The Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA)
Funding and Contracts Manager
Be an Early Applicant
Manage R&D funding calls from planning and applicant communications through project selection, due diligence, budget checks, approvals, and signed awards. Coordinate with programme, Finance, Legal, and Communications teams; explain agreements and obligations to funded researchers; maintain audit trails; resolve routine contracting issues; and improve guidance, templates, and tools. The role requires strong organization, commercial judgment, numeracy, communication, and experience managing funding or investment processes.
Salary: c. £60,000
Bonus: Discretionary
Location: Kings Cross, London (Tuesdays-Thursdays - 3 days in our office, Monday + Friday - anywhere)
Employment Type: Permanent, full time
About ARIA
Bonus: Discretionary
Location: Kings Cross, London (Tuesdays-Thursdays - 3 days in our office, Monday + Friday - anywhere)
Employment Type: Permanent, full time
About ARIA
ARIA is a new R&D funding agency built to unlock technological breakthroughs that benefit everyone. We fund scientists and engineers to pursue research at the edge of the possible.
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.
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.
Role Summary
As Commercial & Funding Contracts Manager, you will help turn ARIA’s programme ideas into funding calls and signed awards. You will work with Programme Directors, programme teams, and the Director of Commercial & Funding Operations to run funding calls, guide teams through project selection, and turn selected projects into signed awards as quickly as possible. You will help Creators (the researchers and teams ARIA funds) understand their agreements and how ARIA works. You will also help improve the guidance and tools the team relies on. This role would suit someone who has helped take funding or investment from an open call or selection process through to signed agreement, whether at a research funder, a VC or investment firm, a university research contracting function, a government commercial function, or somewhere similar, and who enjoys keeping complex work moving at pace.
What you’ll do
The scope of the role will evolve as ARIA continues to grow, but will broadly involve the following:
- Work with Programme Directors from the early stages of a programme to help develop a practical funding plan, including how opportunities should be structured and how proposals will be assessed.
- Prepare and run funding calls, including refining eligibility criteria, producing application guidance, setting realistic timetables, setting up the application platform, managing applicant communications, and guiding programme teams through project selection so that funding decisions are fair and offer value for money.
- Move selected projects to signed awards as quickly as possible while maintaining high quality standards and attention to detail, carrying out due diligence and coordinating budget checks, approvals, milestones, and signatures.
- Manage the handover of signed awards to the programme team, helping make sure Creators understand their funding agreement, ARIA’s ways of working, and what’s expected of them once their project starts.
- Help programme teams find the right funding route when programmes or projects change significantly, including follow-on efforts or top-ups to existing projects, and assist with post-award activities such as variations.
- Work closely with programme teams, Finance, Legal, and Comms so everyone has a shared view of upcoming calls and awards, what has been agreed, and where things are held up.
- Keep clear records and audit trails, and help improve the guidance, call templates, and tools that make repeat work easier and help the team work consistently.
- Resolve routine funding and contracting issues independently, and escalate anything that could expose ARIA to significant financial, legal, or reputational risk.
Who you are
Essential Criteria
- You have hands-on experience in a funding, investment, or comparable operation, covering the work from running a call or selection process through to signed agreement.
- You are highly organised. You can coordinate due diligence and approvals across several teams, keep work moving to a deadline, and manage several live calls or awards at once, all while delivering high quality work and maintaining keen attention to detail.
- You understand what makes a selection process fair and well documented, can guide colleagues through one, and keep a clear record of decisions.
- You understand how funding agreements work, and can explain obligations and milestones clearly to people who aren’t specialists.
- You are commercially astute and numerate. You can check costs, budgets, and milestones, and judge whether an award offers value for money.
- You have good judgement and are comfortable working with incomplete information. You can make routine decisions independently and recognise when an issue needs senior or specialist input.
- You are a clear writer and communicator who works well across teams, and can explain funding and contract issues in simple, practical terms to colleagues and Creators.
- You have a good-humoured, low-ego, and hands-on approach to work, and enjoy solving problems when things are uncertain.
Desirable Criteria
- You have direct experience of research or R&D programme funding.
- You have worked with public money or government grant requirements.
- You have worked with agreements where intellectual property, publication rights, or collaboration terms were important.
- You have used data, automation, or AI tools to reduce administration or improve decisions about funding activity.
How to apply
Please submit your current CV and a cover letter detailing your suitability. We pride ourselves on reviewing every application personally.
Note: A cover letter is required to be considered.
Note: A cover letter is required to be considered.
Benefits
- 27 days annual leave provision, with the option to buy/sell additional days
- Hybrid working arrangements; 60% in office / 40% at home
- 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
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.
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.
The Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) United Kingdom Office
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