Jobs at The Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA)

Leads the CEO’s executive communications and external engagement strategy, including speeches, media, social media, thought leadership, stakeholder engagement, and high-profile government interactions. Acts as a trusted advisor and external-facing chief of staff, providing political intelligence, reputational counsel, preparation, real-time support, and triage. Coordinates executive positioning, manages engagement opportunities and networks, coaches senior spokespeople, and ensures alignment across ARIA’s communications, policy, and leadership teams.

Lead ARIA’s multidisciplinary Data & Tech function, covering product management, engineering, data, platforms, and AI enablement. Build organisational technology capabilities, internal products, workflows, automations, and integrations. Establish architecture, technical standards, governance, platform engineering practices, and responsible AI adoption while balancing innovation, security, resilience, and sustainability. Grow the team, develop talent, shape operating models, and partner with stakeholders and IT Operations to deliver scalable technology-enabled improvements.

Leads ARIA’s Finance Operations function, overseeing procure-to-pay, month-end close, cash management, tax, financial controls, statutory reporting, annual accounts, and external audit. Manages a two-person team and strengthens public-sector financial governance, counterfraud, assurance, and portfolio stewardship. The role also drives finance modernization through automation, AI, improved systems, data, and scalable operating processes while partnering with executives, programme finance, auditors, government stakeholders, and the Board.

Lead the design, launch and active management of ambitious R&D programmes (~£50m each). Conduct nationwide discovery, build communities, select and fund project portfolios, track delivery, adapt strategy, and scale promising work to achieve transformative impact.

Lead technical delivery for the Enduring Atmospheric Platforms programme: assess proposals, advise Programme Director, guide Creator teams through milestones and testing, surface technical opportunities and risks, represent the programme externally, co-author strategy and calls, and strengthen cross-programme technical culture and portfolio learning.