ARIA Programme Director

Application Deadline: 28 September 2026

Department: Programmes

Employment Type: Fixed Term Contract

Location: London

Description

Programme Director Cohort 3

Location: Kings Cross, London (hybrid)
Employment Type: This is a full-time role, although we are open to discussing an 80% commitment with exceptional candidates where this would still allow them to fulfil the role effectively
Contract Type: 3 years fixed-term (with the possibility for extension)
Closing Date: Early bird application deadline 07.09.26;
final application deadline 28.09.26

About ARIA

From climate change to AI, society faces enormous challenges and opportunities that can be uniquely addressed by science and technology. ARIA was created to activate the UK’s world-class R&D in new ways, so we can meet these head on.

Our success is shaped by one question: how will ARIA transform the lives of the UK’s future generations? Whether that’s a life-changing new technology or a burgeoning new industry, it should be obvious that ARIA played a catalytic role.

If you want to help make breakthroughs like these possible, come and build ARIA with us.

Learn more here.

About the Role

That’s what you’ll do as an ARIA Programme Director (PD). Our PDs are scientific and technical leaders with deep expertise across one or more fields, and a focused, creative vision for how science and technology can enable a better future.

You’ll join us for three years to launch and actively manage ambitious R&D programmes around your scientific or technical visions within ARIA’s opportunity spaces. You’ll decide which directions matter most, build the communities around them, and fund and direct portfolios of projects to drive towards transformative breakthroughs.

If you’re unsure which of our opportunity spaces best fits your vision, we still want to hear from you — especially if you can show why ARIA is the right place to pursue it.

We’ll give you the toolkit to supercharge your progress. You’ll benefit from the foundations we’ve built: a world-class operating team, dedicated technical and programme support, established funding mechanisms, and networks across science, technology, government, industry and venture. Our job is to help you move faster and more ambitiously than would be possible anywhere else.

You’ll join our third cohort of PDs, with training, mentoring and support from existing PDs, a network of advisors and ARIA’s executive team — including our CEO, CSTO and Chief Translation Officer.

What you’ll do

Design and launch ambitious R&D programmes, each with a budget of around £50 million, within ARIA’s existing opportunity spaces;
Run extensive discovery across academia, industry, start-ups, government, non-profits and the wider R&D ecosystem, spending time in-person with people across every region and nation of the UK to understand what is possible, what is missing, and where ARIA can have the greatest impact;
Translate what you learn into one or more focused programmes, each with a clear theory of change, and decide which funding mechanisms are right to maximise their chances of success;
Select and fund a portfolio of R&D projects across universities, start-ups, companies, non-profits and other organisations to unlock breakthroughs and advance the programme's objectives;
Actively manage and direct your programmes and project portfolios — working closely with Creators, tracking progress against programme goals and using evidence to adapt strategy, redirect funding, scale promising work or stop what is not delivering — so the strongest ideas have the best chance of achieving real-world impact;
Create and grow new communities around your programmes’ visions and goals, bringing together talent and ideas in unexpected ways to unlock breakthroughs.

How we'll support you

We will give you everything you need to move quickly, including:

A world-class operating team built to help ambitious programmes move quickly — from programme design and funding processes through to delivery;
Dedicated technical and programme support — helping you sharpen your programme theses and manage your portfolios end to end, from assessing technical feasibility and selecting projects to tracking delivery and managing performance;
Proven funding mechanisms and operational infrastructure — freeing you to exercise judgement, build communities and get the right work underway;
Access to ARIA’s networks – across science, technology, government, industry and venture, helping you find the people, places and partners your programmes need;
An exceptional community of peers and leaders — your cohort, existing PDs, advisors, mentors and ARIA’s executive team — who will stretch your ambition, sharpen your technical judgement and push your programmes towards the edge of what might be possible;
Support from ARIA’s Activation Partners – bringing specialist expertise, tools, facilities and translation support to help turn promising technical progress into ventures, partnerships and other routes to real-world impact.

Who you are

We don't expect any single candidate to tick every box; however, standout applicants will demonstrate a majority of these qualities:

You see potential within our existing opportunity spaces to design and launch new programmes that deliver societal and economic impact to the UK;
You believe the UK is the right place to maximise your impact, and you’re committed to spending your time here building the communities, partnerships and programmes needed to advance ARIA’s public-service mission;
You're intrinsically motivated to have an outsized impact on the world and solve a major, meaningful problem;
You're deeply technical in at least one field, and open to exploring others;
You can take a scientific or technical vision from idea to execution — whether that means building a start-up, running a research lab, creating a technical community, or launching something new;
You have the imagination and judgement to see where AI capabilities, from frontier models to autonomous science, could shift major bottlenecks in technical fields — and the foresight to design programmes that can leverage these rapidly developing capabilities as well as test whether they genuinely can address the bottlenecks;
You have worked in a fast-paced environment, and you're comfortable with uncertainty;
You can unite others towards ambitious goals, empower people, handle hard conversations, and make difficult decisions — demonstrating thoughtful, decisive leadership;
You communicate clearly and persuasively with different types of stakeholders, adapting your approach to technical and non-technical audiences;
You’re resilient and self-motivated, maintaining momentum and a high quality bar through setbacks, uncertainty and changing circumstances, while empowering those around you;
You're highly curious, you find possibilities where others don't;
You're able to spend your time in the UK and show strong commitment to ARIA and public service;
You have an idea of a set of problems you want to solve (but you don't have to have a fully baked vision).

Eligibility

You will:

Have significant depth of knowledge and expertise within at least one scientific research, engineering or technology field - and experience of carrying out research in that field;
Bring experience beyond traditional academic research – whether through work outside academia or engagement with industry and translational research.
Make ARIA your primary professional focus. This is a full-time role, although we are open to discussing an 80% commitment with exceptional candidates where this would still allow them to fulfil the role effectively;
Be able to travel regularly across the UK – and occasionally abroad – to attend in-person meetings and events and engage with the researchers, Creators, companies, start-ups, technical communities and other stakeholders who will help shape your programmes.
Spend a minimum of three days per week at ARIA HQ during the first and third weeks of every month to optimise collaboration with your cohort, the previous cohort of PDs, and the broader ARIA team;

If you’re appointed, you must:

Have, or be able to obtain, the right to work in the UK. ARIA is a registered funder and can sponsor eligible candidates and their families through the Global Talent Visa route. Some international applicants may be subject to additional security and vetting checks;
Successfully complete the required national security vetting.

Benefits

27 days annual leave provision, with the option to buy/sell additional days
Hybrid working arrangements
Supportive environment for learning and development opportunities
Enhanced family leave arrangements
A free and confidential 24/7 employee assistance programme
Life Assurance
2 days of paid volunteer days
5% defined contribution pension scheme with Smart Pension
Cycle to Work scheme
An excellent office location in Kings X, London

Note: We’ve carefully considered Programme Director compensation. Aiming to attract diverse career stages, disciplines, and sectors, we offer a competitive package relative to benchmarks, ensuring all Programme Directors feel like equal peers. The total compensation is consistent for all incoming Programme Directors.

Not sure you meet 100% of our criteria? Don’t worry! If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply. We want to attract the broadest array of candidates, including those with diverse workplace experiences and backgrounds. Whether you’re new to the field, returning to work after a gap in employment, simply looking to transition, or taking the next step in your career path, we will be glad to have you on our radar. Please use your cover letter to tell us about your interests and what you hope to bring to this role.

If you require any reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process, please notify us and we will make every effort to accommodate you. Disclosing any requests are intended to provide ARIA with the best opportunity to support candidates and will have no negative impact on your recruitment process.

Please note; You will be required, as and when necessary, to travel to different locations around the UK and internationally as part of your Discovery process, to support and engage with active Creator projects, and for other relevant ecosystem-level events and conferences.

ARIA adopts a highly considered approach to ethical and social responsibility. You can read our policy here. Our research and development activity will abide by the 3Rs principle. You can read about those here.