team's communications and client-facing outputs. 

• Manage the processing of POs, invoicing and supplier payments, ensuring accuracy and timely completion with a high degree of autonomy. 

• Co-ordinate Legal team meetings, workshops, training sessions, and the induction of new team members.

• Support Head of Legal with diary management and recruitment process support and administration, working with other team members as necessary. 

What are we looking for? 

• Relevant experience in a operational excellence, business analyst, professional services, legal operations, paralegal, or similar role. 

• Experience supporting project delivery and process or continuous-improvement initiatives, with the ability to manage competing priorities and multiple stakeholders with autonomy. 

• Demonstrated ability to influence, coordinate and deliver operational outcomes across multiple stakeholders. 

• Experience acting as a key user or administrator of business systems, legal technology or operational platforms. 

• Collaborative team player who understands the importance of confidentiality, discretion, and professionalism in a legal setting. 

• Proactive, self-motivated, and comfortable taking initiative within a dynamic and evolving team environment. 

• Confident working with large data sets to build and maintain reports and dashboards (e.g. Excel, Power BI) that track and communicate team performance.

• Strong organisational skills and meticulous attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment and meet deadlines consistently. 

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage clearly and professionally with colleagues. 

• Proficient in Microsoft Office suite (particularly Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and SharePoint)  

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.

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

Please note that applications can’t be edited once submitted.

For more information on this career opportunity please visit our website or contact us at recruitment@cancer.org.uk.  

For more updates on our work and careers, follow us on: Linked In, 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.

About Us

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.